Episode 17 -- Steve Paikin: "I Don’t Know what I’m Doing Here"

Once I’ve completed an interview with a guest, I listen to it over and over to determine how it  can best be edited to reflect superlative production value and content. 

Most of my schmoozes require some editing work, but this one, my interview with Steve Paikin of TVO's The Agenda, I left mostly intact. I did because Steve is as articulate as they come, a  storyteller par excellence who relays his colorful experience like few others. Editing this piece too much, I felt would detract from the value of our time together. 

I am uber-excited to share Episode 17 of Hatradio! with you because of this. Here, you have a unique opportunity to hear from Steve Paikin, a Canadian media-icon, and to learn about him, about Canada, Ontario, Hamilton, Toronto, Ontario Premiers and politicians, the Rwandan genocide, hockey, summer camp and a plethora of other stuff he generously shared with me. 

I stress 'unique' because Steve said he has never done an extensive interview before about himself. I felt good about that. 

 

So why did I title the show, “I Don’t Know what I’m Doing Here”?  Good question. Steve is a very accomplished fellow including the author of seven books, an on-air host of 25,000 shows and interviews as well as the producer of a number of documentaries. Yet, when he accepted the Order of Canada from the Governor General, the first thing he said to him was “I don’t know what I’m doing here.”  The Governor General responded, “I do”. This relaxed Steve even though he was baffled as to what he was doing in the company of doctors looking for the cure to Cancer and other such accomplished folk.

I appreciated  the man's humility and felt it apropos to title the show after a statement which reflects that.    

Listen to this episode and you'll discover, Steve Paikin of TVO's The Agenda, has a fascinating life. He has interacted and schmoozed with the whose who of Canada and many Americans including one of his on-air mentor, Ted Kopel. You just know,  Steve felt deeply blessed to be able to interview and write a book about the last nine premiers of Ontario. And with all this, h is greatest influences in life were: his parents, school and camp (which he is over the top about). 

In short, this interview was full of gems about Steve Paikin, the country he loves and so much more. We covered the stars like Gino Vannelli, the hockey players including Steve’s favorite, Ron Ellis, and of course the politicians, focusing on John Robarts, the 17^th premier of Ontario (Steve called his life a Shakespearean story). Steve is also compelled to talk about humanitarian issues in a big way including the Rwandan genocide. He talked extensively about his love of shinny hockey as well as his mother's lengthy volunteer resume, and his father's passion - refurbishing old railway cars.  

But the thing I took away from my interview with Steve is that he takes his work very seriously, as he does the issues, but not himself. And I like that. I appreciate it. Steve does not bask in the glory of his fame. Quite the opposite. He doesn’t really care about the lights, or the cameras. He does care however about the action and his ability to highlight the chapters of a hard working person and give them the coverage they deserve.

In short, this is a uniquely compelling episode, one which might encourage you to watch The Agenda with Steve Paikin, appreciate the country we live in, and be inspired to grow the way our guest, Steve Paikin, has. He may not have known what he was doing at the Order of Canada acceptance program, but it's clear to a bunch of us, it made a lot of sense for him to be bestowed with one of this country's highest honors. 

Hatradio! The show that schmoozes!