OTTAWA – Next month in Vancouver, nine broadcasting veterans will be inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
A special luncheon ceremony on Monday, November 6, 2006 will honour:
* Doug Allen, Broadcast engineer, Winnipeg
* Vicki Gabereau, Radio and Television talk show host, Vancouver
* Alain Gourd, Broadcast executive, Gatineau
* Frank Lewis, Broadcast executive, Charlottetown
* Gary Miles, Broadcast executive, Toronto
* Pierre Morrissette, Broadcast executive, Montreal
* Bill Stephenson, Sportscaster, Toronto
* Sophie Thibault, News Anchor, Montreal
* Philip (Pip) Wedge, Broadcast executive, Toronto
“This year’s inductees are innovators and leaders in the field of broadcasting, and have contributed immensely to their industry, and to their communities,” said CAB president and CEO Glenn O’Farrell. “The CAB is proud to celebrate the careers of these remarkable Canadians, and honoured to welcome them into the Broadcast Hall of Fame.”
The CAB will announce the Hall of Fame inductees in the Music Star Category on October 11. The Music Star inductees will be recognized at the Gold Ribbon Awards Gala on Tuesday, November 7.
What follows are the bios of the 2006 HOF class, from the CAB:
Doug Allen: An innovator on technical aspects of the industry, Doug Allen served the world of broadcast engineering with distinction for more than 50 years. Born in Winnipeg, Doug first developed an interest in radio at the age of 10, when a family friend and fellow broadcast pioneer Darby Coats took him under his wing, giving him a crystal set and teaching him Morse code.
Doug entered the broadcasting business while studying in the electrical engineering program at the University of Manitoba as a summer student at CBC in Winnipeg. After graduating, Doug joined the engineering department at RCA Victor in Montreal, where he would eventually serve as the Manager of the Broadcast Engineering Group. In 1959, he returned to Winnipeg, where he played a major role in outfitting CJAY-TV, the city’s first private television station.
In 1963, Doug struck out on his own, and formed D.E.M. Allen and Associates, a private consulting business which worked with the majority of the radio and TV outlets in Western Canada. Over more than 35 years in the industry, Doug became one of the most sought-after authorities on broadcast engineering, working with the majority of Canada’s major broadcasting companies, as well as many independent stations to help set up their technical operations. He also consulted with the federal Department of Communications, the CRTC, the CBC and the Department of National Defense.
Doug was instrumental in the growth of FM broadcasting in Canada, having been involved in the creation of most of the major steps and changes in technical rules, procedures, and planning which now constitute the Canadian Planning Procedures. In 1986, Doug was awarded the Order of Canada by Governor General Jeanne Sauvé. In addition to his work in broadcasting, he has applied his lifelong love of skiing to altruistic causes, including teaching disabled adults and children how to ski. He served on the board of the Canadian Association of Disabled Skiers for more than 30 years, and at one time chaired the Canadian Federation of Sports Organizations for the Disabled.
Doug retired in January of 2003, a few months before his 80th birthday.
Vicki Gabereau: One of Canada’s most recognizable radio and TV personalities, Vicki Gabereau has enjoyed a remarkable 30-year career in broadcasting. A native of Vancouver, Vicki moved to Toronto at the age of 18 to attend school. Over the next 12 years, she lived an eclectic life, which included working as a cab driver, a clown, a bartender. In 1974, she ran for Mayor of Toronto, losing by 177,000 votes. All of this was in addition to becoming a wife and mother.
Vicki’s broadcasting career began when she hosted her first talk show for a small station in Brampton, Ontario. She later joined the CBC as an archivist, and in 1981 became the host of CBC’s Variety Tonight. In 1985, she became the host of Gabereau, a two-hour daily radio talk show which ran for 12 years on CBC. After more than 15,000 interviews and three ACTRA awards, she turned her sights to television, and joined CTV in 1997.
Vicki Gabereau ran for 8 seasons on CTV, with more than 1000 episodes and 3000 guests to its credit. The show won the 2005 Gemini Award for Best Talk Show. The list of other awards Vicki has received is truly impressive: Gemini Awards in 2001, 2002, and 2004 in addition to her numerous nominations, three ACTRA Awards, as well as two Leo Awards for excellence in the BC television and film industries. In 2005, Vicki received the Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jack Webster Foundation, which celebrates excellence in British Columbia journalism, as well as the 2005 Woman of the Year Award from Women in Film and Video Vancouver. She lives in West Vancouver with her companion Tom Rowe.
Alain Gourd: With more than three decades in the communications field, Alain Gourd has firmly established himself as one of Canada’s premiere authorities on broadcast policy and governance.
A former professor of Philosophy and Law at the University of Ottawa, Alain’s career in broadcasting began when he was named President and CEO of Radio Nord in 1973.
Alain’s keen sense of policy was developed through his time in the government. From 1982 to 1992, he served as Deputy Minister under many ministers, including Perrin Beatty, Flora Macdonald and Marcel Masse, during a formative time in Canadian cultural policy development. From 1992 to 1994, he was the Associate Secretary to the Cabinet and Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council.
In 1994, Alain returned to the private sector, serving as the CEO of Cancom and later as CEO and Chair of Bell ExpressVu, and directing these satellite communications companies during an especially active time in its history. In 2001, he joined Bell Globemedia as Executive Vice-President, Corporate, including to oversee BGM’s government and regulatory affairs.
Alain has been an active and invaluable voice on many committees and boards of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, including as Chair of the Television Board in the early 1980s, and more recently serving as Chairman of the Board of the CAB in 2003 and 2004. He is also a Director of the Banff Television Festival Foundation and of the Canadian Broadcast Museum Foundation.
In addition to his work in broadcasting and communications, Alain has been active on the boards of many charitable organizations, including Chair of the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada, as well as of Vice-Chair of the Board of Hexagram, the Institute for Research/Creation in Media Arts and Technologies.
Alain Gourd is the President of Alain Gourd Communications Inc. of Gatineau, Quebec, a company specializing in strategic planning, regulatory and government affairs as well as relations with the industry.
H. Frank Lewis: One of the most highly regarded broadcasters in Atlantic Canada, H. Frank Lewis began and ended his career at CFCY radio in Charlottetown, P.E.I.. He first joined the station as a Junior Salesman in 1966, and retired 38 years later as Vice President and General Manager in December of 2004. He currently works as a consultant for NewCap Broadcasting.
Drawing from his experience in retail sales, Frank approached his work in as sales from a different point of view. He saw the opportunity to sell the power of radio to advertisers aggressively seeking out new clients. Within a year, he was promoted to Sales Manager. Thanks to an outgoing personality and an infectious grin, Frank demonstrated a natural sales ability, and connected with people effortlessly.
When the family-run station was purchased by Eastern Broadcasting in 1971, Frank was promoted to Vice President and General Manager, the post he would hold for the rest of his career. CFCY prospered under Frank’s stewardship, but perhaps even more impressive was the respect that the staff had for Frank. Many employees throughout the station worked with Frank for more than 25 years, a testament to the loyalty he engendered. He was also know for his fair and caring treatment of his employees, as well as willingness to pitch in his time and energy to help make a project work. CFCY was selected in 1996 as one of the National Posts’ “100 Best Companies to Work For in Canada.”
Under Frank’s leadership, CFCY became a leader in the community, and across the Maritimes. He was always ready to harness the power of radio to help out a cause. Frank Lewis continues to live on Prince Edward Island, with his wife of 49 years, Dorothy.
Gary Miles: A native of Regina, Saskatchewan, Gary Miles has had an extensive and accomplished career in radio broadcasting across Canada. In over 45 years in the radio business, Gary’s career has spanned a variety of positions, and several regions of the country.
Gary entered the business on the Prairies in 1957 as an announcer, then served as the General Manager of CKCK-AM in Regina. He later moved to Winnipeg to manage a CKRC station, an experience that he notes was crucial to his development. “You can’t actually be in radio, in my opinion, if you haven’t spent time in Winnipeg,” he told Broadcast Dialogue in 2005. “It is the proving ground and the testing ground, it really makes people understand what radio is all about.”
Gary served as Chairman of the Radio Bureau of Canada (RBC) for several years, and in 1984, he moved to Toronto to serve as the RBC’s President for three years. In 1987, he was appointed as Vice-President of Radio for Selkirk Communications, and was charged with overseeing their radio operations throughout their chain of stations in Ontario and the West. When Rogers acquired the Selkirk stations, Gary came aboard and moved back to the West to run the chain’s stations in Alberta and BC. During this time, Gary helped launch the Satellite Radio Network, an innovative service that provided live programming to more than 200 stations across Canada, and which foreshadowed the emergence of satellite radio.
In 1994, Gary returned to Toronto to serve as Executive Vice President of Radio for all Rogers’ stations across Canada. Again, he demonstrated a keen sense of the market, and launched several news-talk format stations, including Toronto’s highly successful CFTR.
In March of 2002, Gary was promoted to the position of CEO, Radio for Rogers Media, where he shepherds the operation of 46 stations.
Gary Miles lives in Toronto with his wife, Taanta Gupta. He has announced his intention to retire from broadcasting in 2007.
Pierre Morrissette: A veteran of 30 years in the Canadian broadcasting industry, Pierre Morrissette has demonstrated a keen sense of innovation throughout his career. He began his career in the banking industry, but by 1977, had become closely involved in communications. That year, he began working for Telemedia Communications, where he would serve in several capacities, including Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of the company from 1979 to 1982. He also served as President of Telemedia Ventures.
In 1983, Pierre moved to Canadian Satellite Communications, where he was named President and CEO. Under Pierre’s guidance, Cancom became a publicly traded company and attained a significant level of success through the distribution of television signals via satellite to Canada’s remote areas.
In 1989, Pierre founded his own multimedia company, Pelmorex Media Inc. and purchased several French and English-language radio stations in small and mid-size Northern Ontario markets. In 1993, the company moved into television through the purchase of The Weather Network and MétéoMédia. Under Pierre’s direction, the company has transformed meteorological information into an important and pertinent enterprise, using the resources of almost every technology available to deliver highly accurate and often specialized weather information. Today, these networks employ 350 people in their Montreal and Oakville facilities, and remain among Canada’s most frequently watched specialty networks. The company also operates some of Canada’s leading web sites and wireless media services.
In addition to his duties at Pelmorex, Pierre sits on the Advisory Boards for Environment Canada’s Meteorological Service of Canada, the Richard Ivey School of Business and is a Council member for the latter’s Institute for Entrepreneurship. Pierre currently lives in Oakville, and enjoys boating, skiing and golfing.
William Stephenson: A talented broadcaster and a leader in the community, Bill Stephenson’s career in broadcasting spanned 53 years, beginning with his first job at CJAV in Port Alberni in 1948. He then completed stints at CJOR, Vancouver and CKDA, Victoria before moving to CKWX in Vancouver, where he would serve as the station’s Sports Director for a decade. He was also the play-by-play voice of the BC Lions, the Vancouver Canucks and the Vancouver Mounties.
In 1960, Bill moved across the country to CFRB in Toronto, where he worked as Sports Director and morning sportscaster. During those years at CFRB, Bill Stephenson founded the first ever sports department in Canadian radio, and launched a trend that saw sports on the radio evolve from a listing of last night’s scores to a being substantial and important programming in its own right.
In addition to Bill’s in-studio duties, he broadcasted live and direct from some of the most memorable sporting events in Canadian history, including the 1954 Miracle Mile, the 1972 Summit Series with the Soviet Union, Canada Cup hockey tournaments, World Hockey Championships, and Grey Cups. Bill served as the play-by-play voice of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football league for three decades, and throughout the 1960s and 1970s, his voice was synonymous with the CFL. He also served as the sideline reporter for CTV’s CFL broadcasts for 15 years. Bill was influential broadcaster, who helped mentor some of Canada’s most notable sportscasters, including Jim Robson, Brian Williams and Dave Hodge. In 1988, Bill was inducted by the Football Reporters of Canada to the CFL Hall of Fame in Hamilton.
Beyond broadcasting, Bill has contributed immensely to his community and beyond, including a successful drive to collect hockey equipment for unprivileged youth in Canada’s north. He has also given his time and energy over the years to the Hospital for Sick Children, and the Canadian Association for Community Living. Married for 58 years to his wife Louise, Bill Stephenson has 5 children, 9 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.
Sophie Thibault: Chief news anchor of TVA Network since 2002, Sophie Thibault has built her reputation on thoroughness, professionalism and integrity.
Ms. Thibault holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She began her journalistic career at community radio stations CINQ-FM in Montréal and CHAI in suburban Châteauguay. After earning her diploma in information and journalism from Université de Montréal in 1988, she took courses in radio and public speaking at Pierre Dufault’s École Promédia. That same year, Ms. Thibault joined TVA Network, where she rose through the ranks as a reporter, show host, newsreader and anchor. Prior to her appointment as news anchor, she hosted several TVA Network shows including Revue de l’année 1998 and Top 50 du pouvoir au Québec. She also contributed to the public affairs shows Le match de la vie, L’événement, À votre santé and Sur la colline. She gained her first experience reading breaking news in 1990 at the height of Quebec’s “Oka crisis,” before serving as Friday and weekend news anchor from 1995 until 2002.
When she was appointed chief anchor in the spring of 2002, Ms. Thibault became the first woman in North America to serve as solo anchor of a national newscast, in this case Le TVA 22 heures. With an average of 550,000 viewers from Monday to Friday, Ms. Thibault is far and away Quebecers’ preferred anchor. Le TVA 22 heures is not only the best-watched French-language newscast in Québec but across Canada.
Ms. Thibault’s popularity is also evidenced in the awards and distinctions she has received, including the Artis trophy for best anchor every year since 2003. Also in 2003 she was presented with a Femmes d’honneur award at the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montréal’s Rare Pearls networking supper. The following year, in addition to her Artis, Ms. Thibault was honoured at the same gala with the award for female personality of the year. At the 2005 YWCA gala, she received the prize for woman of the year in communications and in February of this year, during a ceremony at the Quebec National Assembly, she was presented with an Ordre de la Pléiade award from the Assemblée parlementaire de la francophonie (international association of French-speaking parliamentarians).
Philip “Pip” Wedge: Born in London, England, Pip Wedge became one of Canada’s most respected broadcasters, and a key contributor to documenting Canada’s broadcast history.
Pip’s first experience in broadcasting came in 1955, when he joined Britain’s first private broadcaster, Associated-Rediffusion. In 1964, he came to Canada as a freelance producer and writer, and produced the game show Double Your Money for CTV. His outstanding work on the series was recognized by the network, who in 1965 invited him to emigrate to be their Executive Producer in Montreal. While there, Pip was responsible for several network series, and wrote and produced a network special on the impending opening of Expo ’67, where he served as Associate Producer of W5 from Expo for ten weeks.
In 1967, Pip was transferred by CTV to Toronto, first as Executive Producer and later as manager of all of CTV’s promotion and publicity activities. His work in this department garnered several Broadcast Promotion Association Awards. Because of this winning track record, his responsibilities at the network continued to grow over the years, and in 1970 he was appointed Director of Development. In this capacity, he worked closely with CTV’s President Murray Chercover to develop Canadian-made series for international distribution, and was responsible for writing and producing several of CTV’s video presentations to the CRTC.
In 1973, Pip was elevated to the post of Vice-President, Programming, a position he held for 20 years. In this capacity, Pip was instrumental in the network’s program acquisitions, scheduling and strategy, and did yeoman work handling the daily negotiations with what was then a loose collection of affiliate stations who owned the network.
Though Pip retired from CTV in June of 1994, he has remained active in the industry, bringing his unparalleled knowledge of the industry’s history to his work as a consultant to CTV, the CAB and the CCTA. He has also shared this wellspring of knowledge with upcoming young broadcasters at Centennial College in Toronto, and through the Canadian Communications Foundation, where he now serves as Vice-President and has written thousands of words for the Foundation’s broadcasting history website. He is also a member of the Collections Committee of the Canadian Broadcast Museum Foundation.
