A Message from our Chief Operating Officer

TVO has an important learning and current affairs mandate—one we take seriously and are deeply committed to delivering to the people of Ontario every single day. We also have a responsibility to do what we can to respond to the COVID-19 emergency in this unusual and unprecedented time.

To-date, TVO has implemented the following measures:

• The production of That TVOkids Show, TVO’s daily live show for kids, has gone on hiatus until further notice. The timeslot usually reserved for the show will now show re-runs of That TVOkids Show. Our TVOkids hosts—Laura, Lucas, and Greg—continue to produce content from their own homes to maintain connection and community with the kids of Ontario at this difficult time.

• As of April 2nd, we are now able to produce The Agenda with Steve Paikin completely remotely. Steve is conducting regular Skype interviews from his home office so that we can bring you an up-to-the-minute update on COVID-19 every day.

• Production of #onpoli, TVO’s podcast about Ontario politics, continues. Hosts Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath are recording from makeshift ‘studios’ in their homes, and TVO producers’ package and post each episode remotely.
• TVO.org continues to be the home for TVO’s online coverage of the COVID-19 situation and other issues important to Ontarians. Coverage includes regular articles from TVO Ontario Hubs on how COVID-19 is impacting communities across the province, as well as videos and a daily ‘What you need to know today’ to keep you up to date.
• TVO’s digital learning resources, including TVO ILC, the ILC Open House, TVO Mathify, TVO mPower and TVOkids, continue to function without interruption. These digital learning tools are maintained by TVO staff and Ontario educators working remotely to ensure children and youth can continue to learn every day.
• TVOkids has launched two new YouTube playlists—Staying Healthy with TVOkids and You’ll Feel Better with Dr. Cheddar where kids can learn about developing healthy habits, build their understanding of relevant topics like physical distancing and why it’s important to avoid playgrounds right now, and pick up some new strategies to help them cope with our new normal.
• TVO has adopted a strict social distancing policy for our employees, where over 98% of TVO staff are working from home.

Now more than ever, we need to keep ourselves informed. As you can see by the measures we have put in place, TVO is helping you do just that. But it is also important to stay positive, hopeful, and engaged while physically distancing. We can help with that too—check out our extensive catalogue of documentaries to stream hours of thought-provoking programs and series.

Since schools closed, and with much of the province in isolation, we have seen traffic on all our current affairs and digital learning platforms increase dramatically. Clearly the value of TVO’s mission is doubly important at times like these, serving as a vital resource as well as a comfort for all Ontarians as we navigate the COVID-19 crisis together.

We are working diligently to continue to meet the increasing demand for our products and services. You can count on TVO to continue delivering the impactful digital learning resources and the in-depth current affairs you depend on us for.

But we cannot do this without you. It is evident that TVO is more important than ever, especially as the world faces so much uncertainty. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation  today to ensure TVO can continue responding to the challenges of COVID-19—to ensure we are there for you, your family, friends, and neighbours when you need us the most.

In this time of distancing and isolation, TVO is essential to ensuring we all stay connected. Keep watching, reading, engaging, and sharing this important content.