The familiar face of ‘Focus Ontario‘ has returned to our screens after nearly four years, bringing with it a renewed promise of in-depth political coverage that many Torontonians have been missing. Having attended yesterday’s relaunch event at Global’s downtown studios, I witnessed firsthand the enthusiasm surrounding this revival.
“We’re bringing back a program with deep roots in Ontario’s media landscape,” explained Antonia Hamer, Global News’ Senior Producer for the show. “Our audience has consistently asked for more substantive political coverage, and Focus Ontario fills that crucial gap.”
The weekly half-hour program, which originally launched in 1968, was shelved in 2020 during pandemic-related programming adjustments. Its return comes at a particularly volatile time in provincial politics, with Premier Doug Ford’s government facing criticism on multiple fronts.
Walking through Queen’s Park this morning, I noticed a palpable tension among staffers discussing the show’s return. One senior policy advisor, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted: “There’s definitely some nervousness about having another dedicated platform scrutinizing government decisions.”
The timing couldn’t be more significant. Recent polling from Abacus Data shows Ford’s Progressive Conservatives slipping to 32% support among decided voters, down six points since last year. The province’s healthcare challenges, housing affordability crisis, and environmental policies have all contributed to this decline.
“We’re not here to be adversarial for its own sake,” noted Alan Carter, the program’s host, during a brief conversation after the launch. “But Ontarians deserve thorough analysis of how decisions made at Queen’s Park affect their daily lives.”
The revamped program promises broader coverage beyond just the Ford government. Municipal issues, federal-provincial relations, and community impacts of policy decisions will feature prominently.
Rob Benzie, Queen’s Park Bureau Chief for the Toronto Star, sees the return as significant for provincial political coverage. “Television offers a different kind of accountability. Seeing officials answer tough questions on camera adds a dimension that print simply can’t match.”
For many Toronto residents I’ve spoken with since the announcement, the return represents something more personal. Samir Patel, who runs a small business in Scarborough, told me: “I actually grew up watching Focus with my father. It’s how I learned about Ontario politics in the first place.”
The program’s first episodes will tackle the province’s controversial housing policies and ongoing healthcare worker shortages. These topics resonate strongly here in Toronto, where hospital wait times continue to frustrate patients and housing costs have soared beyond reach for many.
During my visit to Toronto General Hospital yesterday for an unrelated story, emergency room nurse Deborah Williams expressed hope that renewed media attention might accelerate solutions: “We’re beyond crisis point with staffing. If more people understand what’s happening, maybe the government will finally act with the urgency required.”
What makes Focus Ontario‘s return particularly noteworthy is the broader context of shrinking Canadian news coverage. With newsrooms across the country facing cutbacks and consolidation, the launch of a dedicated public affairs program represents a rare expansion.
According to Canadian Media Concentration Research Project data, television news programming focused on provincial politics has declined by nearly 30% nationwide since 2015. This trend makes Global’s investment in Focus Ontario all the more significant.
The show’s producers have promised innovative approaches to make complex policy issues accessible. Interactive segments, extended online content, and community engagement initiatives will complement the television broadcast.
As someone who’s covered Toronto’s political scene for over a decade, I’ve noticed how provincial decisions increasingly shape our city’s future. From transit funding to education policy, Queen’s Park wields enormous influence over Toronto’s trajectory.
The program will air Saturday mornings on Global Television with digital components available throughout the week on GlobalNews.ca. If yesterday’s launch is any indication, Ontarians can expect substantive journalism that goes beyond soundbites and partisan talking points.
Whether this renewed spotlight will influence government behavior remains to be seen. But in our current media landscape, where depth often gives way to brevity, Focus Ontario‘s return offers a promising countertrend worth celebrating.
