While on the hunt for the latest fashion trends, easy holiday recipes, or makeup tips and tricks, many Canadians have turned to Citytv’s daytime program, Cityline, since its release in 1984. For the past 16 years, the show has been hosted by Ontario-born Tracy Moore, who brings the show to life with her enthusiasm and bubbly personality.
The show airs for an hour on weekday mornings and features various guest segments with lifestyle experts, each offering an array of advice.
However, Cityline’s audience hype producer, Camille Wilson, said that the show also relies on their live audience members to bring life into each and every episode.
Wilson’s main job is to greet the audience members, keep the energy levels up, and ensure that the experience is as lively as possible.
In an interview with Her Campus, Wilson said, “You feel the difference when we have smaller crowds, larger crowds, from when we didn’t have an audience … Putting that into the show just makes it a little bit more personable with everybody, and just adds a different feel.”
In order to attend one of the show’s tapings, individuals can head to Cityline’s audience request form and fill out which dates they are available to attend. All guests must be over the age of 18 and can request seats for up to a party of four.
Once participants have submitted their booking form, they will receive a confirmation email. This email does not confirm tickets but instead acknowledges that Cityline has received their request. Depending on how popular each show date is and how far in advance individuals send in their request, selected audience members will receive a second email confirming their show placement.
Each morning from Monday to Friday, audience members arrive on the East side of Yonge-Dundas Square to prepare for their taping. Cityline records each episode about two weeks in advance, which leaves plenty of time for participants to set their PVR to see themselves on television.
After security assigns each individual a guest pass, participants receive a prize ticket and are then escorted to the second floor of the building.
Once guests are situated in the waiting room, which is located right above the Cityline studio space, they can sit down and relax before heading back downstairs. A short instruction video, hosted by Moore, is shown to participants before their taping, which outlines the do’s and don’ts of on-camera etiquette.
Wilson greets the guests, reiterates any important information from the video, and shares who the guests are and segment outlines for that day’s show.
“Once we’re ready and all set, then I bring them back down. I hang out with them throughout the show time, keep them going, keep them entertained, and keep the energy up and alive,” said Wilson.
The show begins taping around 11 a.m. and is recorded in individual segments and clips.
Audience members are asked multiple times throughout the taping to stand up, clap, and cheer so that the camera operators can record background clips and audio segments, which are later inserted into the episode during the editing stage.
One of the biggest roles of audience members is to remain energized and excited during their time in the studio. However, it’s hard to ensure that every participant, day in and day out, will have as much enthusiasm as the previous group.
“I try to break the ice a little bit because I know coming into TV, it’s a little nerve-wracking,” said Wilson. “Yes, we’re in here every day. We’re doing this all the time. It kind of seems a little bit easy for us, but even [for] some people to like, even just reacting sometimes, it’s a little vulnerable, right?”
Wilson said that to combat this possible roadblock, she lets the audience know that the showrunners value their reactions and feedback during their segments. She also uses icebreakers and open-ended questions to keep the audience engaged throughout the show.
Moore also interacts with the audience on a large level, taking photos with each group and engaging in conversations between segments. You can always expect the host to be wearing fashionable attire, which is sure to provoke a positive reaction from the audience.
Cityline also records two special episodes each week, Fashion Friday and Makeover Madness, which individuals can sign up for their chance to participate in through the ticket booking form.
The show is also committed to their mission of giving back. Members of the audience are encouraged to bring feminine products to their taping, at which time they can add to the donation bin inside the studio for a local charity, The Period Purse. This non-profit organization, which came to be in 2017, is the only charity across Canada that solely focuses on ensuring everyone has equal access to menstruation products.
Regardless of which show someone attends, or who they see during their time there, it’s a guaranteed great time with Cityline. Who knows, audience members may even leave with a special surprise or two!