View source for Compass (1986 TV program)

{{short description|CBC local television newscast for Prince Edward Island, Canada}}
{{about|the 1986 Canadian TV program|the 1965 Canadian TV program|Compass (1965 TV program)|the Australian TV program|Compass (Australian TV program)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox television
| alt_name = CBC News: Compass
| image = CBC Compass.jpg
| genre = [[News program]]
| runtime = 60 minutes
| creator = 
| presenter = Louise Martin<br/ >Jay Scotland
| country = Canada
| network = [[CBC Television]] ([[CBCT-DT]])<br>Air at: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM Daily
| first_aired = {{start date|1986}}
| last_aired = present
}}
'''''Compass''''' is a 60-minute local [[CBC Television|CBC]] television [[news program]] based in [[Charlottetown]], [[Prince Edward Island]], Canada. Broadcast weeknights from 6:00 to 7:00&nbsp;p.m. [[Atlantic Time Zone|AT]] on [[CBCT-DT]], 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]] replaced Younker as the show's permanent host in 2003, and announced on 23 February 2017, that he would be departing ''Compass'' at the end of April.<ref>[http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/2017/2/23/bruce-rainnie-leaving-cbc-s-compass-on-april-28.html Bruce Rainnie leaving CBC's Compass on April 28] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225051311/http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/2017/2/23/bruce-rainnie-leaving-cbc-s-compass-on-april-28.html |date=25 February 2017 }}. The Guardian. Retrieved 24 February 2017.</ref> Less than a week later, longtime weatherman Kevin "Boomer" Gallant announced his [[retirement]] after 31 years with ''Compass''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Boomer Gallant to retire from Compass in April |date=2017-02-27 |website=[[CBC News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112042023/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-kevin-boomer-gallant-retires-compass-1.4001784 |archive-date=2020-11-12 |url-status=live |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-kevin-boomer-gallant-retires-compass-1.4001784}}</ref> Both Gallant and Rainnie ended their tenures with the program on Friday, 28 April 2017.

Sarah Fraser assumed interim anchor duties for ''Compass'' on 1 May 2017, and Kalin Mitchell (weatherman for [[CBHT-DT|CBHT]] and [[CBAT-DT|CBAT]]) assumed temporary weather forecasting duties the same day, He later worked at [[CTV Atlantic]] on 26 March 2018.

On 30 May 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 6:30<small>PM</small> local time, presented by [[Ian Hanomansing]] from the network's [[Vancouver]] [[CBC Regional Broadcast Centre Vancouver|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 [[Bruce Rainnie]] 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-DT|CBAT]] aired at 5:30 PM. In January 2010, ''CBC News: Maritimes at 5:30'' was cancelled and replaced with a 5:30&nbsp;p.m. edition of ''Compass'', effectively creating a 90-minute program. In October 2015, ''Compass'' returned to a one-hour format.

On 18 March 2020, due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Canada]], the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ceased broadcast of many local newscasts across the country, including ''Compass''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/cbc-tvnews-changes-coronavirus-1.5501512|title=CBC temporarily replaces local evening TV news amid coronavirus pandemic
|date=18 March 2020|accessdate=30 April 2020|publisher=CBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2020/03/25/cbc-says-its-working-to-restore-the-local-tv-news-it-shelved-because-of-the-coronavirus.html|title=CBC says it's working to restore the local TV news it shelved because of the coronavirus
|accessdate=30 April 2020|date=25 March 2020|last=Ahearn|first=Victoria|work=The Star}}</ref> After receiving backlash for the decision by many including Prince Edward Island's Premier [[Dennis King (politician)|Dennis King]], CBC announced on 25 March that ''Compass'' would return to the air on 26 March.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-tv-compass-returns-1.5509187|title=Compass returning to CBC-TV Thursday
|last=Yarr|first=Kevin|accessdate=30 April 2020|date=25 March 2020|publisher=CBC News}}</ref>

===Recognition===
As the only PEI-specific newscast in the province, ''Compass'' frequently trounces CTV Atlantic's regional newscasts in the island's supper-hour news ratings.

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

In May 2021 RTDNA Enterprise award winner CBC PEI – '''I Live Here Now.''' Excellence in Data Storytelling winner CBC PEI – '''Climate Change Now: How Daily Life Has Already Changed on P.E.I.'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=RTDNA Canada Announces 2021 East Region Award Winners |url=https://rtdnacanada.com/rtdna-canada-announces-2021-east-region-award-winners/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=RTDNA Canada - 2021 East Region Digital Winners |url=https://rtdnacanada.com/2021-regional/east-region-award-winners/digital-award-winners-east/}}</ref>

'''RTDNA Awards – East Region Winners:'''

In April 2023, the program won a GOLD [[Atlantic Journalism Award]] for Best Newscast<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Atlantic Journalism Award 2023 |url=https://ajas.ca/images-ajas/AJAs%20Announces%202023%20Award%20Winners.pdf}}</ref> and SILVER for Breaking/Spot News for the piece “MV Holiday Island fire”, by Steve Bruce, CBC Prince Edward Island.<ref name=":0" />

In June 2023, winner of an [[RTDNA Canada|RTDNA]] award for '''Excellence in Editing (Small/Medium Market)''' for the piece "[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/cbc-atlantic-rtdna-regional-journalism-awards-1.6875899 From Then to Now, Fiona’s Historic Hammering of Prince Edward Island]"<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 2023 |title=RTDNA Canada Announces 2023 East Region Award Winners |url=https://rtdnacanada.com/rtdna-canada-announces-2023-east-region-award-winners/}}</ref>

==Notable on-air staff==
===Anchors===
*Roger Younker (1986&ndash;2002)
*Sara Fraser (1995&ndash;2000; 2002&ndash;2003; 2017)
*[[Bruce Rainnie]] (2003–2017)
*Louise Martin (2017&ndash;present)

===Weather===
*Kevin "Boomer" Gallant (1986–2017)
*Kalin Mitchell (2017)
*Jay Scotland (2017&ndash;present)

===Other staff===
*Sara Fraser 
*Brian Higgins
*Kerry Campbell
*Tom Steepe

==See also==
*[[CBC Television local newscasts]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.cbc.ca/compass CBC Prince Edward Island | Programs | CBC News: Compass]
*[http://www.cbc.ca Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Compass (1986 Tv program)}}
[[Category:1980s Canadian television news shows]]
[[Category:CBC Television original programming]]
[[Category:1986 Canadian television series debuts]]
[[Category:CBC News]]
[[Category:Culture of Charlottetown]]
[[Category:Television shows filmed in Prince Edward Island]]
[[Category:1990s Canadian television news shows]]
[[Category:2000s Canadian television news shows]]
[[Category:2010s Canadian television news shows]]
[[Category:2020s Canadian television news shows]]
[[Category:Atlantic Journalism Awards recipients]]