CBC Producer Renée Pellerin accepts the 1997 Michener Citation of Merit from Chief Justice Antonio Lamer on behalf of the CBC-TV consumer affairs program Marketplace.
Marketplace was honoured for a widely-praised and timely program on the drug industry. It examined the high costs of drugs in Canada, the lack of adequate spending by drug companies on research and the development and introduction of new drugs that offer no greater benefit than the older drugs.
The award was presented during a ceremony held at Rideau Hall, April 28, 1998.
Launched in 1970 under the auspices of Canada’s third Canadian governor general, the late Roland Michener, the award focuses on the degree of public benefit generated by media projects, both large and small, in print and broadcast. The annual award is open to daily and weekly newspapers, news agencies, radio and television stations and networks, as well as periodicals. The winners are chosen on the basis of hard-hitting impact, journalistic professionalism, and the resources available for the project.