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Omar Sachedina

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Omar Sachedina
Born (1982-08-21) August 21, 1982 (age 42)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Alma materMcGill University
Columbia University
Occupation(s)Television news anchor
Television journalist
Senior editor
Years active2006–present
EmployerBell Media
TelevisionCTV National News (2009-present)
TermChief anchor and senior editor of CTV National News (2022-present)
PredecessorLisa LaFlamme

Omar Sachedina (born August 21, 1982) is a Canadian journalist and news anchor for CTV News. He is currently serving as the chief anchor and senior editor for CTV's national evening newscast CTV National News since September 5, 2022.[1] Previously, Sachedina served as the National Affairs Correspondent for CTV News.

Early life and education

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Sachedina was born and raised in Vancouver to Ismaili Muslim parents who immigrated to Canada as Indians from Uganda. His great-grandparents immigrated to Africa from India in the late 1800s.[2] He speaks Gujarati, Kutchi, French, and English.[3] At age 12, he grew an interest in journalism and submitted letters to the editors at various publications. Curious about his parents' East African homeland, Sachedina travelled there in 2005 to report and produce a PBS Frontline Fellowship feature documentary titled Uganda: The Return,[4] exploring the return of Asians to Uganda after the 1972 expulsion.

Sachedina and his family were the focus of a CTV News Special Presentation titled Expelled: My Roots in Uganda. It aired November 4, 2022. [5][6]

Sachedina completed the International Baccalaureate Program while attending Port Moody Secondary School in Port Moody, British Columbia. He has a degree in Political Science and Philosophy from McGill University in Montreal, a Master of Science in Journalism from Columbia University in New York, and is a graduate of The Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida.[7]

Career

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Early Start: CTV, CityTv and CP24

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While a student, Sachedina was an intern at Global News in Vancouver and Montreal. He began his broadcasting career as a reporter for CTV Northern Ontario.[8] He joined Citytv in July 2006, working on newscasts for both CityNews and CP24, where he remained until 2008. While at CP24, Sachedina covered the 2009 Federal Budget from Ottawa, anchored the 2008 Canadian Federal Election night coverage, anchored the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election Night, and President Barack Obama's inauguration. Sachedina's work has appeared in the Vancouver Sun, The Province, Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail,[9] and CBC Radio.

CTV National News

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Sachedina joined CTV National News as a correspondent in Toronto in September 2009, and has covered many breaking national and international news stories. Sachedina covered the 2011 Norway attacks in Oslo, Norway, where 77 people were murdered at a youth camp by Anders Behring Breivik a domestic terrorist and Far-right extremist.[10] In 2012, Sachedina reported breaking international news when he travelled to Newtown, Connecticut to cover the second deadliest school shooting in United States history, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting[11]

Sachedina announced on Twitter on March 22, 2013, that he would be moving to Ottawa to assume the role of Parliamentary Correspondent. He returned to Toronto as National Affairs Correspondent for CTV National News in 2018, covering breaking news stories from around the world, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war that followed.

Sachedina was a frequent guest host and reporter for CTV's morning news program Canada AM, and contributed to CTVNews.ca and CTV's W5. He also served frequently as a substitute anchor on CTV National News for Lisa LaFlamme and Sandie Rinaldo.[12]

Sachedina has interviewed various notable Canadian figures which included Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,[13] NDP leader Jagmeet Singh,[14] Alberta Premier Danielle Smith,[15] Governor General of Canada Mary Simon, former Governor General David Johnston, Television Host Alex Trebek and supreme court justice Mahmud Jamal,[16] the first person of colour appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

On September 8, 2022, Sachedina announced the breaking news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.[17] He also reported from London and lead a CTV News Special coverage of the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla and interviewed House of Lords member Rumi Verjee[18].

In July 2024, Sachedina reported from the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and its president and vice president nominee and appointment of former U.S. president Donald Trump and JD Vance[19]. The following month, he covered the 2024 Democratic National Convention from Chicago, Illinois and its presidential and vice presidential nomination and appointment of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

Career timeline

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  • 2004-2006: joined CITO-TV as a reporter
  • 2006-2008: Reporter and News Anchor for CityNews and CP24
  • 2009-2013: Toronto Correspondent for CTV National News
  • 2013-2019: Parliamentary Correspondent for CTV National News
  • 2013-2019: Fill-in host for CTV's political program Power Play
  • 2019-2022: National Affairs Correspondent for CTV National News
  • 2022: Appointed successor to Lisa LaFlamme as chief anchor and senior of CTV National News
  • 2022-: Chief Anchor and Senior Editor CTV National News with Omar Sachedina

LaFlamme's dismissal controversy

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On August 15, 2022, Sachedina's predecessor Lisa LaFlamme posted a video on Twitter explaining that her contract had been terminated, saying she was "blindsided" by Bell Media's decision.[20] On the same day Sachedina was abruptly named chief news anchor and senior editor for CTV National News, replacing LaFlamme. Sachedina began anchoring the newscast on September 5, 2022.[21] On the day of his first broadcast, he addressed the controversy regarding LaFlamme's abrupt departure from the newscast. [22]

Honors

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Sachedina has received nominations for Best National Reporter at the Canadian Screen Awards.[23] He was part of the CTV News team that received the 2020 RTNDA Canada Ron Laidlaw Award for continuing coverage of the opioid crisis. Sachedina also received a nomination for a Daily Excellence award for his coverage of the 2018 Indonesia earthquake and tsunami. In 2022, RTDNA recognized his story from Nunavik on the roots of Canada's first Indigenous Governor-General.

Sachedina is the recipient of the 2010 RTNDA Canada President's Fellowship.[24]

References

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  1. ^ "'The optics of it are not good': Lisa LaFlamme's shock ouster at CTV stuns colleagues, but not industry watchers". Toronto Star. 15 August 2022.
  2. ^ "PBS. Org: Uganda: The Return, by Omar Sachedina". March 14, 2013.
  3. ^ "Omar Sachedina". January 10, 2008.
  4. ^ "Rough Cut - Uganda: The Return". WGBH Educational Foundation. May 10, 2007. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  5. ^ "CTV News Special EXPELLED: MY ROOTS IN UGANDA WITH OMAR SACHEDINA Airs November 4 on CTV - Bell Media". CTV News Special EXPELLED: MY ROOTS IN UGANDA WITH OMAR SACHEDINA Airs November 4 on CTV - Bell Media. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  6. ^ Omar Sachedina: My Roots in Uganda, retrieved 2023-01-03
  7. ^ "Omar Sachedina Named Chief News Anchor and Senior Editor of CTV National News". TV-eh.com. August 15, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  8. ^ "New CTV National News anchor got start in northern Ontario". CTV Northern Ontario. 16 August 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  9. ^ "Election too close to call as voting begins". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on May 13, 2013.
  10. ^ "Accused Norway shooter 'unaffected' by killings". CTV News. 25 July 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  11. ^ "Gunman killed mother before school shooting; 20 children among dead". CTV News. December 14, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  12. ^ "The hug the humanity and Omar Sachedina: Who is CTV's new chief news anchor?". Toronto Star. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  13. ^ "8 things we learned from PM Trudeau's year-end interview with Omar Sachedina". CTV News. 1 January 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  14. ^ "Singh says Bill 21 is discriminatory but stops short of committing to court challenge". CTV News. 16 September 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  15. ^ "A climate connection to Alberta wildfires? Smith says most in province caused by humans". CTV News. 14 August 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  16. ^ "Justice Mahmud Jamal reflects on his first year on the Supreme Court bench in new special interview". CTV News. 22 May 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  17. ^ "CTV News announces the death of Queen Elizabeth II". CTVNews. 2022-09-08. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  18. ^ "King Charles III will be a different ruler than Queen Elizabeth II, House of Lords member says". CTV News. 14 September 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  19. ^ "Here's what happened on the final night of the RNC". CTV News. 19 July 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  20. ^ "CTV News Anchor Lisa LaFlamme 'Blindsided' After Being Told Her Contract Wouldn't Be Renewed After 35 Years". People. 15 August 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  21. ^ "Omar Sachedina named Chief News Anchor and Senior Editor of CTV National News". CTV News. 15 August 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  22. ^ "Omar Sachedina Addresses Lisa LaFlamme Firing In First Broadcast As CTV National News Chief Anchor: 'Lisa, Thank You For Everything'". ET Canada. 6 September 2022. Archived from the original on September 6, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  23. ^ "Omar Sachedina". February 18, 2020.
  24. ^ "Omar Sachedina". CTV News. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
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