August 2009 archives

This from Paula Waddell, Executive Producer of Ottawa Regional News...

So far no one in the newsroom looks ready to take orbit...the stress and tension of meeting earlier deadlines seems to be under control. No major problems, yet!

It's less than two hours to go before our debut of Ottawa at 5:00, Ottawa at 5;30 and Ottawa at 6.

Get this...a radio reporter was the first to file and meet the TV deadline. Evan Dyer's piece on tobacco and drug-smuggling on the St. Lawrence River is ready to go. The quality of the pictures shot on the river with a flip-cam are surprisingly good! Evan's first report on this story was rolled out on CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning this morning. I hope people heard the plug for coverage on our newscast tonight.

We have good local stories tonight...and we are live at 5 p.m.! I know my parents will be watching. They love CBC News no matter what...I hope the rest of our audience likes the changes.

Posted at 03:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This from Paula Waddell, Executive Producer of Ottawa Regional News...

What can I scratch off the to-do list in the next fifteen minutes?

Viewers must be questioning some of those wonky wide shots during our newscasts in the last couple of days. Mastering robotic cameras is a little tougher than I thought. There are a few things to learn by launch day.

The CBC is going to be first in this city to deliver local news and weather in the evening. On Monday August 31, viewers will see CBC Ottawa's expanded local news programming. We are adding 2 new local newscasts: CBC News: Ottawa at 5:00 and CBC News: Ottawa at 5:30. Ottawa at 6 remains our flagship supper hour news program. Lucy van Oldenbarneveld will host all programs.

August has been a blur of organized chaos. Reporters are filing early, preparing for the new deadlines. We are conducting rehearsals, wrestling new technologies and helping staff deal with change. All this and we continue to deliver CBC News: Ottawa at Six. We have such a talented team of journalists here.

During this economy, it's a great feeling to be talking about "expanding" not 'cutting" local news. We're going for it.

Posted at 03:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ontario Superior Court Justice Douglas Cunningham's decision in the O'Brien trial.

• Download decision

Posted at 02:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Want to hear Mayor Larry O'Brien's take on his criminal trial and the judge's decision?

He's scheduled to talk to:

• CBC Radio's All in a Day at 5:40 p.m. Wednesday. Listen at 91.5 FM or live online.
• CBC TV's Ottawa at Six just after 6 p.m. Wednesday. Watch it on TV or online.
• CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning at 7:15 a.m. Thursday. Listen at 91.5 FM or online.

  Posted at 01:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The judge has ruled that Mayor Larry O'Brien is not guilty on both charges. Applause filled the courtroom.

-Alistair Steele

Posted at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Cunningham: John Light's loyalty to Terry Kilrea "colours his evidence." Lisa McLeod's evidence was "so imprecise...I cannot give it any weight." There go the Crown's two key witnesses.

O'Brien is looking relieved. He even managed a chuckle just now at something the judge said.

-Alistair Steele

Posted at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Justice Cunningham is quite clearly leaning towards a not guilty decision. He hasn't accepted any of the evidence the Crown based its case on. It's looking like O'Brien is headed back to the mayor's office. But stay tuned, no decision yet.

-Alistair Steele

Posted at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Justice Cunningham is now going over the evidence of the other witnesses, starting with pollster Dmitri Pantazopoulos.

-Alistair Steele

Posted at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So far the judge appears to be siding with the defence and O'Brien's version of events.

-Alistair Steele

So far the judge appears to be siding with the defence and O'Brien's version of events.

-Alistair Steele

Posted at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Justice Cunningham is carefully reviewing all the significant evidence. -Alistair Steele

Posted at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The mayor has arrived with his wife, his sons and former city security chief Bob Gauvreau. O'Brien is chatting with his lawyer Michael Edelson. There is real tension in this room. You could hear a pin drop if it wasn't for the plush red carpet.

The Crown had arrived just a few minutes earlier. There are a few councillors here, including Jan Harder and Bob Monette.

-Alistair Steele

An overflow courtroom has been set up to accommodate the huge crowd.

-Cory O'Kelly

The mayor has arrived with his wife, his sons and former city security chief Bob Gauvreau. O'Brien is chatting with his lawyer Michael Edelson. There is real tension in this room. You could hear a pin drop if it wasn't for the plush red carpet.

The Crown had arrived just a few minutes earlier. There are a few councillors here, including Jan Harder and Bob Monette.

-Alistair Steele An overflow courtroom has been set up to accommodate the huge crowd.

-Cory O'Kelly

Posted at 09:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Court room 37 is full, and there are still dozens of people waiting. O'Brien isn't here yet. His defense team has just arrived.

-Alistair Steele

Court room 37 is full, and there are still dozens of people waiting. O'Brien isn't here yet. His defense team has just arrived.

-Alistair Steele

Posted at 09:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A huge crowd of at least 200 people, including dozens of journalists with cameras and microphones, were lined up outside the Ottawa courthouse this morning and have just started filing in, Alistair Steele reports.

Posted at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A judge is expected to release his verdict in the criminal trial of Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien at 10 a.m. CBC will have live special coverage once that happens, likely starting shortly after the 10 a.m. newscast. More information is available here and the story will be updated with more information as soon as it's released.

You can listen live at 91.5 FM or online.

In the meantime, reporter Alistair Steele is aleady down at the courthouse. Here is what he is saying so far.

Reporter Evan Dyer summarized the happenings so far on Ottawa Morning. Host Kathleen Petty also spoke to the University of Ottawa law professor Stéphane Émard-Chabot about the upcoming decision in the latter part of the same clip.

Posted at 09:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)