Leslie Roberts
Encyclopedia
Leslie Roberts is a Canadian
journalist
and TV personality, primarily from his position as the executive editor and anchor for Global Ontario
's News Hour from 5:30-6:30 p.m. He also anchors the GTA's only one hour local news at 11pm. He was also the host and successor to Bill Carroll's 10 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. shift on CFRB
Radio in Toronto. He also formerly authored a weekly column from April to October 2008 for the National Post named "The Five things I learned this week". In 2011, he received a Gemini Award nomination for Canada's Best News Anchor.
tabloid newspaper called The Axe,http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/axe/ between 1922–24 and his grandfather and namesake was a writer and journalist, while his father (Bill) was a morning-man for Montreal's CJAD
for 20 years. His mother was an assistant to a federal MP
. Roberts' brother, Rob, is Toronto
editor at one of Canada's major newspapers, The National Post
.
At 18, Roberts interned in the newsroom at Montreal's CKGM Radio, specifically covering the 1980 Quebec referendum
and having the opportunity to interview René Lévesque
. After finishing school, he was immediately recruited in 1985 as a medical reporter for CFCF-TV
, the CTV
affiliate in Montreal. At CFCF for twelve years, Roberts found himself on a variety of different segments from travel to morning talk shows.
In 1995, a tape of an interview he conducted on his Morning TV show Montreal Today With Leslie Roberts landed on the desk of an agent in Los Angeles. Within six months he was offered a position with the TV tabloid show A Current Affair. A year later he moved to Fox
as a reporter/anchor for WNYW
in New York City
. Three years later Roberts answered a call from CFCF to return home as anchor/host of several shows. In 2000, The Global Television Network came calling. He was news director and senior anchor at Global Quebec
until Global offered a position on the anchor desk in Toronto.
He hosted The Leslie Roberts Show from 10 a.m. to noon on CFRB. Adult listeners of The Leslie Roberts Show increased 40.2% in the Fall BBM Ratings. Female listeners of the show aged 25–54 increased 174% in the Winter BBM Ratings.
. Roberts arrived just a week before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001
. The news team included meteorologist Michael Kuss (now at CTV
) and sports director Jim Tatti. In 2009, Roberts continues working at News Hour on Global. His previous co-anchor was Anne-Marie Mediwake
. As of June 2010 his co-anchor is former CITY-TV Anchor Anne Mroczkowski
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and TV personality, primarily from his position as the executive editor and anchor for Global Ontario
CIII-TV
CIII-DT-41 is a television station owned by Shaw Communications that serves much of the population of the Canadian province of Ontario. It is a flagship station of the Global Television Network...
's News Hour from 5:30-6:30 p.m. He also anchors the GTA's only one hour local news at 11pm. He was also the host and successor to Bill Carroll's 10 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. shift on CFRB
CFRB (AM)
CFRB, Newstalk 1010, is an AM radio clear-channel station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, broadcasting on 1010 kHz, with a shortwave radio simulcast by CFRX-SW on 6.070 MHz. The station broadcasts a mix of talk and news throughout the day from its transmitter located in the community of...
Radio in Toronto. He also formerly authored a weekly column from April to October 2008 for the National Post named "The Five things I learned this week". In 2011, he received a Gemini Award nomination for Canada's Best News Anchor.
History and family
Roberts was raised in a family full of journalists. Roberts' great-grandfather John H. Roberts founded and ran a controversial reformist MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
tabloid newspaper called The Axe,http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/axe/ between 1922–24 and his grandfather and namesake was a writer and journalist, while his father (Bill) was a morning-man for Montreal's CJAD
CJAD (AM)
CJAD is an English language radio station, owned by Astral Media, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The station has a news/talk format and identifies itself as CJAD 800....
for 20 years. His mother was an assistant to a federal MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. Roberts' brother, Rob, is Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
editor at one of Canada's major newspapers, The National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
.
At 18, Roberts interned in the newsroom at Montreal's CKGM Radio, specifically covering the 1980 Quebec referendum
1980 Quebec referendum
The 1980 Quebec referendum was the first referendum in Quebec on the place of Quebec within Canada and whether Quebec should pursue a path toward sovereignty. The referendum was called by Quebec's Parti Québécois government, which strongly favoured secession from Canada...
and having the opportunity to interview René Lévesque
René Lévesque
René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
. After finishing school, he was immediately recruited in 1985 as a medical reporter for CFCF-TV
CFCF-TV
CFCF-DT is a CTV-owned and operated station located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
, the CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
affiliate in Montreal. At CFCF for twelve years, Roberts found himself on a variety of different segments from travel to morning talk shows.
In 1995, a tape of an interview he conducted on his Morning TV show Montreal Today With Leslie Roberts landed on the desk of an agent in Los Angeles. Within six months he was offered a position with the TV tabloid show A Current Affair. A year later he moved to Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
as a reporter/anchor for WNYW
WNYW
WNYW, virtual channel 5 , is the flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. The station's transmitter is atop the Empire State Building and its studio facilities are located in the Yorkville section of Manhattan...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Three years later Roberts answered a call from CFCF to return home as anchor/host of several shows. In 2000, The Global Television Network came calling. He was news director and senior anchor at Global Quebec
CKMI-TV
CKMI-DT-1 is the Global Television Network owned-and-operated station in Quebec.Originally a privately owned CBC Television affiliate in Quebec City, the station moved most of its operations to Montreal in 1997 after launching a rebroadcaster there and becoming a Global affiliate as Global Quebec...
until Global offered a position on the anchor desk in Toronto.
He hosted The Leslie Roberts Show from 10 a.m. to noon on CFRB. Adult listeners of The Leslie Roberts Show increased 40.2% in the Fall BBM Ratings. Female listeners of the show aged 25–54 increased 174% in the Winter BBM Ratings.
Present work
In September 2001, Leslie was recruited by CanWest's Toronto division to be a co-anchor with Beverly ThomsonBeverly Thomson
Beverly Thomson is a Canadian journalist and co-host of Canada AM, CTV's national morning show. In 2006, she received the Gemini Humanitarian Award....
. Roberts arrived just a week before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. The news team included meteorologist Michael Kuss (now at CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
) and sports director Jim Tatti. In 2009, Roberts continues working at News Hour on Global. His previous co-anchor was Anne-Marie Mediwake
Anne-Marie Mediwake
Anne Marie Abeyesinghe Mediwake is a Canadian television news anchor. Formerly co-anchor of Global Toronto's 6 p.m. News Hour, she was hired in September 2009 by the CBC News Network...
. As of June 2010 his co-anchor is former CITY-TV Anchor Anne Mroczkowski
Anne Mroczkowski
Anne Mroczkowski is a Canadian TV reporter and news anchor. She is currently co-anchor of Global News Hour, along with Leslie Roberts, a job she started on June 1, 2010....
.