Long-time broadcaster Tony Parsons starts new podcast

Photo: The Tony Parsons Show

After a decades-long career in broadcasting, Tony Parsons is back behind a microphone.

The long-time Canadian broadcaster, who worked for Global BC, CTV and CHEK-TV over his 50-year-plus career, retired in 2013 and he moved to Kelowna to enjoy his golden years. But at 85 years old, Parsons is now back doing what he's done for decades, speaking to interesting people.

“The whole purpose of what we do is to find out some things that other people don't know about the subject,” Parsons told Castanet.

“We have eight episodes online, on the Tony Parsons Show, and we're enjoying it so much that we just thought we'd carry on and see what happens.”

Guests so far on the new show have included Parsons' long-time friend Wayne Cox, Canadian broadcasting legend Peter Mansbridge, B.C.'s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, environmentalist David Suzuki and CTV anchor Sandie Rinaldo.

Parsons says one friend who he asked to join him on his podcast replied jokingly with: “Oh not you too.”

“I guess it's a crowded field but if we do something a little different, more conversational, we might have something,” he said.

Parsons has enjoyed getting back into the studio, despite his new gig being more work than his old news anchor job.

“Everything is scripted and you read off a teleprompter and it's all really set up for you,” Parsons says of being an anchor.

“This way, I'm putting a little bit more work into it, it's elongated ... it's unstructured ... it's little bit different from what I'm used to.

“You just have to ask a question and let them go ... it makes it more their program than it does mine. I'm there as a guide almost.”

Despite moving into the podcast space, Parsons says it's been sad to see more cuts coming to traditional broadcast news programs, including the local Global Okanagan broadcast that's now produced out of Vancouver.

“I think it's too bad ... I was a fan of the Kelowna broadcast and I watched them every night,” he said. “Things are gradually changing and I'm not sure it's for the better.

“You don't get the stories now, in Kelowna especially, that you used to get when it was a local broadcast. People who do the show out of Vancouver, I don't think are quite aware of what's going on in this community as they should be ... the connection is totally different.”

Parsons says the broadcast has lost its “local flavour,” and he doesn't watch it as much as he used to.

“The small stories that affect so many people just don't get reported on,” he said.

Those interested in checking out The Tony Parsons Show can find more information here.