TORONTO – Ron Cohen, the long time national chair of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, has decided to return to his roots.
The board of directors of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced today Cohen will return as chairman, a position he originally filled as founding chair in 1979. He also served as chair in 1986 and 87
Cohen was officially appointed chair on September 18, 2007.
"The timing of Ron’s return couldn’t be better," said Sara Morton, CEO of the ACCT. "The Academy has entered an exciting chapter with new initiatives like the Gemini Awards road show. As the founding Chair, we will be able to tap into his vast experience and vision as we continue to raise the profile of the academy and its events."
Cohen, a filmmaker and lawyer by trade, is equally thrilled to return to a familiar role, said the association’s release. "While the Canadian film and television industry faces some significant challenges, it has really matured and has attained a world-wide reputation for excellence. The Academy is well positioned to make Canadians proud of this country’s films and television programs."
Cohen’s film Ticket to Heaven won four Genie Awards including Best Picture in 1982. Cohen has been active on many fronts in the industry. He was a Director of the Banff Television Foundation, the Centaur Theatre Company in Montreal as well as the Friends of the Library of McGill University. Since 1993, he has been National Chair of the CBSC and is currently president of the Friends of Library and Archives Canada and sits on the Board of the Audio-Visual Preservation Trust.
He is the author of several books including: The Regulation of Misleading Advertising: A Comparative Approach; Quebec Votes; and, in 2006, A Bibliography of the Writings of Sir Winston Churchill (in 3 volumes).
