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Pierre Juneau, MRSC, OC, administrator, broadcasting executive (born 17 October 1922 in Verdun (Montreal); died 21 February 2012 in Montreal). Pierre Juneau was awarded the Music Industry Man of the Year (1971) and Lifetime Achievement Juno Awards (1989). He was a member of the Privy Council, a Member of the Royal Society of Canada and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1975.
National Film Board (NFB) and Other Roles (1949–66)
After a distinguished administrative career at the National Film Board of Canada from 1949 to 1966, Pierre Juneau was appointed vice-chairman of the Board of Broadcast Governors (1966–68). Juneau was one of the cofounders (1950) of the magazine Cité Libre, a publication that opposed the government of Quebec premier Maurice Duplessis.
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) (1968–75)
Pierre Juneau was chairman of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission from 1968 to 1975. His assertive application of commission regulations governing Canadian content in broadcasting won him a reputation as a cultural nationalist that was only marginally dimmed by the commission's failure to devise effective controls for cable transmissions.
Did you know?
In 1971, the Canadian recording industry's Juno Awards — initially called Gold Leaf Awards — were renamed in tribute to Juneau, the CRTC’s first chairperson.
Federal Government and Public Service (1975–82)
In 1975 Pierre Juneau was named minister of communications, but he resigned after failing to win election to Parliament. From 1975 to 1982 he held several senior administrative posts in Ottawa.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) (1982–89)
In 1982 Pierre Juneau became president of the CBC, agreeing to serve until 1989. Faced with sharply reduced government funding, nationalists feared an increase in foreign programming, but with Juneau's mandate to make the CBC 95 per cent Canadian and the 1987 licence for an all-news channel, they declared Juneau's presidency a victory for Canadian sovereignty.
Other Roles
Pierre Juneau was temporarily lured out of retirement in 1994 to oversee the operations of the communications company MacLean-Hunter during CRTC hearings to approve a takeover of MacLean-Hunter by Rogers Cable (now Rogers Communications). He became the chairperson of the World Radio and Television Council, which is headquartered in Montreal.
Honours
In 1971 Pierre Juneau was named Music Industry Man of the Year at the Juno Awards ceremony, followed by a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989. He was a member of the Privy Council, in addition to being elected a Member of the Royal Society of Canada and made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1975.
