It was 2019 and the CBC journalist took a break from her usual job anchoring World Report to fill in on CBC Radio’s flagship evening news show. He has since returned to host the program several times. But the next time he sits in the host’s chair on September 5, he’ll be hooked. Köksal, a global reporter with 20 years of experience at CBC, will be the new host of As It Happens, the weekend radio program that combines difficult news, provocative conversations and quirky fun. He will join co-presenter Chris Howden and taking over veteran broadcaster Carol Off, who stepped down from the role in February after 16 years. “I would always leave after my stints raving about the kind of culture and energy that is As It Happens,” Köksal said. “And so I’m really excited to build on that, and the decades and decades of work in the past, to build on what Carol and the team have been doing for the past 16 years and just create more sonic magic.” According to It Happens executive producer Austin Webb, Köksal will help usher in a new era for the show, which first aired in 1968. “As It Happens needs a host who is passionate about the program’s legacy and the place it holds in the lives of so many listeners. At the same time, it’s important to keep the show fresh, always looking for new stories from around the world and always listening to at the unexpected moment on the other end of the line,” he said. Köksal is seen doing a live hit in Istanbul for CBC TV. The Turkish-born journalist served two stints as a correspondent based in the country, first in 2015 and then again between 2016 and 2018. (Turgut Yeter/CBC) “Nil embodies these qualities and we couldn’t be more excited to have her join Chris and help move As It Happens forward.” Howden called the appointment “fantastic news for everyone who listens to As It Happens — not to mention all of us who work on it.” “Nil is an inspired and inspiring choice. We already know her to be a brilliant, amazing journalist: quick-thinking, curious and compassionate,” he said. “And — most importantly — we also know that her sense of humor ranges from the wonderful to the ridiculous. So, professionally, she is remarkable. And personally, it’s a treat. All of this makes Nil the perfect person to take AIH into whatever comes in the coming months and years.”
“I know what it’s like to be painted a certain way”
Köksal’s career and personal life have spanned many provinces, countries and continents. He was born in Istanbul, Turkey and moved to Canada in 1981 at the age of four. He has lived in Orangeville and Peterborough, Ont., Vancouver and White Rock, BC and Toronto. She started at the CBC two decades ago as an arts intern before joining CBC News. Her work in television and radio has seen her report from various countries including Tunisia, South Korea, the US and the UK. She spent three years as a correspondent based in Istanbul and has been hosting World Report since 2018. Köksal appears on location inside the Hagia Sophia Great Mosque in Istanbul. (Turgut Yeter/CBC) All of those experiences, she said, make her uniquely suited for As It Happens, an interview program with a tagline inviting listeners to treat their ears to one “Night trip around the world.“ “Being from somewhere else, I’m automatically interested in international stories,” Köksal said. “You give people a glimpse into a place or people that they might not really know and might have misconceptions about. But these conversations and these stories can remind people how similar we are. And there’s definitely power in that, too. And I don’t know that we get enough of that — especially now.” Her primary goal as a journalist, she said, is to help listeners understand all the nuance and complexity of the people and places she interviews. “It’s about having a broader lens, but also feeling the weight of responsibility to tell stories fully. Not being reductive, not relying on tropes or misconceptions about places, not coming in with an idea of a place or people, but you are open to them,” he said. For her, it’s a journalistic principle rooted in the deeply personal. “I know what it’s like to be painted a certain way or have people make assumptions and have misconceptions about who you are or where you’re from, whether it’s a joke in elementary school or a teacher who doesn’t know things. about where you’re from and he just laughs,” Köksal said. “Those [moments] I live with you. So I’m very interested in everything – from how we pronounce someone’s name to where they come from to the reality of their experiences from where they come from – because everyone wants to be understood and heard.” Köksal reports from Windsor, UK in 2018, where she covered the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. (Waqas Chughtai/CBC) Cathy Perry, executive director of news and research for CBC News, said Köksal’s “ideas, experience and enthusiasm for learning new things make her unique for an unconventional show like As It Happens.” “Pulling to the heart of a story and putting the facts in context, even in the midst of breaking news, have made Neil an invaluable part of the CBC News team,” Perry said in a media release announcing the appointment. “While we know World Report listeners will miss her steady delivery and quick banter with the local hosts each morning, audiences will now have the opportunity to experience her boundless curiosity and ability to truly connect with people on any situation to deepen the discussion.”
I’m getting a little silly
While Köksal has a lot of experience covering hard news — including the global pandemic, the Syrian refugee crisis and the rise of ISIS — she said she’s looking forward to going deeper. the weird, fun or downright silly interviews for which as it happens he has built a reputation. Already, during her stints as a guest, she has interviewed one nursing home worker who helped residents recreate famous album covers, a mathematician who determined the exact number of hot dogs a person could eat in 10 minutes and the mastermind of a contest in which dozens of people named Josh fight each other with pool noodles. “These stories, you know, are silly, but they give you insight into things that sometimes aren’t really silly. And the commonalities between people all over the world can be seen in these stories,” he said. In fact, it’s integral to her approach to covering people and places in a way that feels authentic and holistic. “I’m a big believer in not just covering places when bad things happen, right? You have to be in those places for a long time. And that’s a strong part of As It Happens, too, because we’re able to connect with people… in an instant from anywhere in the world,” he said. “So we’re not just doing the story of a bombing or an attack. There are so many stories to tell about the Palestinians, about the Israelis, about the Turks, about the people in Africa and India, that we don’t always tell. I’m excited about the opportunities to tell these stories.” Köksal’s last day at World Report will be until July 20, and the search for a new host begins in the coming weeks. “It’s been a privilege to host the World’s Fair for the past four years and to be part of people’s daily routine, to keep them informed, especially during such difficult times,” he said. She will join her new co-presenter Chris Howden on Monday to talk about her new role. Listeners can tune in to CBC Radio One at 6:30 p.m. (7 p.m. in Newfoundland), or stream it live or on demand on CBC Listen.
