The first time Nil Köksal sat in the microphone of the studio As It Happens, he says it felt like magic.
It was 2019, and the CBC reporter was taking a break from her regular job as a World Report presenter to fill CBC Radio’s afternoon news program. Since then, she has returned as a guest on the show several times.
But the next time he sits in the host’s chair on Sept. 5, he’ll stay.
Köksal, a globetrotter reporter with 20 years of experience at the CBC, will be the new presenter of As It Happens, the weekday radio show that combines hard news, challenging conversations i peculiar fun. She will join co-presenter Chris Howden and taking over from veteran broadcaster Carol Off, who left office in February after 16 years.
“I would always leave after my stays excited about the kind of culture and energy that is As it happens,” Köksal said. “And so I’m very excited to build it, and decades and decades of work in the past, to build on what Carol and the team did over the last 16 years and just do more audio magic. “
As It Happens executive producer Austin Webb says, Köksal will help us usher in a new era in the show, which first aired in 1968.
“As It Happens needs a host who is passionate about the show’s legacy and the place it occupies in the lives of so many listeners. At the same time, it’s important to keep the show fresh, always looking for new stories from around the world. and always listening to that unexpected moment at the other end of the line, ”he said.
Köksal is shown performing live in Istanbul for CBC Television. The journalist of Turkish origin spent two stays as a correspondent based in the country, first in 2015 and then again between 2016 and 2018. (Turgut Yeter / CBC)
“Nil embodies those qualities and we couldn’t be more excited to have her with Chris and help push forward As It Happens.”
Howden called the quote “fantastic news for everyone who listens to As It Happens, not to mention everyone who works on it.”
“Nil is an inspired and inspiring choice. We already know she is a brilliant and phenomenal journalist: quick-thinking, curious and compassionate,” she said.
“And basically we also know that his sense of humor goes from sublime to ridiculous. So professionally, it’s remarkable. And personally, it’s a delight. All of that makes Nile the perfect person to bring AIH to. whatever it is, it will come over the next few months and years. “
“I know what it’s like to be painted a certain way”
Köksal’s career and personal life have spanned several provinces, countries and continents.
He was born in Istanbul, Turkey, and moved to Canada in 1981 at the age of four. He has lived in Orangeville and Peterborough, Ontario, Vancouver and White Rock, BC and Toronto.
She started at the CBC two decades ago as an arts fellow, before joining CBC News. His work on television and radio has been seen in reports from various countries, including Tunisia, South Korea, the United States and the United Kingdom. She spent three years working as a correspondent based in Istanbul and has been the presenter of World Report since 2018.
Köksal is displayed inside the Great Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. (Turgut Yeter / CBC)
All of these experiences, she said, make her a unique choice for As It Happens, an interview program. with a motto that invites listeners to treat their ears with a “Night trip around the world.“
“Being from somewhere else, I’m automatically interested in international stories,” Köksal said.
“You’re giving people a glimpse of a place or people they may not really know and who may have misconceptions. But these conversations and these stories can remind people how similar we are. And certainly there’s power too. “And I don’t know if we have enough, especially now.”
His main goal as a journalist, he said, is to help listeners understand all the nuances and complexity of the people and places at the center of their interviews.
“It’s having a wider lens, but also feeling the weight of the responsibility of telling stories fully. Not being reductive, not leaning on troops or misconceptions about places, not coming in with an idea about a place or people, but to be open to them, ”he said.
For her, it is a journalistic principle that is rooted in the deeply personal.
“I know what it’s like to be painted a certain way or for people to make assumptions and have misconceptions about who you are or where you’re from, whether it’s a joke in elementary school or a teacher who doesn’t know things. ‘where you are and just in river,’ Köksal said.
“These [moments] stay with you. So I care a lot about everything, how we pronounce someone’s name from where they are in the reality of the experiences where they are from, because everyone wants to be understood and heard. ”
Köksal reports from Windsor, UK, in 2018, where he covered the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. (Waqas Chughtai / CBC)
Cathy Perry, CBC News ’current director of news and research, said Köksal’s“ perspectives, experience and enthusiasm for learning new things make it a unique choice for an unconventional program like As it Happens “.
“Catching the heart of a story and putting the facts in context, even in the midst of breaking news, have made Nile an invaluable part of the CBC News team,” Perry said in a statement. press announcing the appointment.
“While we know that World Report listeners will miss their steady delivery and quick joke with local hosts every morning, the public will now have the opportunity to experience their boundless curiosity and ability to genuinely connect with people in any situation to deepen the conversation. “
Getting a little silly
While Köksal has a lot of experience covering strong news, such as the global pandemic, the Syrian refugee crisis and the rise of ISIS, he said he can’t wait to dig deeper into it. the weird, funny, or downright silly interviews that As It Happens has built a reputation.
Already, during her stays as a guest host, she has interviewed aa elderly home worker who helped residents recreate covers of famous albums, a mathematician who determined the exact number of hot dogs a human could eat in 10 minutes i the brain of a contest in which dozens of people named Josh fight over pool noodles.
“These stories, you know, are silly, but they give you a glimpse of things sometimes that aren’t really silly. And the commonalities between people around the world can appear in these stories,” he said.
In fact, it’s all part of their approach to covering people and places in a way that feels authentic and holistic.
“I’m a big advocate of not just covering places when bad things happen, right? You have to be in those places for a long time. And that’s also a powerful part of As It Happens, because we’re able to connect. with people … in a moment notice from anywhere in the world, “he said.
“So we’re not just telling the story about a bombing or an attack. There are so many stories to tell about Palestinians, about Israelis, about Turks, about people in Africa and India, that we’re not always telling. So I’m excited about the opportunities to tell these stories. “
Köksal’s last day at World Report will be July 20 and the search for a new host will begin in the coming weeks.
“It has been a privilege to host the World Report for the last four years and to be a part of people’s daily routine, to keep them informed, especially in such difficult times,” he said.
On Monday he will join his new co-presenter As It Happens, Chris Howden, to talk about his new role. Listeners can tune in to CBC Radio One at 6:30 p.m. (7:00 p.m. in Newfoundland). or play it live or on demand on CBC Listen.