CBC decides people can pronounce George Stroumboulopoulos, names show after the host

CBC’s late-night talk show, The Hour, will undergo some changes when its seventh season begins in September. Relying on the name recognition of its host, George Stroumboulopoulos, the show will be renamed George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight while keeping the same basic format. But the most significant tweak is a drop in run time from an hour to a half-hour, which CBC denies was due to lack of advertiser interest. According to the network, the host and producers wanted a shorter program with more emphasis on multi-platform initiatives (because so many hosts want less TV exposure), including the Sunday night radio show, a YouTube channel and, as Strombo says, “lots of other stuff”—like iPhone and iPad apps. 

“We just wanted to shed some of the handcuffs of the past, which was to be married to this one idea of a TV show,” he told Marketing. Tonight will premiere on September 20, but CBC has not yet announced what will fill the now vacant half-hour of air time.

• Strombo and CBC cut The Hour to 30 minutes to spend more time online [Marketing]