Two-time Olympic silver medallist Alexandre Despatie dives into morning television this August as co-host of Breakfast Television on City. The Montreal native and local fan favourite will co-host the new, local weekday morning show alongside former reporter and VJ Joanne Vrakas, also a Montreal native.
The announcement was made today as part of Rogers Media’s 2013 Upfront in Montreal.
Born and raised in Montreal, Despatie is an accomplished diver with 42 national titles under his belt. As one of the world’s most skilled divers, he is also a three-time Olympian and winner of two Olympic silver medals (three-metre springboard). He rose to global stardom in 1998, when he captured gold at the 1998 Commonwealth Games at just 13 years old, making him the youngest gold medal winner in the history of the Games. No stranger to being in front of the camera, Despatie, who currently resides in Laval, was part of the broadcast team for Canada’s French-language television coverage of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, where he provided commentary during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies with legendary Quebec hockey commentators Richard Garneau and Pierre Houde, plus reported on sights and sounds from the Games. Despatie also hosted a 17-part series for television, radio and online, which paid tribute to the extraordinary individuals who have helped Canadian Olympians and Paralympians overcome their personal and athletic challenges.
“Alex is one of Canada’s most inspiring athletes. His drive, passion, and charming personality, complemented by Joanne’s flair and breadth of broadcast experience in the city, will bring a unique English-language morning show to Montreal television,” said Bob Babinski, Executive Producer & Local Content Manager for City Montreal. “Breakfast Television will combine local news, weather and traffic with the biggest celebrity interviews, community happenings and lots of big ticket giveaways,” said Babinski
Joanne Vrakas has worked in the Montreal broadcast industry for a decade, most recently reporting on a wide range of local news stories for CBC News Montreal. Throughout her career she has interviewed leading politicians and A-list celebrities including Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, and the late Jack Layton. Vrakas hails from Outremont, and graduated from L’Université du Québec a Montréal with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
In addition to the two in-studio hosts, Wilder Weir, co-host of City’s weekly sports magazine show, Montreal Connected, joins the on-air team as Live Eye host. In this role, Weir will report on-location speaking with Montrealers from the city’s diverse communities.
Launched in February 2013, City Montreal is available to service providers on the following channels: 14 on Videotron Classic Cable, 14 and 614 high definition (HD) on Videotron Illico, 207 on Bell Satellite, 204 and 1204 HD on Bell Fibe, 62.1 Antenna, 97 and 546 HD on Shaw Direct (Advanced), and 366 and 46 HD on Shaw Direct (Classic).
