Maria Panopalis

Maria Panopalis is a co-host and producer of the CTV News at 5. She knows the show well, having produced and hosted its entertainment/pop culture segment Section Six for several years.

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.

While well-versed in social media and pop culture, Maria also enjoys sharing stories unique to our region. Maria 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.