He grew up in Lower Sackville, N.S. and moved to Ontario for post-secondary education. After pursuing television opportunities in Ontario and Alberta, Jayson moved back home in 1998 and landed a job with CTV Atlantic as a sports and news reporter.
CTV’s morning show soon attracted Jayson. His ability to work without a script combined with a quick wit and natural storytelling ability made him a perfect co-host for Breakfast Television. After many years of morning antics, Jayson's talents were required back in the newsroom, where he continued reporting and honed his skills as a news anchor.
Now, Jayson both co-hosts and produces features on CTV News at 5.
Jayson has brought viewers many memorial stories over the years, including his foray into the world of food trucks, his many 2015 storm stories and his special feature about Canadian veterans in Vimy Ridge. In 2008, Jayson was recognized for journalistic excellence with a Radio-Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) Atlantic Regional Award. His documentary on Climate Change won in the category of best In-Depth/ Investigative Reporting.
Jayson has deep ties to the community. He has volunteered countless hours with sports groups and has been involved with many of CTV Atlantic’s charitable efforts - from the IWK Telethon to Christmas Daddies. He has a special place in his heart for the Canadian Cancer Society and has hosted its Relay for Life in Halifax for many years. In 2012, he accepted the challenge of being a member of the Relay’s DreamTeam. He and his teammates each raised $10,000 - providing much-needed funds to fight cancer and inspiring countless others with their dedication to the cause.
He is a proud father of three girls and rarely turns down an opportunity to coach his kids in baseball, soccer and basketball.
Maria Panopalis is a co-host and producer of the CTV News at 5.
Maria is a familiar face to Maritime viewers. She first joined CTV Atlantic in 2002, starting as a floor director and production assistant before moving to CTV Morning Live as a co-host. She continues to bring her enthusiasm, infectious spirit and professionalism to CTV News at 5, which she now co-hosts with Jayson Baxter.
Maria enjoys sharing stories unique to our region and spent a year travelling the Maritimes, looking for undiscovered gems which she documented in the weekly segment In Our Backyard. One of her stories won a Radio and Television Digital News Award for Best Short Feature. She was also recognized with a prestigious International Edward R. Murrow Award for Breakfast Television in Nicaragua.
Originally from Halifax, Maria has a Bachelor of Science from Dalhousie University, a Journalism degree from the University of King’s College and a post-graduate diploma in Applied Information Technology.
In 2005, Maria won Making it Big, a North American reality show which pitted her against two other contestants for the title of best entertainment reporter. Maria also provided high-energy coverage for CTV Atlantic when the Juno Awards came to Halifax in April 2006.
Maria is heavily involved in the community and lends her time and support to a wide variety of CTV-supported organizations such as the IWK Health Centre, the Children’s Wish Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society.
As the host of 'Keeping Up With Katie Kelly,' Katie keeps our viewers up to date with the latest pop culture and entertainment news.
Katie grew up on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore. As a kid, she was a devoted fan of what was then ASN’s Breakfast Television. When her older brother’s band was invited to perform on BT, Katie accompanied him to the Halifax studio and was mesmerized by the experience. That day, she vowed she would work in television.
The first step to achieving her goal was enrolling at the Nova Scotia Community College, where Katie studied Radio and Television Arts. Her path led her to radio, with jobs in Bridgewater, Halifax, and Toronto. Katie returned home in 2010 to work for two of the top radio stations in Halifax -- 101.3 Virgin Radio and C100. Most recently, she held the position of marketing director.
While working full-time in radio, Katie honed her on-air television skills as the host of Pop Culture TV on Bell TV1, and then as a CTV Morning Live regular DIY segment host.
As the entertainment host on CTV Morning Live and CTV News at 5, Katie now shares her love of all things pop culture with our viewers. Since branching out into television, Katie has spoken one-on-one with celebrities like Ed Sheeran, Hailey Baldwin, Bryan Adams, and Kurt Browning who managed to keep her upright on figure skates for the entire interview.
Katie has proudly supported Bell Media initiatives for charities such as Feed Nova Scotia and the Salvation Army, and she has a special place in her heart for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, as well as local mental health innitiatives.
