Homegrown show earns TV deal for Sydney River boys

When Liam and Lukas Sakalauskas started their YouTube show East Coast Kids News, they never thought they'd become local celebrities or that they'd land a deal to create shows for a media company.

But that's exactly what happened to the two Sydney River boys.

With the help of their father Herbie Sakalauskas, Liam, 11, and Lukas, 10, started a news show in their basement back in March, complete with green screen and backdrops.

The shows focused on local news headlines, tips on how to tackle things like being safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, and science experiments.

But as restrictions started to ease in Nova Scotia, East Coast Kids News dropped the news part of the name and headed out on the road to showcase Cape Breton to their followers.

"There is lots of stuff out there to do," Liam said in an interview on Information Morning inCape Breton.

The boys explored waterfalls and taste-tested pizza. They hiked iconic trails like the Skyline Trail in the Highlands National Park.

"Egypt Falls was amazing," Liam said about one of the adventures.

"We went [to Tom's Pizza in Baddeck] and me and Liam both got a slice of cheese pizza and then we tried it and of course it was delicious," said Lukas.

The revamped East Coast Kids has been picked up by Bell Media. A producer friend of Herbie Sakalauskas saw the boys on CBC News Network and suggested he pitch it to the company.

After some tweaks to the format, the pitch was a success and Bell will air episodes on Fibe TV1.

Thenew shows under production for Bell will focus not just on getting the boys out in their communities but also getting their hands on things. like learning archery, making foodor crafting.

"We want the kids to really be involved, so instead of going and trying the pizza, maybe learning how to cook the pizza," said Herbie.

The boys hope to introduce viewers to some of their favourite parts of Cape Breton, like the Miners Museum in Glace Bay.

Hosting a show has been a learning experience for Liam, who had some tips for other broadcast hosts.

"You just have to have fun with it and you need to really be excited and love to do what you're doing."