Don't Change that Channel ... Change the Rules!

Program Three: The real world is TV -- and TV is the real world.

"Conventional TV turns its back on reality and focuses on one person -- the talent in the studio -- with the hope that one person can then lift everything up and connect with the viewer at home," says Znaimer.

At Citytv, TV is real: the news isn't created for television; television merely observes it as it happens. The station uses 25 CityPulse news cruisers and 2 LiveEye microwave transmitting trucks -- emblazoned with the mottoes, "The city is our news room," and "Everywhere!" to roam the streets of Toronto and video the news as it happens. Another 100 permanently fixed remote control cameras, dubbed "the Eyes of Toronto" and 5 low-band network remote camera terminals simply watch and record.

"Our goal is to find the drama in real life," asserts John Gunn, creative director of Citytv's Bravo!, which has another 3 news cruisers of its own. "It's all about being inclusive. Rather than packaging it, we want viewers to hear the noise, see the confusion, and sense the conflict."

Program Four: The medium is conversation and the message is optimism.

"Pessimism is a constant market share," says Znaimer. "You're never going to go broke feeding the fear of calamity. I decided long ago that optimism is a market segment." To put optimism on the air, Citytv takes seriously the responsibility of engaging the people of Toronto in an ongoing conversation with themselves about themselves. The station doesn't just have viewers- it has participants, citizens who are actively debating causes, expressing preferences, and voting on issues.

QuickTally, a computer polling system which can handle 20,000 calls per hour, tabulates daily viewer votes on everything from their favorite videos on MuchMusic to their opinion of national defense policy on the morning news. CityOnline, a 30-minute daily news show specifically designed to create on-air debates invites viewers to email questions and opinions for real-time interaction.

At the level of the street corner soap box, Citytv has pioneered the Speaker's Corner, an outdoor electronic booth that represents the ultimate in accessibility. Each week 1,000 participants pay one dollar for two minutes of video time -- with all proceeds going to Citytv's favorite charity. If a video clip happens to touch on a local issue under discussion, it can instantly find its way into a newscast; on weekends, Citytv runs the collected clips in a structured show.

Program Five: TV either stands for something, or means nothing.

"The history of mainstream television is that it stands for nothing," says Znaimer. "This organization and this station stand for something."

That's why every show on the air has a mission statement and every mission statement is reviewed and revised as the show changes. "We're very disciplined about taking a good hard look at how every show evolves," says VP of Production Marcia Martin. "And some necessarily evolve more than others. When we write a mission statement for a show, there's real attention to detail. We believe in what we're doing."

"The atmosphere here is personal, creative, and attitudinal," says Newsroom Director Stephen Hurlburt. "Part of that is because we reinvent ourselves a lot. Every few weeks we get together and review the shows as a way to keep our energy up, to avoid being repetitive, and to keep the discussion alive. There's a constant conversation about why we're doing what we're doing."

Program Six: Flexibility spawns creativity.

There are no walls or barriers within the building; there is very little in the way of a set working schedule for anyone. Nor is there a set resume that gets you a job at Citytv: Newsroom Director Stephen Hurlbut, for example, started out as a cameraman; one star reporter was a maitre d' who talked Znaimer into a job when he walked into his restaurant. At Citytv, new ideas and fresh insights can come in any place, from anyone, and at any time -- especially with the hours Znaimer keeps: he sleeps only three hours a night, often in the loft in his office.

"When you're working late, it's not unusual to feel a tap on your shoulder in the middle of the night, and see him by your side," says Sarah Crawford, MuchMusic's Director of Communications.

"Everybody works on flextime," says Znaimer. "There are more people in here after two in the morning than at ten in the morning."

Christina Novicki (cnovicki@fastcompany.com) is a member of the Fast Company editorial team. Citytv can be located on the Web at (http://www.citytv.com).