MONTREAL – One of the most influential figures in Canadian media history, Pierre Juneau, died yesterday in Montreal. He was 89.
A staunch backer of Canadian content on the airwaves, Juneau held three of the most important cultural positions in the country during his long and distinguished career. First, at the National Film Board, he created the French language arm of the organization and is recognized in Quebec as playing a central role in the development of French filmmaking in Canada. Back when TV didn’t exist much (let alone any other form of transmission) Juneau first toured Europe showcasing Canadian films anywhere he could, and later doing the same thing within Canada with French-language Canadian films.
(We were lucky enough to interview M Juneau at his home in Montreal last year and published a long feature on his life and career, which can be read here.)
“Pierre Juneau made a crucial contribution to the NFB in general and to French production in particular. Under his stewardship, French-language filmmaking thrived, affording great filmmakers opportunities for creation and innovation. Throughout the remainder of his career, Mr. Juneau remained an ardent promoter of Canadian culture in all its diversity. It is with great regret that we learned today of his death,” said Tom Perlmutter, NFB chair, in a statement on Tuesday.
After working for the NFB from 1949-66, Juneau (pictured) went on to become vice-chair of the Board of Broadcast Governors (the CRTC’s predecessor) and was then named the first chairman of the CRTC in 1968, where he remained until 1975, building many of the TV and radio policies that helped shape our Canadian industry.
“We are saddened to learn of the passing of Pierre Juneau, who played a seminal role in the promotion of Canadian culture during his many years of public service. We are especially indebted to the leadership he provided to the CRTC as its first Chairman from 1968 to 1975,” said CRTC acting chair Len Katz. “We join Canadians in celebrating his legacy as the architect of Canadian content regulations, and the dynamic cultural industry that has since flourished. His passion and wisdom will be deeply missed, and we offer our condolences to his family and loved ones.”
Juneau is credited for helping lay the foundation for the healthy music scene we have in Canada today, too. Many in the music business in Canada agree their industry grew strongly in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s thanks to the Canadian content demands the CRTC placed on radio stations beginning in 1971. As many know, the music industry in Canada was so thankful for those policies for radio here that they named the Juno awards after him.
"We are saddened to hear of the passing of Pierre Juneau, founder of the Canadian content regulations and a true champion of this country's artists," said Melanie Berry, president & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards. "As former head of the CRTC and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Mr. Juneau made a profound impact on Canada's cultural landscape throughout his life and career. Without his steadfast commitment to Canadian content, our nation's music industry would not be as strong as it is today. The JUNO Awards have proudly reflected his name for the past forty years, and we look forward to sustaining his legacy in decades to come."
After a short stint as Minister of Communications and a failed bid to win a seat as an MP, Juneau was appointed president of the CBC by his friend, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, in 1982 and then had to face down pressure to resign under the next PM, Brian Mulroney – who cut the budget of the public broadcaster by some $100 million.
"Pierre Juneau was a passionate defender of public broadcasting and a fervent promoter of Canadian content. He was instrumental to shaping policy that allowed Canadians to build their own industry and their own content. We still feel his influence today,” said current CBC president Hubert Lacroix on Tuesday.
“Pierre Juneau believed in the importance of Canadian culture, and he brought that belief to life in policies that reshaped media in this country,” added Maureen Parker, head of the Writers Guild of Canada. “As the first chair of the CRTC and one of the architects of Canadian content regulations, he worked to make certain that Canadian artists have a voice in their own country. His legacy can be seen and heard daily in Canada’s vital and vibrant TV, film and music – he made it possible for Canadians to choose Canadian content in their entertainment. Canadian screenwriters are grateful for his work.”
Indeed, the policies Pierre Juneau helped develop, are what created the radio and television industry we all know and work in today. In fact, for the past 40-plus years, everything we’ve seen on Canadian television or heard on the radio here were ultimately guided by those first policies created and nurtured by Juneau’s CRTC and the industry it regulated.
All of us working in this industry owe him – and his contemporaries – a debt of gratitude. Those of us at Cartt.ca were also saddened to hear of his death and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
