TORONTO — CBC announced today Nil Köksal (above) will be the new host of CBC Radio’s national current affairs show As It Happens.
Köksal will join co-host Chris Howden on the show starting Monday, Sept. 5. This follows the departure earlier this year of long-time As It Happens host Carol Off.
A Canadian Screen Award-winning journalist, Köksal is currently the host of CBC’s morning national radio show CBC News: World Report. Her last day hosting the show will be Wednesday, July 20.
“Nil’s unique insights, experience and enthusiasm to learn new things, make her a unique fit for an unconventional show like As it Happens,” said Cathy Perry, executive director, current affairs and investigative for CBC News, in a press release.
“Cutting to the heart of a story and putting the facts into context, even in the midst of breaking news, have made Nil an invaluable part of the CBC News team. While we know World Report listeners will miss her steady delivery and quick banter with local hosts each morning, audiences will now have a chance to experience her boundless curiosity, and ability to genuinely connect with people in any situation to deepen the conversation,” Perry said.
“I love As It Happens for the whimsy it brings into our lives, for the corners of the world it takes us to,” Köksal said. “We will learn, laugh and maybe even cry together through these conversations. It’s a sense of connection and community that is so powerful, especially now. I can’t wait to build on this legacy with Chris and the entire, incredible As It Happens family!”
Köksal started her career at CBC News as an editorial assistant, working her way up to writer, video journalist, reporter, foreign correspondent and host. She has been a guest host for As It Happens since 2019.
“She has hosted across CBC News Network and CBC Toronto and has reported internationally for CBC News from cities including Istanbul, Tunis, London, Washington, and New York, and was also part of the CBC News team covering the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 in South Korea,” the release reads.
Born in Turkey, Köksal “moved to Canada with her parents when she was four years old, one of seven moves before her seventh birthday, and has lived in cities big and small in Ontario and British Columbia,” the release says.
“She regularly travels to Turkey to visit family and reported from the region between 2015 and 2018, taking audiences inside Syria, the refugee crisis, and the impact of ISIS. She also reported on the dramatic political and social changes in post coup attempt Turkey, the series of deadly terror attacks across the country, and the assassination of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov.”
The search for a new weekday host of CBC News: World Report will begin in the weeks ahead, the release says. Marcia Young continues as the show’s weekend host.
As It Happens broadcasts weekdays at 6:30 p.m. (7 p.m. NT) on CBC Radio One, the free CBC Listen App for iOS and Android, online at cbc.ca/listen, and on U.S. public radio stations through distributor PRX.
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Photo borrowed from Nil Köksal’s biography on CBC’s website.
