Newman was born in Toronto, Ontario. He began his career in broadcasting at CHRW radio in London, Ontario, becoming the first news director and working on Western Mustangs football broadcasts as the campus station of the University of Western Ontario formally organized. After graduating, he landed his first job as a reporter for Global Ontario in 1981. In 1986, he moved to CTV as the network's parliamentary correspondent, and in 1988 he joined CBC Television as a reporter and anchor, hosting "Midday" from 1992 to 1994. He was also a substitute anchor on "The National".