ON SET WITHSTEELE AND VANCE

‘Steele and Vance’ has proven to be a bona fide television casting coup, pairing up two extremely accomplished broadcasters and creating a veritable dynamic duo in the process. It was last fall when media veterans Lynda Steele and Jody Vance teamed up to host the weekly TV series, “Steele and Vance,” airing Thursday evenings on Victoria’s CHEK-TV. While the show may still be somewhat in its infancy, the two broadcast stalwarts have seamlessly found that sweet spot as a tandem.

TEAMING UP

For Steele, following a lengthy career as the evening news anchor on Global Edmonton, the award-winning journalist relocated to CTV Vancouver in 2011, tackling the consumer investigative beat: “Steele on your Side. ’’That preceded a flip to talk radio in 2015 to create “The Lynda Steele Show” show on CKNW.

It is here that the two would soon cross paths. After a six-year run in the top-rated afternoon timeslot, Steele stepped away. “Frankly, I was burned out,” she admits, citing Donald Trump and COVID, both fuel ling an insanely hot news cycle over her reign. “I was out of gas and also feeling guilty about not being more available to see my dad in long-term care. “I figured he needed me more than CKNW did, so I pulled the plug and spent the next year and a half doubling up on dad visits.

” Eventually Steele would figure out the work/ life balance where, as she states, “I could scratch my news itch and make sure my dad felt loved and well taken care of.” Jody Vance is replete with impeccable credentials of her own, building an impressive career in broadcasting over the past thirty years. Following almost a decade in radio, Vance became a TV mainstay across Canada on Sportsnet before co-hosting “Breakfast Television” on City TV in Vancouver.

In addition to Steele and Vance duties, the Kitsilano resident remains the Canadian correspondent for Al Jazeera English, an active online columnist and podcaster as well as CKNW’s lead fill-in host. Having previously been paired with Steele within the CKNW environs, she recognized their chemistry immediately.

THE ON-AIR CHEMISTRY COMES NATURALLY

“Lynda and I had the best “bounce” on air years ago, when I was filling in for Drex on their show,” says Vance. “Her professionalism and attention to important facts and detail is remarkable. “I feel as though we fit like puzzle pieces—we are very different, yet we go together.”

‘‘It’s a fact not lost on Steele.

“The key to a successful on-air partnership is to prepare, share, be curious and have fun,” she notes. “A lot of hosts are not okay with the idea of performing live-to-tape without a safety net, but Jody and I both have TV backgrounds and live radio experience, so it’s a perfect match.

“I love having a co-host that can roll with the unexpected, always has something interesting to say, and is quick to laugh.” Since its launch last year, “Steele and Vance” has become appointment viewing as the two tackle a variety of often heavy topics in a casual but unflinching manner. They are two of the most accomplished in their field so it’s not only natural to team them up, but seemingly necessary given today’s information environment.

“I love having a co-host that can roll with the unexpected, always has something interesting to say, and is quick to laugh”

CHANGING TIMES IN THE INFORMATION BIZ

There is an element of starvation in our current state of broadcasting that needs to be urgently addressed,” says Vance, citing understaffed newsrooms and underpaid staff, among other problems. “We should also have a standard for what is news and have it differentiated from what is opinion.

There should be a clear disclaimer when any media is rooted in disinformation.” As for future plans for the talk titans, they admittedly remain in growth mode as partners. “‘Steele & Vance’ is ours: our brand; our outlet,” says Vance.

“We own this show and plan to grow it for as long as our audience continues to tune in.” While not initially in the career path of either host to pair up, one’s media journey can often take unexpected turns, as proven by Lynda Steele and Jody Vance They report that viewer response to the duo thus far has been “incredible.”

“Here we are, nearly eight years later, co-hosting a current affairs TV show on CHEK,” says Steele.

“I didn’t see that one coming.”