Kathie Donovan stepping down from Regional Contact

CTV Ottawa: Kathie Donovan

One of CTV Ottawa's most well-travelled reporters is stepping down after nearly a quarter century on the air.

Kathie Donovan's last episode of Regional Contact airs Sunday, May 13 after 24 years at the station.

Donovan has travelled all across eastern Ontario and western Quebec for the last 14 years as co-host of the program with Joel Haslam, getting into the heart and soul of people who are truly passionate about what they do.

"Being part of the Regional Contact storybook has been a great honour and an amazing adventure," she said. "It has been my privilege to share the stories of our region's extraordinary everyday people, who taught me much about how to live my life.

"I am deeply grateful to have had one of the best jobs in television and thankful to our dedicated viewers who have welcomed Joel and me into their lives and homes for so many years."

"Kathie's ability to showcase such a diverse range of local arts and artists, characters and cuisine and so many other things that make our region unique is a rare talent," said Richard Gray, CTV Ottawa's general manager.

"She and Joel were the perfect complement to one another; Kathie will definitely be missed."

Donovan was born in Vancouver and raised in Montreal, living in the Ottawa area for the last three decades.

She helped launch both Carleton University's campus radio station CKCU in 1975 and Ottawa's first alternative FM station CHEZ 106 in 1976.

She joined CTV Ottawa (then CJOH) as a weather and entertainment reporter in 1988 before joining Haslam at Regional Contact in 1998.

With her departure, Regional Contact with Joel Haslam will expand to become a nightly part of the CTV News at 6 this fall, with Sunday's 6 p.m. newscast expanding to an hour.

The weekly version of Regional Contact will air throughout the summer.