Stephen Burrow returns: A moving welcome to TVA

Stephen Bureau hasn’t set foot on TVA since he briefly hosted the show Exchanger In the spring of 2006, he began preparations for the next major public affairs conference on Friday evenings, An upside down world. A lot of water had gone under the bridge since then, but to his surprise, he quickly felt that everyone was happy that he was coming home.

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“I have an opinion now, and it’s a bit cheesy coming home as a formula because it’s rarely happened to me, because I’ve found 25-year-old people who’ve worked there, who’ve been there and detoured. They’ve come to see me when we were working as a pilot. They’ve really warmed to me. Welcomed. It didn’t happen often and I was so moved. I didn’t think they would remember that we worked together,” said the 58-year-old host.

Although he spent most of his career as a journalist and host at Radio-Canada, TVA was truly at home, he noted, being the network’s first correspondent in Washington and host of the closing bulletin evenings from 1990 to 1997.

He pointed out two companies, two different cultures.

“I have extraordinary memories and worked with people I really like [à Radio-Canada], but, for example, when I returned to radio after a 12-year absence, I never felt like I was coming home. I don’t think it’s personal, I think Radio-Canada is a Spanish inn, which means we’re always finding out what we’ve brought or will bring there.

freedom

After five years in radio, his recent departure from the Crown corporation, however, was not a moving farewell, with a tremor in his voice.

Let’s review the facts. Last summer, following a complaint, Radio-Canada’s ombudsman ruled that Stéphane Bureau must correct or redact statements made by its guest, controversial French physician Didier Raoult. Without apologizing, Stefan Buro angrily replied: “I leave it to others to crawl and ask for forgiveness”.

Several months later, he assured me that he held no grudges and that “99.9%” of the time, he was free to do whatever he wanted. He would like to point out that the Ombudsman is a parallel body separate from the SRC.

As for his new TVA superiors, he said he got assurances from them that he would be free to invite anyone to his studio.

“One of our goals is not to distort the antenna or the group, but to make sure that the ecosystem of our collaborators is not just the Quebecor ecosystem. Not only do they agree, it’s part of their intentions.

“People have to play their part”

So let’s talk about this popular show, whose womb is ultimately a long silent river.

First is baptism sit downThis “debate and current affairs platform” will be aired on Sunday evenings in April as a live competition. Everyone talks about it.

However, after the recording of the pilot emissions, its craftsmen estimated that the cards had to be changed. The big premiere has been pushed back to September 16, with time to refine the concept.

Four months later, the show is now called An upside down worldIt will be broadcast on Friday evenings in a 90-minute format, “not to be rushed”, “all opinions are allowed” and above all, the host will be happy to be presented in front of an audience in attendance. Studio.

The presence of an audience makes Stefan Buro particularly happy, especially since the audience is not one to clap on command.

“People have their role to play. Sometimes they do caste. We’re going to make sure that there are representatives or people who are directly challenged by the things we talk about so that we can turn to this audience on occasion to add to or restart the conversation.

Freedom of expression

However, we doubt that this news junkie will ever jump into the debate arena, especially since he is currently watching from behind the scenes, scrolling through the news that offers him golden content. An upside down world.

Naturally, he referenced the CRTC’s recent decision demanding that Radio-Canada apologize for its on-air use of the “n-word.” “That was a theme. It wasn’t because it was Radio-Canada that I was interested in questions of freedom of expression. »

While Quebec and Canadian issues are enough to fill his show, international news is not left out. A good example of this is US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Taiwan, which angered China.

“You’d have to be very naive to believe that this wouldn’t affect us as Stefan develops the Bureau.”

In short, strong on September 16. “I can’t wait,” he concluded.