After more than a decade behind the anchor desk, Matt Skube signs off from CTV Ottawa to prioritize family and begin a new chapter in Toronto.
“Authenticity will land with people no matter what.”
It certainly did for Matt Skube, who, in a mere eleven-and-a-half-years at CTV Ottawa, became one of the city’s most beloved media personalities.
Traditionally, that style of ingratiation takes a lot longer. But Skube’s genial unpretentiousness, breezy temperament, and palpable professionalism made him an instant hit.
Needless to say, his imminent departure from the network, announced earlier this year, has thrown the station’s loyal viewership a curveball. But for Skube, that, too, is a matter of staying true to oneself.
“Moving to a late shift”—Skube’s working hours since 2024 have been 4:00 pm until midnight, Monday to Friday—” has taken a toll,” he shares, “especially on my family.” Skube met the love of his life, his wife Tricia, at St. Francis Xavier University, though coupledom came a few years after graduation. Their two growing boys refer to Skube’s broadcasts as “Daddy TV.” While that might be enough for most working fathers, Skube has long longed to be on the other side of the screen. “They’re always going to be my top priority,” Skube offers lovingly. “All aspects of my move align with what’s best for them.”
That move will be from Ottawa to Toronto, where Skube will be serving Bell Media, CTV’s owner, in a new capacity. Bigger market, better hours—hard to say no.
Skube’s career began in his native Thunder Bay. Growing up, there wasn’t a sport he didn’t play, including football. But in college, he didn’t just catch the pigskin, he caught the broadcasting bug. Offered a full-time on-air position back home, he worked in the field and at the anchor desk. He dabbled in weather, adding select clips of that stint onto his demo reel. Though he was hoping to land the weekend sports anchor job at CTV Ottawa, he ended up with that beat instead, moving from weekends to weekdays after J.J. Clarke retired.
“There was some slight disappointment,” Skube, again with that trademark honesty, confesses, “but it quickly quelled once I met everyone in the newsroom. They were incredibly dedicated to their craft. I was in awe.”
While Skube might not have been hired for sports, that’s exactly what his first on-air assignment entailed: “We were sitting in the afternoon editorial meeting going over the lineup for the evening newscast,” he recounts. “We realized that the Rink of Dreams at City Hall was opening that night. With all of the other reporters already assigned, the producer asked me if I owned skates. I said ‘Yes!’ maybe too enthusiastically. The next thing I knew, I was walking back to my apartment to get my skates. I did a live hit on the ice that night. I remember that they wanted me to skate towards the camera and stop. All I could think about was not falling. But everything went well, I didn’t bail, and I got a text from anchor Graham Richardson saying I did a great job.”
That “great job” continued for the next decade and a half. At the five-year mark, Skube became the frontman for the station’s 5 PM news show. “I was ecstatic!” he recalls. “There aren’t many opportunities in this business where you truly get to start a show from scratch, but that’s what we did. I remember the early conversations about the format for CTV News at Five and the direction we were taking. It was going to be a fast-paced show, moving quickly from story to story while having some fun where we could. It didn’t take long for us to hit our stride.”
“Professionally, I discovered the true meaning of connecting with an audience,” Skube says. “I didn’t have to sacrifice who I was, what I loved, or what I did best.”
That stride will now be coming to a stop. Before Skube stands or sits before a camera again, though, he’ll be taking some much-needed time off. Besides, he owes his wife a honeymoon; two days after they belatedly exchanged vows, he found himself tackling that taxing four-to-midnight shift.
There’ll also be some reflection on his time at CTV Ottawa, a process that’s already started. “Professionally,” Skube reflects, “I discovered the true meaning of connecting with an audience. I learned that I didn’t have to sacrifice who I was, what I loved, or what I did best. I also learned about leadership and perseverance, especially watching colleagues during natural disasters or the COVID-19 pandemic.”
As always, though, it all comes down to family: “I also became a father over my time here,” adds Skube proudly, “a monumental adjustment of the lens through which I see the world.”
Now, it’s the world’s turn to see a different Matt Skube.
