TORONTO – Canadian media mogul and philanthropist Allan Slaight died on Sunday in his Toronto home. He was 90 years old.
The announcement was made Monday by family friend David Ben, according to news reports.
Slaight, who was born in Galt, Ont. in 1931, started out as a news reporter and announcer in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in 1948, an article written by J. Lyman Potts for the Canadian Communications Foundation says.
This was the start of a storied career.
Over the course of his decades long career in media, Slaight held news and announcing roles at stations including CFRN, CJCA and CHED in Edmonton. In 1956 he became general sales manager at CHED and two years later was the program director at CHUM in Toronto, Potts’s article says. In 1965, he was promoted to vice-president and general manager of CHUM AM/FM.
In 1970, Slaight purchased CFGM and CFOX, radio stations in Toronto and Montreal respectively. He later became chairman and president of IWC Communications Ltd when he merged with the company, which later became Slaight Communications, the article says.
Slaight built the company up in the following years, and eventually bought Standard Broadcasting Corporation in 1985 (which was later sold to Astral Media in 2007 for $1 billion). By 2003 Standard owned 51 radio stations, television stations in two cities and was “the largest privately-owned multi-media company in Canada,” according to Potts’s article.
“Allan Slaight was a giant and beloved leader in Canadian broadcasting,” said Kevin Desjardins, president of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB), in an emailed statement to Cartt.ca.
“Mr. Slaight left a profound mark on broadcasting in Canada through his innovative spirit and his deep commitment to building his TV and radio stations into prosperous businesses and vibrant contributors to their community.”
Slaight was also known for his charitable work. He and his son Gary Slaight decided to use the proceeds of the sale of Standard to Astral for philanthropic initiatives, and so established the Slaight Family Foundation, as well as to support the Canadian music industry and emerging artists through Slaight Music.
Allan Slaight has also served as a Women’s College Hospital trustee, director and chairman of the Shaw Festival and chairman of communications for the United Way of Greater Toronto, among other positions he has held in the community, according to Potts’s article. In 2001, he was appointed as a Member of The Order of Canada.
A few years prior, in 1997, Slaight was inducted into the CAB’s Hall of Fame.
In an emailed statement to Cartt.ca, CAB said it “is saddened to learn of the passing of Canadian broadcasting legend Allan Slaight,” and “offers its condolences to his family, friends, and his many colleagues in our industry.”
“Inducted into the CAB’s Hall of Fame in 1997, Slaight was a pioneer, entrepreneur and tireless builder of Canada’s broadcast sector. Slaight built Slaight Communications, and later, Standard Broadcasting, into hugely successful and innovative broadcasting industry leaders. When he stepped down from Standard Broadcasting in 2007, he had grown it into [the] largest privately-owned media company in Canada.
“The Slaight legacy continues through his family foundation, which has provided millions of dollars in support to the arts, and health research,” the CAB statement reads.
Over the past few years, the Slaight Family Foundation has supported initiatives including the delivery of advanced health care at five Toronto hospitals and a documentary series about Black Canadian Film Centre alumni and social justice.
Photo by Christina Gapic; supplied by Magicana, an organization supported by the Slaight Family Foundation.
