Mary Lou Finlay

Mary Lou Finlay (born 1947) is a Canadian radio and television journalist, best known for hosting various programs on CBC Radio and CBC Television.<ref name=rrj>"There's Something About Mary Lou" Template:Webarchive. Ryerson Review of Journalism, Summer 2005.</ref>

Education

Finlay graduated from the University of Ottawa in 1967 with a BA in English and French literature.<ref name="rrj" /> For three years she did writing and researching for the Canadian War Museum<ref name="rrj" /> before her leap to journalism when she began hosting a CBC Ottawa television magazine.<ref name="rrj" />

Career in broadcasting

In 1975, Finlay moved to Toronto to co-host CBC Television's Take 30.<ref name=rrj /> She hosted her own program, Finlay and Company, in 1976 and 1977 and developed a loyal following. In 1978 she moved to CTV to co-host and produce the award-winning Live It Up!.<ref name="CBC1">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1981 she became co-host with Barbara Frum of CBC Television's nightly current affairs program, The Journal.<ref name=rrj /> After the program's first year, Frum remained as sole host and Finlay became a documentary reporter, remaining with the program until 1988.<ref name=rrj /> In that year she became host of CBC Radio's current affairs program Sunday Morning, where she remained until the spring of 1994.<ref name=rrj /> From 1994 to 1997, she hosted Now The Details, CBC Radio's weekly media watchdog program.<ref name="CBC1" />

Finlay became co-host with Barbara Budd of As It Happens on September 1, 1997, having to cover the death of Diana, Princess of Wales on her first day.<ref name="GlobeMail">Template:Cite news</ref> She retired following her last appearance on November 30, 2005, which was a tribute show for Finlay celebrating her years with the CBC.

In 2008, she released The As It Happens Files: Radio That May Contain Nuts (Knopf Canada), a book of reminiscences of her time on the show.<ref name="GlobeMail" />

She was a pilot, and flew small planes, as she revealed in an on-air interview with test pilot Chuck Yeager on As It Happens.<ref name="As It Happens">Template:Cite web</ref>

Finlay is now a fellow with the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.

Awards

• Martin Goodman Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University.
• LL.D (hon), Dalhousie University.
• Meritas Tabaret award, University of Ottawa.

External links

• Audio interview re: The As It Happens Files (December 2008)
• The As It Happens Files, Penguin Canada, 2009