Only 15 minutes into a media interview and already Evan Solomon’s voice reaches a fever pitch when he’s talking politics.
It’s obvious the CBC journalist and host relishes the opportunity to dive deep into the stories on Parliament Hill in his new CBC show Power & Politics, running 5 to 7 p.m. on CBC NN (formerly Newsworld).
“We’re expanding the notion of what politics means to people,” Solomon says in an interview from his new office in Ottawa. “We won’t just cover the Hill but also how we interact with the rest of world, with businesses, with NGOs. Let’s be honest, buying a cup of organic coffee is a political statement, since that kind of act touches so many lives.”
The show’s format will be interview-heavy, but Solomon stresses the importance of allowing everyday Canadians to make an appearance. He says Power & Politics will not just feature the major players in Ottawa, but also allow the public to interact with the show in real-time, either via the web or other social media routes.
“We want more Canadians to be part of this conversation,” Solomon, 41, adds.
The former anchor of CBC News: Sunday welcomes the new makeover CBC launched recently. He appreciates the commitment to current affairs programming, especially during this period of economic instability. “CBC is investing in news, and every Canadian should be excited about that,” he says.
He says Canadians don’t realize how much news is going on around them, and he thinks his show will help sort out all of the noise.
Before joining the anchor desk at CBC News: Sunday, Solomon hosted Hot Type, the CBC Newsworld show about print culture. He has also been front and centre with new media trends, hosting a show called FutureWorld and co-founding the now-defunct tech magazine Shift. He also wrote and edited the 2004 book, Fueling the Future: How the Battle Over Energy Will Change Everything.
With his appointment as host of Power & Politics comes a big move to the nation’s capital. Solomon and his wife and two children left the friends and family of Toronto to make a new home in Ottawa.
“Moving is not easy, but this is a dream opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” Solomon says.
What does he think of his new Jewish community in Ottawa?
“The congregation at Temple Israel welcomed us warmly, so we are delighted to find a community here.”
