Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
National

SiriusXM 'Fortunate' To Have Ex-CBC Personality Evan Solomon Host Talk Show

The Canadian Press, 05 Aug, 2015 11:11 AM
    TORONTO — Evan Solomon, a former CBC personality who was fired over conflict-of-interest allegations, has landed a new job as the host of a political talk show on SiriusXM Canada.
     
    The satellite radio company's head of programming said Wednesday he didn't hesitate to hire Solomon despite the controversy.
     
    "Evan took full responsibility for his actions at the CBC, he apologized and he's moving on," John Lewis, senior vice-president of programming and operations, told The Canadian Press.
     
    "We look at it as what type of content we'd like to provide to our subscribers, our listeners, and we actually feel quite fortunate to have him — he's one of Canada's most experienced political journalists."
     
    The show, called Everything Is Political: Campaign 2015 with Evan Solomon, will premiere Thursday at 6 p.m. and will follow the run-up to the Oct. 19 federal election.  The one-hour show will air on Thursdays in August before airing daily on weekdays in September until Nov. 5.
     
    Solomon, who has kept a low profile since his dismissal in June, tweeted the announcement Wednesday.
     
    "Very happy to join the team at SiriusXM to cover this great campaign," he said. 
     
    The company approached Solomon a few weeks ago after connecting with him through a friend, Lewis said. 
     
    SiriusXM Canada says it broadcasts more than 120 satellite radio channels and has more than 2.6 million subscribers.
     
    The company is partly owned by the CBC — a link Lewis said makes Solomon's move "a little bit interesting for sure but I'll just leave it at that."
     
    Solomon anchored CBC News Network's daily show Power and Politics and CBC Radio's weekly The House until he was fired in June, following a Toronto Star report that alleged the 47-year-old used his position to broker lucrative art deals between a friend and wealthy interview subjects.
     
    Solomon has said he never intentionally used his CBC position to secure deals and that he was "deeply sorry" for any damage his activities had caused.
     
    At the time, the editor-in-chief of CBC News said Solomon — previously considered a possible successor to Peter Mansbridge on "The National" — had failed to meet the "very highest standard of journalistic conduct and ethics."
     
    Jennifer McGuire said Solomon disclosed in April that he and his wife owned a production company that had a business partnership with an art dealer but insisted it would not conflict with his work for the public broadcaster.
     
    The Canadian Media Guild has questioned whether CBC had been too quick to act, saying Solomon's behaviour "at worse may have been an unintentional breach of corporate policy."

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Governor General David Johnston Dissolves Parliament For Oct. 19 Election Campaign

    Governor General David Johnston Dissolves Parliament For Oct. 19 Election Campaign
    OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he has asked Governor General David Johnston to dissolve Parliament, touching off an 11-week campaign in advance of an election Oct. 19.

    Governor General David Johnston Dissolves Parliament For Oct. 19 Election Campaign

    Ontario Premier Rails Against Harper For Anticipated Early Election Call

    Ontario Premier Rails Against Harper For Anticipated Early Election Call
    One of Canada's most prominent politicians is lambasting the idea of an early federal election call as "unnecessary" and an affront to taxpayers who will foot the bill.

    Ontario Premier Rails Against Harper For Anticipated Early Election Call

    No Winning Ticket For $10.4-million Jackpot In Saturday's Lotto 6-49 Draw

    TORONTO — No one has the winning ticket for the $10.4-million jackpot in Saturday night's Lotto 6-49 draw.

    No Winning Ticket For $10.4-million Jackpot In Saturday's Lotto 6-49 Draw

    Peter Fassbender Eyes New Plan For Translink, Focuses On Public Confidence

    VANCOUVER — One of Premier Christy Clark's most respected ministers is vowing to restore confidence in Metro Vancouver's transit authority plagued by ongoing criticism and the recent defeat at the polls of a multibillion-dollar transportation plan. 

    Peter Fassbender Eyes New Plan For Translink, Focuses On Public Confidence

    Verdict In Canadian Journalist Mohamed Fahmy's Re-trial Postponed Until Aug. 29

    CAIRO — An Egyptian court postponed announcing a verdict in the much criticized case of Mohamed Fahmy once again on Sunday — a move the Canadian journalist described as "crippling."

    Verdict In Canadian Journalist Mohamed Fahmy's Re-trial Postponed Until Aug. 29

    Abbotsford Police Issue Public Warning About Sex Offender James Conway

    Abbotsford Police Issue Public Warning About Sex Offender James Conway
    Forty-year-old James Conway is six feet four inches tall, weighs 240 pounds and has brown hair and blue eyes

    Abbotsford Police Issue Public Warning About Sex Offender James Conway