I’ve always thought of Ian Hanomansing as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s version of the Swiss Army Knife. He is about as versatile as any broadcaster in the country.
Hanomansing has proven that he handles radio exceptionally well, as demonstrated by his hosting of Cross-Country Checkup. He can anchor newscasts with authority and, I might add, perfect diction.
He’s unflappable on the air when under pressure. That has been revealed on countless occasions. For me, one of the most memorable moments came in his coverage of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles many years ago. He was as cool as anyone could be in the midst of such chaos and violence.
Hanomansing also demonstrated courage early in his career when he exposed a scam involving a criminal posing as a representative of the Vancouver Food Bank. The perpetrator ended up going to jail.
Not only that, but Hanomansing deals with sports with the same level of intelligence that he brings to other topics. And in recent years, the veteran broadcaster has demonstrated that he can elicit different sides of celebrities not seen within the pages of People or on Entertainment Tonight.
To cite one example, singer Michael Bublé lavishly praised Hanomansing last year. It came after what Bublé felt might have been the best interview of his life.
“If you’re curious about me and you wonder what makes me tick—where I came from, what inspired me, all of the people that helped me get to this position—this is the interview!” Bublé said on social media. “It’s the interview to watch.”
Then, Bublé provided a link.
Watch Ian Hanomansing’s interview last year with Michael Bublé (above).
Hanomansing goes up against O’Donnell
Today, CBC announced that Hanomansing will host a new CBC News daily primetime show rooted in Western Canada, which he has called home for nearly 40 years. From the CBC Vancouver studios, Hanomansing Tonight will air live weeknights on CBC News Network from 7 to 9 p.m., starting on Tuesday (February 18). It will also be available on-demand on CBC Gem.
This live format will play to his strength because Hanomansing has repeatedly demonstrated that he is a master at dealing with late-breaking news. However, he faces stiff competition in this spot. That’s because he will start his show at the same time as MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, who’s a tremendously incisive broadcaster.
I’ve never put a lot of stock into journalism awards. But for those who do, Hanomansing has won more than his share. They include honours from the Canadian Association of Journalists and the Canadian Screen Awards.
With all of that said, I acknowledge that I haven’t always agreed with Hanomansing’s sensibilities. He grew up in New Brunswick and obtained a law degree in Nova Scotia. In that part of the country, people tend to be more measured and attitudinally conservative than here in British Columbia, where we are more wild-eyed about our politics. That has to do with our different histories and upbringings.
But I’ve always felt that Hanomansing believed in what he was doing and pursued fairness and balance in ways that he honestly felt was in the public interest. Sure, it bugged some of us who wanted him to focus more attention as a broadcaster on airborne transmission of COVID-19. At times, some on the left might have preferred him to give more airtime to critics of Israel or the fossil-fuel industry.
Those on the right, on the other hand, probably wished he dove more deeply into the fiscal challenges facing the country. But at the end of the day, Hanomansing has followed his heart and stayed true to himself. In the process, he’s been a role model for many young Canadians who felt that they finally saw themselves reflected on nightly newscasts.
For all of these efforts, Hanomansing has been rewarded with a wonderful opportunity to shine a light on what makes us tick as Western Canadians. We wish him the very best on the next adventure in his professional life.
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