Tom Clark
Encyclopedia
Tom Clark is a Canadian
television journalist. He has been a substitute anchor for CTV National News
, and host of Power Play
, a political program on CTV News Channel. He is currently the chief political correspondent for Global News
, and host of their political program The West Block
.
Clark was educated at Toronto's Upper Canada College
.
Clark served as CTV's China Bureau Chief in 1983-85. He was among the first to cover the Ethiopian famine
in 1984, was in Berlin in 1989 to witness the fall of the wall, and was the only Canadian reporter in Yugoslavia
when NATO launched aerial war against Serbia
in 1999. In all Clark has covered six theatres of war. He was the first Canadian Journalist to ever interview U.S President George W. Bush
one on one on television. He also hosted, and served as senior correspondent on CTV's W-FIVE
for eight years. He has covered every federal election since 1974. Clark comes from a family of journalists. His great-grandfather Joseph T. Clark was managing editor of the Toronto Star
and Saturday Night
, his grandfather was a reporter for the Toronto Star
, his father was the founder of Canada NewsWire
, and his great-uncle Gregory Clark
was an acclaimed writer and journalist with both the Toronto Star and the Toronto Telegram
.
On September 7, 2010 CTV announced that Clark was leaving the network to pursue other opportunities. He had been considered one of the frontrunners to succeed Lloyd Robertson
as CTV National News anchor; with his departure coming shortly after Lisa LaFlamme
was named Robertson's successor, it was widely speculated that Clark's departure was tied to having been passed over. However, Clark later said that he was "neither angry nor bitter" about the choice of LaFlamme, and that CTV decided to buy out his contract.
On September 1, 2011, Clark was appointed chief political correspondent for Global Television Network
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
television journalist. He has been a substitute anchor for CTV National News
CTV National News
CTV National News is CTV's flagship newscast, which airs at 11:00 p.m. local time on the CTV stations across Canada, and live at 10:00pm ET, with repeats hourly up until 2 a.m. ET on CTV News Channel, CTV's 24-hour cable news television channel, and the previous day's can be seen on the Internet. ...
, and host of Power Play
Power Play (Canadian political affairs series)
Power Play is a Canadian public affairs television show which airs weekdays on CTV News Channel. Interviews are conducted with important Canadian political figures as well as political journalists and strategists, and includes a regular segment with CTV's Craig Oliver...
, a political program on CTV News Channel. He is currently the chief political correspondent for Global News
Global News
Global News is the news and current affairs division of Global Television Network in Canada, overseeing all local and national news programming on the network's eleven owned-and-operated stations .-National programs:...
, and host of their political program The West Block
The West Block
The West Block is a Canadian news and political affairs television series that debuted on November 6, 2011 on Global. The name West Block is taken from the West Block of Parliament Hill....
.
Clark was educated at Toronto's Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College , located in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is an independent elementary and secondary school for boys between Senior Kindergarten and Grade Twelve, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The secondary school segment is divided into ten houses; eight are...
.
Clark served as CTV's China Bureau Chief in 1983-85. He was among the first to cover the Ethiopian famine
1984 - 1985 famine in Ethiopia
A widespread famine affected the inhabitants of today's Eritrea and Ethiopia from 1983 to 1985. In northern Ethiopia, famine led to more than 400,000 deaths; over half this mortality can be attributed to human rights abuses that caused the famine to come earlier, strike harder, and extend further...
in 1984, was in Berlin in 1989 to witness the fall of the wall, and was the only Canadian reporter in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
when NATO launched aerial war against Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
in 1999. In all Clark has covered six theatres of war. He was the first Canadian Journalist to ever interview U.S President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
one on one on television. He also hosted, and served as senior correspondent on CTV's W-FIVE
W-FIVE
W5 is a Canadian news magazine television series produced by CTV News. The program is currently initially broadcast Saturday nights at 7 p.m...
for eight years. He has covered every federal election since 1974. Clark comes from a family of journalists. His great-grandfather Joseph T. Clark was managing editor of the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
and Saturday Night
Saturday Night (magazine)
Saturday Night was a Canadian general interest magazine. It was founded in Toronto, Ontario in 1887.The publication was first established as a weekly broadsheet newspaper about public affairs and the arts, which was later expanded into a general interest magazine. The editor, Edmund E. Sheppard,...
, his grandfather was a reporter for the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
, his father was the founder of Canada NewsWire
CNW Group
CNW Group is a commercial news release service established in 1960 and jointly owned by PR Newswire and The Press Association. CNW distributes media materials on behalf of a variety of customers such as companies, governments, non-profit agencies and other establishments.CNW distributes...
, and his great-uncle Gregory Clark
Greg Clark (journalist)
Gregory Clark, OC, OBE, MC was a Canadian war veteran, journalist, and humorist.In 1967, he was made one of the initial Officers of the Order of Canada "for the humour which he has brought to his profession as a newspaper writer and radio commentator".Major Gregory Clark is buried in Mount...
was an acclaimed writer and journalist with both the Toronto Star and the Toronto Telegram
Toronto Telegram
The Toronto Evening Telegram was a conservative, broadsheet afternoon newspaper published in Toronto from 1876 to 1971. It had a reputation for supporting the Conservative Party at both the federal and provincial level. The paper competed with the liberal Toronto Star...
.
On September 7, 2010 CTV announced that Clark was leaving the network to pursue other opportunities. He had been considered one of the frontrunners to succeed Lloyd Robertson
Lloyd Robertson
Lloyd Robertson, OC is the currently the co-host of CTV's weekly magazine series, W5. Robertson previously served as the chief anchor and senior editor of CTV's national evening newscast, CTV News with Lloyd Robertson, until September, 2011, when he retired from the CTV National News...
as CTV National News anchor; with his departure coming shortly after Lisa LaFlamme
Lisa LaFlamme
Lisa LaFlamme is a Canadian television journalist, and currently the chief anchor and senior editor of CTV National News....
was named Robertson's successor, it was widely speculated that Clark's departure was tied to having been passed over. However, Clark later said that he was "neither angry nor bitter" about the choice of LaFlamme, and that CTV decided to buy out his contract.
On September 1, 2011, Clark was appointed chief political correspondent for Global Television Network
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
.