Alberta Premier Jason Kenney will appear on a new, regular call-in show set to debut this weekend on Corus Entertainment news/talk stations 770 CHQR Calgary and 630 CHED Edmonton.
Your Province. Your Premier., a one-hour call-in radio show, will launch March 12 and run every Saturday morning at 10 a.m. MT. Hosted by former 770 CHQR anchor Wayne Nelson, calls and topics will be determined by a team of producers, however Corus says no subject will be off limits and calls will be taken live.
“This is an important time for Albertans. They have many questions for their leaders about the future and direction of our province,” said John Vos, Regional Program Director, Corus Radio, in a release. “People want to know how their government intends to deal with the immense challenges that lie ahead whether it be the global pandemic, future of our economy, or affordability for their families. The ability for our listeners to ask questions directly to the premier is about as transparent as it gets.”
While there’s no direct sponsorship attached to the program, Corus told Broadcast Dialogue that the provincial government has spent dollars “to promote the time of the show, day and key aspects to let the audience know how and when it can participate.”
This isn’t the first time an Alberta premier has been featured on a call-in show on the network. Premier Ralph Klein, who was a broadcast journalist prior to entering politics, appeared on Talk To The Premier, which aired monthly on both Corus stations in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Kenney was elected in 2019 after being named Leader of Alberta’s Progressive Conservative Party in 2016, and the Leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) in 2017. Prior to entering Alberta provincial politics, Kenney served as a cabinet minister under Prime Minister Stephen Harper from 2006-15, including posts as Minister for Multiculturalism, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister of National Defense.
“I am looking forward to this exciting opportunity to hear directly from Albertans on the issues that matter to them,” said Kenney, whose future as UCP leader will be decided in a leadership review and one-day confidence vote in just over a month.
To speak to the Premier, listeners can call or text 403-974-8255 in Calgary and 780-496-0063 in Edmonton or call 1-800-563-7770 from anywhere in the province.
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