By Marketplace Staff

Monday, January 4, 2010, 11:40 AM

The new season of Marketplace launches Friday, Jan. 8, at 8:30 p.m., on CBC Television -- but the Toronto public can get an advance behind-the-scenes look at what goes into making the show.

The Marketplace special sneak peek, hosted by the fifth estate's Hana Gartner, is being held on Thursday, Jan. 7, at 12 noon, in the CBC's Barbara Frum Atrium, with special guests Erica Johnson, Wendy Mesley, Marlene McArdle and, from this season's debut episode, Canada's most trusted contractor, Mike Holmes.

"Grow Op Cover Up," airing on Friday, looks at how homes formerly used as grow ops are being resold to unsuspecting homebuyers -- who soon discover the shady pasts of their new purchases can leave a lasting legacy affecting both their pocketbooks and their health.

The Marketplace team has a proven track record of exposing the real story, pressuring companies to change their policies and practices. Nine days after last season's "Miracle Makers or Money Takers?" aired, Canada's regulatory body Health Canada pulled the license for the EPFX, a medical device that promised to help cure cancer; it can no longer be sold.

And another episode, "Power of Persuasion," about the sometimes aggressive door-to-door sales tactics that have emerged in the wake of the deregulation of the electricity and natural gas sectors, resulted in substantial fines laid against some companies in Canada's energy industry.

Among this coming season's highlights: Marketplace puts drivers to the test--and reveals how GPS devices put safety on the line... looks at the claims made by a leading Canadian diet company... and reveals the results of a nation-wide search for the worst cell phone bill in Canada.

The Marketplace sneak peek is free of charge, no reservations required, and is open to the public.

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