About Ideas
AIR TIMES
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Weekdays at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) and 4 a.m. (4:30 a.m. NT)
Ideas in the Afternoon: Mondays at 2 p.m. (2:30 p.m. NT)
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ABOUT THE HOST
Nahlah Ayed has been the host of CBC IDEAS since 2019. Since then, she has conducted dozens of interviews on-stage and off with some of Canada's — and the world's — most prominent thought leaders.
An award-winning veteran of foreign reporting, Nahlah was previously based in the Middle East where she spent nearly a decade covering the region's many conflicts. And later, while based in London, she covered some of the biggest stories of our time: the rise of authoritarianism, the return of war to Europe, and the worldwide refugee crisis.
A former parliamentary reporter for The Canadian Press, Nahlah is a graduate of Carleton University's Master of Journalism program. She also holds a Master's degree in interdisciplinary studies (Philosophy, English and Science) and a Bachelor of Science in genetics from the University of Manitoba.
Among her many awards and distinctions are: two New York Festival awards, one of which was in the "best talk/interview special" for her 2023 conversation with historian Tiya Miles.
In 2016 she and her team won "Story of the Year" at the UK Foreign Press Association Awards for their documentary on child labour in India; while in 2017, she won a photojournalism award from the Canadian Association of Journalists for her story, "The Rescuers."
She also won a Prix Italia in 2011, for a team-produced multi-media project, "Exile Without End," about a Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut.
Nahlah was awarded three honorary doctorates from the University of Manitoba (2008), Concordia University (2016) and the University of Alberta (2018) in recognition of her work.
In 2025, she was also awarded a King Charles III Coronation Medal for "fostering a more informed, empathetic, and globally engaged nation."
Nahlah is the author of two books, both national bestsellers. The most recent is titled The War We Won Apart, published in 2024. Her first book, A Thousand Farewells, was published in 2012, and was shortlisted for a Governor General's Award.
Nahlah Ayed was born and raised (mostly) in Winnipeg, Canada.
ABOUT THE SHOW
IDEAS is a deep-dive into contemporary thought and intellectual history. Anchored in a powerful legacy and expansive archive spanning over five decades, its topics are boundless. The nature of consciousness. The history of toilets. The roots and rise of authoritarianism. Near death experiences. No idea is off-limits.
Each episode cracks open a concept to see how it's played out over place and time — and uncovers why it still matters today.
Launched in 1965 as "The Best Ideas You'll Hear Tonight" — and soon shortened to its present name — IDEAS features documentaries, illustrated interviews, and panel discussions which have earned it a raft of international and national awards and distinctions. It's also home to Canada's preeminent public lecture series, the CBC Massey Lectures, which showcase a Canadian thinker "to communicate the results of original study on important subjects of contemporary interest."
In the age of clickbait and superficial headlines, IDEAS is an oasis for people who like to think.