Tony Scaling Back

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Come September, You'll see Tony on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only.

Dana Gee
TheProvince.com
Friday, May 11, 2007


In an interesting twist the guy who usually delivers the news has himself become the news.

In September, the venerable Global TV anchor Tony Parsons will scale back his anchor job to two days a week and, says Parsons, weekend News Hour anchor Chris Gailus is slated to take over the No. 1-rated newscast for the other three days of the week.

"I was in Kelowna doing a function and some of the local media came out and someone asked me point blank, 'When are you going to retire?' I said, 'Funny you would ask that as I just signed a contract that will see me scale back to make way for Chris Gailus, who will succeed me," says Parsons, who during his three-plus decades at BCTV and Global saw the show rise to be one of North America's most watched local newscasts.

"The time is right. I think it's going to work out great for me and hopefully it will work out for Chris as well," says Parsons.

The 68-year-old Parsons - who took over the 6 o'clock anchor spot on CHAN (better known as BCTV) in 1975 - says he will retire to Kelowna after the 2010 Olympics.

"He's due some time to himself," says Global news director Ian Haysom, who adds Parsons will in the future do some documentary and mentoring work for the station. "He's been an icon in broadcasting in this city, this country, in North America for decades."

Having two anchors split up the week is a unique situation, a situation Parsons says he has never heard of before, but one that appealed to him at this stage in his career.

"I will be there Tuesday and Wednesday," he says. "Really it is the best of both worlds. I can still keep my oar in the water and enjoy more time to golf and do what I love to do. You know, I'm happy with the plan. It's a good way to go out."

While Parsons mentions Gailus as his successor, Haysom would not confirm that.
"I think the future is in incredibly capable hands," says Haysom, adding an official announcement is forthcoming. "We have incredible bench strengths in anchors across the board and the content is incredibly strong. You know Tony would be the first to say it's a team approach and that's what makes Global strong."

As for Gailus, he's playing this one close to the lapels on his anchorman's blazer, only saying that it's a bit premature to discuss who will ultimately take over the mighty weekday News Hour.

"It's very nice to have an icon like that in your corner at any time in your career," says Gailus, who joined Global last spring. "I can say I am very proud and happy to think he thinks I am worthy of that job. All I know is that if I was given that chance I would be more than honoured to follow Tony and to sit in that chair every night."

So as they say in TV, stay tuned.
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Broadcaster Tony Parsons easing into retirement

By Kevin Griffin
Vancouver Sun

Friday, May 11, 2007


CREDIT:
Tony Parsons will be dropping to two days a week as anchor of the News Hour on Global BC.
After 50 years in broadcasting, Tony Parsons has announced he's gradually moving towards retirement.

Starting in September, Parsons will be dropping to two days a week as anchor of the News Hour on Global BC.

B.C.'s most recognized broadcaster said he eventually plans to retire fully after the 2010 Olympic Games.

"I have been honored to have worked for Canada's leading TV news organization and privileged that for some years to come I will be working alongside the best talent in the country," he said in an e-mail Friday to News Hour staff.

"This way I get the best of both worlds. I get more private time and I continue to work with the best damned news team on the planet. The future is in wonderful - and very capable - hands.

"This is not goodbye - yet. There's still plenty of work to do leading up to the Olympics. And I'm delighted I'm going to play a major part in the coverage of that event."

Last year, the News Hour hired Chris Gailus, a former Global TV anchor in Calgary who was working as a co-anchor of Fox News' Good Day New York. He was touted as a possible replacement for Parsons when he retired.

But Ian Haysom, news director, remained noncommittal about who would be the new Parsons.

"We're not announcing that yet," Haysom said. "We have huge bench strength already: we've got Deb Hope, we've got Jill Krop, we've got Chris Gailus and many other people who could fill the role."

Two years ago, in a story marking his 30 years at Global BC and before that BCTV, Parsons told The Vancouver Sun he never imagined he'd remain as the province's No. 1 TV news anchor for so long.

"Longevity in broadcasting is not a thing that you can count on," he said. "I'm fortunate to have made it this far without someone getting pissed off at me and saying, Thanks very much, but we don't need you anymore.'"

He was born Anthony Parsonage in England in 1939, the fourth of six children. (As a young radio broadcaster, he shortened his name to Tony Parsons.) His father John was a flight-lieutenant in the RAF stationed in Gosport. His mother Julie, of Italian descent, stayed in London during the early years of the war.

After 1945, his father first thought about emigrating to Australia but then opted for Canada because his wife had relatives who would sponsor the family. The family's first stop was the tiny hamlet of Feversham, Ont.

After a year at Ryerson Institute studying Radio and Television Arts, Parsons decided he wasn't learning much so he wrote to a number of Ontario radio stations looking for work. His landed his first job as an early morning country and western DJ at a Stratford radio station. He got his first television job as a reporter at Toronto's CFTO-TV where he became the late evening anchor.

After eight years with CFTO, Parsons came to Vancouver as the West Coast correspondent for CTV National News.

He got his break with BCTV in 1975 when he was asked on short notice to fill in for the news anchor.

"That's when Ray Peters [president of BCTV], who was about to become my mentor at BCTV, said to Cameron Bell, the news director, Why don't we hire that guy. He's got a good delivery,'" Parsons said.

In 2002, he was named Italo-Canadian of the year by the Confratellanza Italo-Canadese. In 2004, his career as a broadcaster was recognized when he was given a Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award by the Jack Webster Foundation.

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© Vancouver Sun 2007