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.