EXCLUSIVE: Celebrated Canadian television personality Dini Petty, at the age of 80, is making a comeback to network television.
She is set to present the one-hour program Trailblazing Talks on the Canadian network The News Forum this upcoming summer, with the show’s production already wrapped up in Toronto.
During the show, Petty will engage in deep discussions with notable figures including Canadian Senator and thrice Olympic gold medalist Marnie McBean, and actor and founder of Reelworld Screen Institute, Tonya Williams.
Additionally, she will revisit some of the unforgettable moments from previous interviews with these guests, who were featured on her acclaimed show, The Dini Petty Show, a popular Canadian daytime talk show that aired from 1989 to 1999.
Petty is renowned in Canada as a prominent broadcaster and radio host, famously known for her signature pink jumpsuits. Notably, while working at the Canadian radio station CKEY, she made history as the first female traffic reporter to fly her own helicopter, amassing over 5,000 hours of flight time.
Her career further flourished as she served as co-anchor for CityTV’s CityPulse News at 6, and later became a leading daytime talk show host on CityLine before transitioning to CTV for The Dini Petty Show. Petty continued to make appearances in media, including hosting a radio show and returning as a guest host on CityLine, which is still broadcasting.
Over the years, her contributions to journalism have earned her six CanPro Awards for Television Excellence and the distinguished NATPE International Iris Award. She also received four Gemini nominations and was honored with the Canadian of Distinction Award.
In recent times, she has starred in a one-woman play titled A Broad View, which explores her life story. She also featured in the Canadian short film Boundless, directed by Kate Campbell, who is also the showrunner for Trailblazing Talks.
Petty reminisced about her early days in television, saying, “My first television appearance was at age 12. It was not a good beginning, and I swore I’d never go into the business, but fate had other plans. Now, 68 years later, at age 80, I’m back.”
Kate Campbell, the creator and showrunner of Trailblazing Talks, is an accomplished actor, vocalist, and producer, known for her roles in the Oscar-nominated movie Gone Girl and the CBS series In the Dark. Her other work includes appearances in The Murdoch Mysteries, Badsville, and the Bell Fibe TV series BIKE. She is currently set to direct two films, the psychological thriller Satisfaction and Green Mountain State, a finalist at the 2022 Sundance Writer’s Lab.
Ken MacDonald, former VP and General Manager of Discovery Channel Canada, joins Campbell as an executive producer. MacDonald has a history of backing successful Canadian series such as Highway Thru Hell and Canada’s Worst Driver. Also executive producing is Petty alongside Marina Cordoni of Marina Cordoni Entertainment, with former broadcaster and CRTC commissioner Martha Wilson serving as a consulting producer.
Campbell expressed her excitement about the show, stating, “The time is now for a new kind of conversation, one that honors the women who’ve shaped our world. I created this one-hour special to celebrate broadcast icon Dini Petty’s powerful return to television at 80, alongside two remarkable trailblazers from her past.” MacDonald added, “Dini Petty is truly a force of nature. It’s such a joy to see her back in front of the cameras where she rightfully belongs. We are honored that she has chosen to step back into the spotlight to host this exciting new program.”
The News Forum, a privately-owned Canadian national network, is known for its commitment to integrity, balance, and the promotion of democracy, qualities deemed ever more critical in 2025 after political tensions heightened in North America.
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