Ziya Tong is a Canadian television personality and producer. She is the co-host of Discovery Channel’s long-running primetime science show Daily Planet and co-chair for World Wildlife Fund – Canada’s inaugural Pandamonium fundraiser on June 23 in Toronto.

SDTC: Can you walk us through a typical day in your life?

ZT: A typical day for me changes depending on the season. Right now for instance, I’m filming Shark Week for Discovery Channel, so that means a bright and early 4AM wake up call, chugging down lots of coffee and then off to our set, which is down at Ripley’s Aquarium. On a regular day though, it just depends on whether we have press or news in the morning; otherwise, I head to our senior team meeting where we go over all the new ideas, pitches and stories that will air that night. After that, we do voice-overs for the show, then it’s off to makeup and wardrobe. We do prep work for any in-studio guests we may have at Daily Planet, as well as script tweaks for the evening show. Twice a week, I’m also on the news, so I squeeze in a bit of time to get ready for our news hits with CP24 and News Channel in the afternoon. Then we shoot the show. And after that, anything goes!

What was your trajectory to get where you’re at now in your career?

If you ask people who are on TV how they got there, almost everyone will have a different story. As for me, my undergraduate degree was focused on forensics. So my first interviews were with inmates in prison settings! From there, I moved to Montreal to study at McGill where my studies were on technology and politics. That launched me into the dotcom world when I first moved to New York, and it was only then, after quite a circuitous route, that I decided to make my first foray into television.

What was the best piece of advice you were given in relation to your career?

“It’s only TV.” That’s from my first Senior Producer and good friend Sudha Krishna. Just a really great reminder to not take TV too seriously. If you mess up, it’s only TV; don’t get sucked into the fame aspects because it’s only TV.” I think that’s a really healthy approach to media and I’ve carried it with me ever since.

Any tips for other young women starting out in your field?

Two things: Be kind and be reliable. These are things people can’t take away from you but will take you far.

What was the most memorable story you worked on, for you personally?

Oh, there are so many. But getting the opportunity to swim with 50,000 beluga whales in Churchill, Manitoba, was an experience I’ll never forget. If you get a chance, do it!

Pandamonium Promo

Pandamonium will offer Toronto animal lovers a ‘wild’ night out in support of WWF-Canada, including a performance from Juno Award-winning band The Strumbellas, an immersive multimedia art experience by Moment Factory, music by DJ Brendan Canning, complimentary food and drinks, and more. All funds raised from Pandamonium will help WWF-Canada continue its work protecting wildlife and their habitat.