January 14, 2002 was a special day for Cogeco as it was day one of a newscast that is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
The flagship news program was founded in 2002 to fill the void of local television news in North Bay. In late 2001, MCTV North Bay closed its local news broadcast and laid off staff as a regional newscast became centralized out of Sudbury's MCTV studio.
Since then, YourTV North Bay has been the only station with a local television studio in the community.
“What started out as a six-month experiment in 2002 has evolved into 20 years of providing North Bay and Callander up-to-the-minute truly local News and sports coverage,” says host Greg Estabrooks who was laid off by MCTV in December 2001, and was the first hire for the new Cogeco broadcast.
“It's been an honour to be here since day one. Cogeco has given all of us here the chance to bring so many people and stories to light. A news operation like no other,” added the soon-to-be 60-year-old.
Cogeco News’ first broadcast was at 6 p.m. on Monday, January 14, 2002, and over the past 20 years, the program continues to air Monday to Friday. That’s over 5,200 episodes of important local programming showcasing what’s happening in North Bay. Numerous local and national celebrities have been in the studio including musicians, athletes, Premiers, and Prime Ministers Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau.
“We cover local news as well as community events, with numerous partners in North Bay and Callander. Clarke Heipel and Greg have covered tens of thousands of local stories that matter to our community throughout the past 20 years," said Joey Roussy, Programming and Community Relations Manager.
"The community trusts and relies on us to deliver news that matters to them and that’s evident in the fact that Cogeco News continues to be our most watched program.” says Joey Roussy, Programming and Community Relations Manager, North Bay. Over 80% of people surveyed by Cogeco in North Bay are familiar with Cogeco News.
“Local news matters because it connects our communities," added Roussy.
"At Cogeco, we are committed to keeping our residents engaged and informed on local issues, as well as providing an outlet to share important stories from our community members."
