TORONTO – CHUM Limited and the Waters family today announced the death of company founder and Canadian broadcasting pioneer Allan Waters. He was 84.
As chairman and president until 2002, Waters (right) laid the foundation for CHUM Limited’s growth to its current place as one of Canada’s premier media companies, with radio and television stations across the country. “His vision for CHUM was rooted in fostering strong connections with the communities it serves, while staying true to his own guiding principles of respect, honesty and fair dealing,” said the company’s press release.
“Allan Waters’ contribution to broadcasting in Canada is truly immeasurable,” said CAB president and CEO Glenn O’Farrell. “He took a small AM station in Toronto, and turned it into one of the most progressive, forward-thinking multimedia companies in the world.
“In addition to being a brilliant businessman, Allan Waters was a generous and loyal leader, and a true inspiration to Canada’s broadcast community,” added O’Farrell.
‘I was always amazed by the man who headed the organization,” recalls long-time broadcaster David Marsden, who once worked for CHUM and is now at Oshawa’s 94.9 The Rock. “He walked to work. He kept a low-key office for himself and he could easily be seen walking the halls of the AM and FM stations. Low key would have to be major words in his life – both private and public. But behind the modest man was a powerhouse of dreams and imagination.”
“Alan Waters set the tone (at CHUM) and the family have carried these practices into their future. Whatever may happen to the family and the company in the future, Alan has left the family with genuine values,” Marsden added. “Since hearing the news of his death I have spent considerable time thinking about both him and the family. As I spent time thinking I sought the single word that would sum up Mr. Waters. That word would have to be ‘integrity’.”
Former CHUM lawyer Mark Lewis related his memories of the CHUM founder to www.cartt.ca, seen through the prism of the Bernardo trial.
“I will remember the integrity of Allan Waters in this incident. During the Paul Bernardo trial, there was a media feeding frenzy when the media wanted to get access to video tapes recorded by Bernardo and Homolka of the sexual assaults of the victims,” Lewis recalled. “The media were going to go to court to try and get access to the tapes. Allan Waters made it known to us at CHUM TV that we were not going down that road, out of respect to the families of the victims.
“I don’t think his decision was even questioned by the news directors of the TV or radio stations,” added Lewis, who now runs a boutique practice, Medialaw, in Toronto. “I recall that a statement was broadcast over the air of Mr. Waters’ position on the matter. In my memory, it was my only time he actually intervened and made a public statement in that regard.
“In the end, the tapes were not made available to the media, but some… went ‘over the top’, notably some tabloid newspapers in their reporting of the audio soundtracks,” noted Lewis.
“In the end, Mr. Waters’ decision paid off. Not only did our viewers/listeners respect his decision not to be exploitative of a horrible public news story, but one of the victim’s families sought out Ben Chin, Citytv’s reporter who covered the trial, for an exclusive interview. It was a compelling interview. It was newsworthy and great television.
“In an era of fast profits and news scoops, we actually got the ‘scoop’ because of Mr. Waters’ integrity and decision to be a responsible media owner,” concluded Lewis.
In 1954 Waters, then an ad man and RCAF veteran, purchased what was just CHUM AM. It wasn’t performing particularly well but Waters brought in a popular top-40s format, turned the station around and launched an FM sister station in 1963.
Since then, CHUM has grown to become one of the pre-eminent media companies in Canada with a stable of assets that includes 33 radio stations (including Toronto-market-leading CHUM FM), the Citytv and A-Channel broadcasters (12 stations in total) and 21 specialty channels, from MuchMusic (one of the first Canadian specialties, which launched in 1984) to Space, to Drive-In Classics.
In December 2002, Waters stepped down as chairman and president of the company with sons Jim Waters succeeding him as chairman of the board and Ron Waters as vice-chairman. He remained an active member of the board of directors until October 2005, when he retired from the board and was named an honorary director. His health was failing him through the fall.
“Allan Waters inspired both employees and colleagues with a commitment to the broadcasting industry that spanned five decades. Among his many contributions, he served as president of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB), president of the Central Canada Broadcasters Association, was founding Chairman of the Radio Sales Bureau and a Director of the CTV Television Network,” continued the release.
Waters was the recipient of just about all the honours one can receive in broadcasting, including, the Ted Rogers Sr.-Velma Rogers Graham Award, the Radio-Television News Directors’ Association’s President’s Award and the CAB’s Gold Ribbon Award for Broadcast Excellence.
He was also recognized for contributing to Canada’s cultural legacy through the support of Canadian talent. Waters was the first broadcaster to be honoured with the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award for contributions to the Canadian music industry and was also inducted into the CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame.
“Mr. Waters’ dedication to the broadcasting industry was equaled only by his unwavering commitment to community service and philanthropy with the founding of the CHUM Charitable Foundation. Today, the Foundation assists hundreds of thousands of people by providing financial assistance to charitable organizations and social services agencies,” says the release.
Click here for a great obituary – with video – on CHUM’s Pulse24 web site.
A public memorial will be held on Wednesday, December 7th, 2005 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at The Westin Harbour Castle Conference Centre, Metropolitan Ballroom, 2 Harbour Square, Toronto.
In addition to his wife of over 50 years, Marjorie, Waters leaves behind their three children Jim, Ron and Sherry (Bourne), daughters-in-law Sheila and Leslie, son-in-law Sean and grandchildren Michael, Darren, Amy, Maxine, Kyle, Lauren and Ellie.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the CHUM Charitable Foundation c/o The CHUM Building, 299 Queen Street West, Toronto, M5V 2Z5.
