Tom Mark

Veteran broadcaster Mike Cleaver is doing a series of interviews with long time west coast broadcasters. These interviews are a joint project between Mike Cleaver, BCRadioHistory.com and RadioWest.ca. New iinterviews are being added weekly.

Tom Mark

Postby Jack Bennest » Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:42 pm

Image



Mike talks with Tom


Tom Mark - CFRW Winnipeg 1970s; CFUN Vancouver; news/News Director CJOR/CKBD/CJJR-FM Vancouver 1981-96; BC Radio Director RTNDA 1990; Vice President-Radio RTNDA 1992-2002; news director CKWX Vancouver 1996-2001; morning news CKNW Vancouver 2001-current; recipient RTNDA Distinguished Service Award 2003; recipient RTNDA Lifetime Achievement Award 2010

Thanks to radiofan, gord lansdell, Tom Mark and of course Mike Cleaver
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Re: Tom Mark

Postby Russ_Byth » Thu Nov 11, 2010 4:32 pm

As an unabashed member of the Tom Mark Fan Club, I really appreciate this!
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Re: Tom Mark

Postby cart_machine » Sat Nov 13, 2010 2:15 pm

The only thing to regret about the interview is it's so short. I would have loved to heard Tom's impression of some of the big players at CJOR during his time there. CJOR is the Land of Untapped Radio Stories. Ask Tom about Doug Collins' ill-conceived tenure as news director there (I think that was a Harvey Gold idea).

Let me augment something Tom mentioned about Burli. Stefan Ellis operated overnights and on weekends at CJOR; he operated Bernice Gerard's show. Stefan developed Burli (named after his bird) while Tom was at 'JR and used 'JR as kind of a testing ground. Tom agreed to it even though he will probably admit to you he was extremely uncomfortable with the idea of computers; not that were were bad for OTHER people but those old workhorse typewriters were good enough for him. Stefan worked out a lot of the programme's bugs at 'JR (as a side note, at one point we were getting almost every conceivable wire service in the queue because of how he tapped into a satellite feed).

'WX was using something called "Newsmaker" for the first several years of operation and Tom had the foresight to have Stefan come in and develop a version of Burli suitable for an all-news format.

Just to correct something Tom mentioned .. Andrew Dawson wasn't part of the "JR Flotilla" that meadered its way down 8th Avenue to the Rogers studios in 1996. Unless he was hiding somewhere. I believe Andrew came from Penticton. Tom took all but one of the 'JR newsroom with him, so Jim Goddard, Treena Wood and Brian Decker accompanied him to put the all-news version of 'WX on the air.

Tom mentioned the Yeltsin-Clinton summit. He had engineering set up a board for the station at the convention centre for the coverage. My favourite part was actually a sidebar to the whole thing. Brian Lord, who was doing morning news at CHRX at the behest of Joe Leary, chased down George Stephanopoulos (Clinton's news secretary at the time) and did a great interview.

A great many good newspeople worked for Tom at 'OR. I'll mention Deneen Grant and Drew Kerekes as two of them.

Tom showed what a gentleman he is in the interview. A couple of people did not treat him very well over his career but he glossed past that and looked at the positives instead.

If you want to learn how to write news for radio, have Tom Mark look at your copy. He'll show you how to do it better without imposing his writing style on you.

Thanks again to Mike, and to Jack for hosting the audio files.

cArtie.
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Re: Tom Mark

Postby Mike Cleaver » Sat Nov 13, 2010 4:30 pm

Tom mentioned to me later that he thought there was a lot more he should have talked about but yes, he did not want to mention all of the unfair things that happened during his career.
And as any good newsman probably would, being used to asking questions, he was uncomfortable being on the other end of the microphone!
Also, as a good newsman, he kept his answers short and to the point, the same as his writing style.
Some feel more comfortable about telling tales about co-workers, however unflattering those tales may be but as Cartie points out, Tom is indeed a gentleman and one of the very finest news persons with whom I've ever had the pleasure to work.
It was an honour to interview him.
Already scheduled in the next two weeks, Terry Bell and Jon McComb.
Mike Cleaver Broadcast Services
Engineering, News, Voice work and Consulting
Vancouver, BC, Canada

54 years experience at some of Canada's Premier Broadcasting Stations
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Re: Tom Mark

Postby cart_machine » Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:39 am

Mike Cleaver wrote: Already scheduled in the next two weeks, Terry Bell and Jon McComb.


Two more fine people, Mike. Jon's a real professional.

Btw, there's a typo in my post above. I can't edit it to fix it. Should say "1996" instead of "1997."

cArtie.
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Re: Tom Mark

Postby Jack Bennest » Sun Nov 14, 2010 7:47 am

Done James and thanks to radiofan I have put the correct sound links into the previous posts.
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