''Compass'' is a 60-minute local CBC television

news program News broadcasting is the medium of broadcasting various news events and other information via television, radio, or the internet in the field of broadcast journalism. The content is usually either video production, produced local programming, ...

based in

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in ...

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...

, Canada. Broadcast weeknights from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. AT on

CBCT-DT CBCT-DT (channel 13) is a CBC Television station in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The station's studios are located on University Avenue in Charlottetown, and its transmitter is located on Route 1 near Bonshaw. It is the only full ...

, it is the only PEI-specific television newscast available in the province. The newscast launched as a single 60-minute newscast in 1986, with Roger Younker as its anchor from its inception until his departure in 2002. Younker became well-known and trusted within Prince Edward Island. The program's humorous and popular weatherman, Kevin "Boomer" Gallant, also joined the show in 1986.

Bruce Rainnie Bruce Rainnie is a broadcaster for CBC Sports and was the host (2003 to 2017) of CBC News: Compass, the supper-hour news program on CBCT in Prince Edward Island. He has been with CBC since 1995. Rainnie began his career at CJLS Radio in Yarmout ...

replaced Younker as the show's permanent host in 2003, and announced on February 23, 2017 that he would be departing ''Compass'' at the end of April. Less than a week later, longtime weatherman Kevin "Boomer" Gallant announced his

retirement Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...

after 31 years with ''Compass''. Both Gallant and Rainnie ended their tenures with the program on Friday, April 28, 2017. Sarah Fraser assumed interim anchor duties for ''Compass'' on May 1, 2017, and Kalin Mitchell (weatherman for

CBHT CBHT-DT (channel 3) is a CBC Television station in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The station's studios are located on Chebucto Road in Halifax, and its transmitter is located on Washmill Lake Drive (near Bently Drive) on the city's west side. CB ...

and CBAT) assumed temporary weather forecasting duties the same day, He later worked at CTV Atlantic on March 26, 2018. On May 30, 2017, Louise Martin was named permanent host, and Jay Scotland permanent weather meteorologist.

Overview

In about 1995, reporter Sara Fraser was brought on as co-anchor with Younker. But in 2000, as a result of budget-cuts, all local supper-hour CBC newscasts were replaced with '' Canada Now'', a hybrid national and local newscasts. Younker continued as sole anchor of the PEI-specific half from Charlottetown, with a national program following at 6:30PM local time, presented by

Ian Hanomansing Ian Harvey Hanomansing is a Canadian television journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)."Hanomansing's future is anchored in star potential: Pacific Rim host could be next Mansbridge". ''Vancouver Sun'', June 16, 1997. He form ...

from the network's

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

studios. In 2002, with Younker's departure, former co-host and long-time correspondent Sara Fraser temporarily succeeded him for one year. In 2003, newcomer

was brought in as a permanent replacement for Younker/Fraser as the anchor, and brought his own unique style to the program. Sara Fraser continues as a frequent substitute anchor and correspondent. In May 2006, the local half of the newscast was renamed ''CBC News at Six: Prince Edward Island''. In February 2007, ''Canada Now'' was scrapped. The same day, the Prince Edward Island newscast was expanded to a full hour, with local news in the first 30 minutes and national & international news in the second half-hour - albeit, produced and presented locally. The title of the program was also changed back to the original ''Compass''. In September 2009, ''Compass'' was split into two separate half-hour newscasts, at 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM, with the pan-regional program ''CBC News: Maritimes at 5:30'' from CBAT aired at 5:30 PM. In January 2010, ''CBC News: Maritimes at 5:30'' was cancelled and replaced with a 5:30 p.m. edition of ''Compass'', effectively creating a 90-minute program. In October 2015, ''Compass'' returned to a one-hour format. On March 18, 2020, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic in Canada The COVID-19 pandemic in Canada is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (). It is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). Most cases over the course of the pandemic have been in Ontario, Que ...

, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ceased broadcast of many local newscasts across the country, including ''Compass''. After receiving backlash for the decision by many including Prince Edward Island's Premier

Dennis King Dennis King (born Dennis Pratt, 2 November 1897 – 21 May 1971) was an English actor and singer. Early years Born on 2 November 1897 in Coventry, Warwickshire, or Birmingham, England, King was the son of John and Elizabeth King Pratt. He ...

, CBC announced on March 25 that ''Compass'' would return to the air on March 26.

Recognition

In October 2008, the program won a Gemini award for its coverage of a major ice storm earlier that year.

Notable on-air staff

Anchors

*Roger Younker (1986–2002) *Sara Fraser (1995–2000; 2002–2003; 2017) *

(2003–2017) *Louise Martin (2017–present)

Weather

*Kevin "Boomer" Gallant (1986–2017) *Kalin Mitchell (2017) *Jay Scotland (2017–present)

Other staff

*Sara Fraser *Brian Higgins *Kerry Campbell *Tom Steepe

References

External links

CBC Prince Edward Island , Programs , CBC News: CompassCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Compass (1986 Tv program) 1980s Canadian television news shows CBC Television original programming 1986 Canadian television series debuts CBC News Culture of Charlottetown Television shows filmed in Prince Edward Island 1990s Canadian television news shows 2000s Canadian television news shows 2010s Canadian television news shows 2020s Canadian television news shows