CRTC's List of the 23 Top Canadians in Communications

CRTC's List of the 23 Top Canadians in Communications

Postby jon » Tue Mar 21, 2017 3:25 pm

March 21, 2017 – Ottawa – Gatineau – Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

Today, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) honoured exceptional Canadians who, through their achievements, values and ideals, have marked the development and visibility of Canadian communications over the past 150 years.

As part of its commemoration project to celebrate Canada’s 150th Anniversary, the CRTC recognized 23 exceptional men and women for their contribution to the Canadian communications system, by giving their names to the Commission’s meeting rooms. These individuals are: Israel “Izzy” Asper, Henri Audet, John Bassett, Alexander Graham Bell, Nancy Devine (former CRTC employee), Reginald Fessenden, Barbara Frum, Harold Greenberg, Matthew Halton, Foster Hewitt, Judith Jasmin, Jonah Kelly, Jose Kusugak, René Lecavalier, John Lombardi, Marcel Masse, J-Alphonse Ouimet, Marcel Ouimet, Ted Rogers, Jean-Louis Roux, Jeanne Sauvé, Graham Spry, and Réal Therrien.

At the same time, the Agora at the CRTC’s National Headquarters was named in honour of Pierre Juneau, the CRTC’s first Chairman and a prominent figure in the areas of Canadian communications and culture.

As part of Canada’s 150th Anniversary, the CRTC is proud to honour entrepreneurs, inventors, public figures and great communicators who, each in their own way, have transformed the Canadian communications sector.
- Jean-Pierre Blais, Chairman of the CRTC

Quick Facts

• The CRTC has named 16 rooms in honour of 23 men and women who helped shape the Canadian communications system.
• The CRTC has also named the Agora at its National Headquarters in honour of Pierre Juneau, the CRTC’s first Chairman.
• The selection of room names was made according to criteria such as posthumous recognition, ethnic diversity, geographic representation and temporality.
• A committee of five senior officials, including the Chairman of the CRTC, was mandated to evaluate the suggestions and information provided by CRTC employees.
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Re: CRTC's List of the 23 Top Canadians in Communications

Postby albertaboy4life » Tue Mar 21, 2017 4:52 pm

There will always be deserving names left off any such list but I can't resist the temptation to suggest some that were overlooked, especially when builders west of Winnipeg seem to be noticeably absent -

Frank Griffiths, Sr. - CKNW, WIC

Dr. Charles Allard - ITV, SuperChannel, CHQT, Allarcom

Allan Waters - CHUM Ltd.

H.G. Love - CFCN, Voice of the Prairies

Taylor, Pearson & Carson - forerunners of Selkirk Communications

Lloyd Moffat - CKY, Moffat Communications

Lorne Greene - Voice of Doom - graduated a number of notable broadcasters from his school (Academy of Radio Arts) - invented a countdown/reverse stopwatch

Murray Chercover - CTV
Faster cars, younger women, older cheese, more money . . .
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Re: CRTC's List of the 23 Top Canadians in Communications

Postby jon » Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:49 pm

I've always felt that Ted Rogers, Sr. did more for Canada's Communications Industry than his son. Yet, the CRTC release makes it sound like Sr. was a nobody by listing Jr. as simply "Ted Rogers".

While I like albertaboy4life's additions, I think that Dr. G.R.A. ("Dick") Rice was in the business longer than any of them. He ran CJCA as one of first few stations officially on the air in Canada in 1922, then started CFRN in 1934, adding FM and TV, including a network of repeaters. Even his pre-CJCA work is noteworthy. At least sixty-something years, no matter how you count it.
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Re: CRTC's List of the 23 Top Canadians in Communications

Postby jon » Mon Mar 27, 2017 8:23 pm

Today, I was made aware...of a recent CRTC announcement celebrating exceptional Canadians and their contributions to communications in Canada in the past 150 years.

Looking at the list of honourees, I was struck by the glaring omission of Sunwapta's GRA Rice.

Serving in the Merchant Marine in the First World War as a radio operator, his ship was sunk and he spent three days adrift before rescue.

Later immigrating to Canada, most of you know that Rice settled in Edmonton and put his skills to use opening CJCA in 1922 and started Sunwapta Broadcasting in 1934. His ownership of the company continued until 1988. That's 66 years of broadcasting in Canada, not including his war time service.

The link below explains this celebration by the CRTC. My intention is not to undermine or slander the contribution of any other nominee honoured here. If this exclusion of an exceptional local pioneering broadcaster doesn't sit well with you, please feel free to write and let the CRTC and or your MP know that this must be corrected.

Thanks for reading.

https://www.canada.ca/en/radio-televisi ... tions.html
(John Hanson, Sunwapta Broadcasting History, Facebook Group)
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