WAB CONVENTION WRAP-UP Broadcaster The WAB would like to extend a warm thank you to our 2007 convention sponsors and delegates! Our convention this year was extremely well attended and fun for everyone.
Of special note, our pre-dinner reception was hosted by Barb Cram and gave our Western broadcasters a chance to personally thank Barb for her years of service to the Prairie broadcast community. Barb will be sorely missed, and we would like to thank her for her tireless efforts on behalf of her district.
Next year’s WAB convention will be held in Kananaskis, Alberta from June 6 – 8, 2008 – please mark your calendars and plan on joining us for our 74th anniversary!
WAB Gold Medal Awards
The Gold Medal Awards are presented to WAB member stations for outstanding contribution to Canadian broadcasting industry in the area of community service. They are judged on the following criteria:
Our Radio Gold Medal winner for 2007 is CFMC/Saskatoon for their Breast Cancer Radio Marathon! In summer of 2000, Morning Show Host Lisa Rendall was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, and CFMC committed to a 30 hour radio-thon which has since been extended to 36 hours. This signature event held every October has raised over $305,000 in seven years! In addition to the radio marathon, there is the Shave Your Bosses Head for Breast Cancer – last year raised $65,000, and a Lisa Rendell Golf Classic will all proceeds going to the cause. These important events held by CFMC Saskatoon increase awareness of Breast Cancer and encourage regular check-ups. We are pleased to award CFMC Saskatoon our 2007 Radio Gold Medal Award for their outstanding efforts!
Our Television Gold Medal winner for 2007 is Citytv Calgary Bras for the Cause for breast cancer. This year Citytv Calgary marked their 2nd annual event where women were asked to bring old, used bras and they responded in the thousands! In November 2006, the bra collection was revealed live on Breakfast Television. Citytv Calgary’s partner Cardel Homes donated $1.00 for every bra collected and so far over $178,000 has been raised to support breast cancer research. And over two years, $45,000 has been donated to various shelters in Calgary. The WAB is proud to recognize Citytv Calgary as our 2007 WAB Gold Medal Television winner!
WAB Honourary Life Membership
The WAB Honourary Life Membership is awarded to an individual broadcaster who has enhanced and improved the broadcast industry in Western Canada, while making a significant contribution to his or her community or province. The recipient will have demonstrated, by conduct and action, the willingness to work unselfishly in the interest of the broadcasting industry.
Barbara Cram, from Regina, Saskatchewan was appointed as Regional Commissioner for the Manitoba/Saskatchewan regions on November 1st, 1998. She has practised law in Saskatchewan for in excess of 18 years, most recently with the law firm Gauley & Co. She has been associated with a broad range of community and interest groups and has been a regular commentator on TV and current affairs programs. She was a member of several organizations including the Consumers Association for Canada, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, the Public Interest Regulatory Centre and the Cable Television Standards Council. Ms. Cram's term ends on October 31, 2007.
Please join us in honouring Barb Cram in her last year with the CRTC as our new WAB Honourary Life Member. We will be pleased to welcome Barb to all future WAB conventions as our guest, which is a small token of our appreciation for Barb’s years of dedication and service to the Prairie broadcasting community.
WAB Broadcaster of the Year
The WAB Broadcaster of the Year Award is presented to an individual broadcaster who has made a significant contribution to our industry. More specifically, the broadcaster so honoured will have:
The 2007 Western Association of Broadcasters Broadcaster of the Year is Harry Dekker!
Over the years, Harry Dekker touched the careers of many well-known Canadian broadcasters including Wally Macht, Terry Spence, George Garrett, Don Whitman and Ron Smith.
Harry Dekker was a member of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ “Half Century Club”. He was a past director of the Western Association of Broadcasters, the Saskatchewan Association of Broadcasters, Radio Bureau of Canada, Saskatchewan Country Music Association Hall of Fame Committee and Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers.
Harry Dekker, although semi-retired, remained active in broadcasting until his death in March 2004. It was a career that spanned 63 years.
Harry Dekker’s career is testament to his great love of radio broadcasting, the wonderful people who make it happen and the community that is home for three generations of Dekkers over the past 85 years.
WAB Friend of Broadcasting
The WAB Friend of Broadcasting Award was awarded to Bruce & Deirdre Hamstead for their years of service as convention organizers of the Western Association of Broadcasters. We would like to thank Bruce & Deirdre for their personal attention to the WAB, and their tireless efforts to bring a high quality WAB convention to our membership for close to ten years. |