MARKHAM, ON – The Ontario Association of Broadcasters will present the 2018 Ontario Hall of Fame Award to both Barbara Williams and Ross Kentner at the organization’s fall conference.
A Board nominated honour, the Ontario Hall of Fame is presented to individuals who have spent most of their careers working for private broadcasters and demonstrated a commitment to the highest standards of broadcast excellence.
Barbara Williams (pictured right) is executive vice president and chief operating officer of Corus Entertainment Inc., where she oversees all strategic and operational aspects of Corus’ content across conventional and specialty television, Nelvana, digital, and radio properties.
Prior to her current position, Williams served as Shaw Media’s president, overseeing all aspects of the company’s business. Prior to that, as senior vice president of content for Shaw Media, Williams was responsible for the creation of Canadian original productions, acquisition deals of top U.S. and international series, and scheduling for the company’s conventional network and 19 specialty channels. Before joining Shaw, she was EVP of content at Canwest Broadcasting, VP and GM of Toronto 1, and SVP of lifestyle programming at Alliance Atlantis.
Williams currently sits on the board of the Canadian Film Centre. She was previously a board member of Canada’s Walk of Fame and the former chair of the Banff World Media Festival.
Ross Kentner (pictured below) recently retired after 56 years with Bayshore Broadcasting. Ever the champion for radio, Kentner began his career as an operator before moving in to the newsroom, eventually becoming news director and later general manager in 1985. As Bayshore Broadcasting expanded under his direction, news has always been front and centre in all new stations, and the News Centre remains the voice of Grey Bruce.
Kentner is a past chair of the Ontario Association of Broadcasters and past chair of the Community Foundation of Grey Bruce.
The Ontario Hall of Fame Awards will be presented during the OAB conference, Gala Awards Luncheon, on November 8 at the Marriott Toronto Airport Hotel.
