Jian Ghomeshi

Jian Ghomeshi (born June 9, 1967) is a Canadian broadcaster, writer and musician born in London, England, and raised in Toronto. He is best known as a national on-air personality on CBC Television and CBC Radio, and host of the daily arts program "Q" on CBC Radio One. He has hosted various series on TV and radio including "The National Playlist", "ZeD" and spent three years as the host of the Gemini-award winning TV program ">play", where he interviewed subjects ranging from Woody Allen to John Lydon. He first came to public attention as a singer and songwriter in the folk rock group Moxy Früvous.

Ghomeshi is of Iranian heritage. [ [http://www.fruvous.com/news/980913nw.html Toronto Star, 13/9/98.] Retrieved 25 April 2007 at fruvous.com.] He graduated with merit from York University with a degree in political science and history.

Career

Radio and television

He is a regular contributor to "". He has hosted documentary specials for CBC Television, and acted as the substitute host on "Sounds Like Canada" in 2005 and 2006.

In 2002, Ghomeshi was hired as the host of CBC Newsworld's ">play", a show about the arts in Canada and abroad. ">play" ran for three seasons, then was revamped in 2004 to focus on higher-impact specials such as ">play Goes to Pot". He also did the weekly entertainment report on the Toronto edition of "Canada Now". In January 2005, Ghomeshi became a regular on-air columnist for "CBC News: The Hour".

In 2006, he finished a documentary series entitled "The End", which described technology's effects on television, radio, and print and the future of the mediums. He hosted the radio series "50 Tracks" and "" on CBC Radio One and CBC Radio Two. From fall 2005 until spring 2006, he hosted a program on Radio One called "The National Playlist".

Since April 16, 2007, Ghomeshi has been the host of "Q", an afternoon program on Radio One. The show airs all across Canada at 10 a.m and 10 p.m. (10:30 and 10:30 in Newfoundland).

Ghomeshi mixes opinions and interviews with subjects who have included Francis Ford Coppola, Jane Goodall, Bob Geldof, Michael Moore, Radiohead and former Prime Minister Paul Martin. He also hosted "The Great Canadian Music Dream", "Idols & Icons", "Opening Night".

Ghomeshi's TV and radio credits include appearances on "CBS Sunday Morning", "Late Night with Conan O’Brien", "Showbiz Today", "All Things Considered", "The National", "Monday Report", "Morningside", "Just For Laughs" and the "Juno Awards".

Music

Initially going by "Jean" Ghomeshi, he joined Mike Ford, Murray Foster, and Dave Matheson to form Moxy Früvous in 1990, recording seven albums through 2000. He released his first solo EP, "The First 6 Songs", in July of 2001.

Ghomeshi has also managed musician Martina Sorbara (now of the band Dragonette) and produced for Dar Williams through his production company, Wonderboy Entertainment. He now manages Lights.

Writing

Ghomeshi's opinion pieces have been published in the "Sunday Washington Post", "The National Post", "The International Herald Tribune", "The Globe and Mail", the "Toronto Star" and "NOW".

*Culture: "I love coffee. Somewhere in my early twenties, I morphed from a casual user to one needing a daily morning fix. Now I sprinkle espresso beans on my granola" ("Washington Post", August 2000). [http://www.jian.ca/index.php?section=writerPage&ID=8]
*Can Con: "We're just not that separate as a people. Of course, we don't need to let the Americans know that" ("The Globe and Mail", September 2000). [http://www.jian.ca/index.php?section=writerPage&ID=7]
*On his "Look": "I try to go for something timeless, yet edgy and hip. I like a well-cut suit but I'm not afraid to throw in something like a leather jacket, a T-shirt or buckled boots. That said, my friends are usually bugging me for spending so much time fussing over my hair." ("Eye Weekly", April 2002)
*Politics: "I feel a growing antipathy for ultra-left-wing naysayers in Canada—those hipper-than-white-rice, "NOW"-reading, uber-lefty elite types who claim the NDP can no longer be a viable option for social change" ("NOW", January 2003). [http://www.jian.ca/index.php?section=writerPage&ID=14]
*Opposition to retaliation after the Sept. 11 attacks: "I am an antiwar Canadian musician of Iranian background with a big mouth, bracing myself to match his stature with my convictions" (The Globe and Mail, November [http://www.onebodymindspirit.com/onething/GhomeshiArticlepdf.pdf] )

References

External links

* [http://www.jian.ca Official site]
* [http://www.cbc.ca/q/index.html?copy-host Profile for "Q" CBC]
* [http://www.torontolife.com/features/radio-active/ Toronto Life profile]

Persondata
NAME = Ghomeshi, Jian
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = musician, broadcaster, and writer
DATE OF BIRTH = June 9, 1967
PLACE OF BIRTH = London
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =