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1981 Michener Award - CFTM-TV and
Kitchener-Waterloo Record share prize
November 6, 1982. The Kitchener-Waterloo Record and CFTM-TV (Télé
Métropole), Montreal, were co-winners of
the 1981 Michener Award for excellence in public service journalism.
The announcement was made at a dinner hosted by their Excellencies,
the Rt. Hon. Edward Schreyer and Mrs. Schreyer. They were joined by
former Governor General Roland Michener and Mrs. Michener. The
Government House gala honoured the winners with the
presentation of the annual bronze trophy to each of the two
organizations. Three other finalists
received citations of merit. The finalists were selected from a
record total of 49 entries - the highest ever since the inception of
the Michener award program in 1970.
In his address to the assembled finalists and guests, Governor
General Schreyer congratulated the finalists and said that news
organizations carry a heavy responsibility deciding
what information gets out to people. The
assumption of that responsibility is "one that must be exercised with the greatest
sense of freedom and fairness". (Full Text)
The Record received the award for exposing a land swindle in
which more than 1,000 Canadian, American and European investors lost
millions of dollars. The Record's investigation into the affairs of
Canadian Concord Funding Limited started with an anonymous tip and
spanned 18 months. The newspaper ignored threats of libel action and
one writ for libel in its pursuit of this story. Acting on information from the newspaper's
reporter Brock Ketcham, the Ontario Security Commission raided the
offices of the company and seized large quantities of documents. Charges
were laid leading to the first jail term ever imposed under a
securities act conviction in Canada.
CFTM-TV, the co-winner of the award, was honoured for a series of five
reports prepared by journalist Yolande L'Ecuyer that brought to light certain management
problems within the Féderation des Caisses d'Entraide Economique.
Questions were also raised about the financial structure of these bodies and the
existence of numerous conflicts of interest within some of their
boards of directors. These reports also illuminated for investors a
situation not known to them concerning the handling of their
savings and raised the veil on the ambiguity of the formula under
which risk investments were sold in the guise of co-operative shares
with sure return.
The outstanding effect of these broadcasts was to impel the
government to act in a matter that had been brought to its attention
in 1978 by a study of the Quebec Securities Commission. At that time
the government had not taken any action to carry out the
recommendations of the commission report which
urged it to intervene to protect savings of the public. The series
raised an enormous amount of interest and afterwards practically all
the rest of the media in the province became involved.
Citations of Merit ware awarded to:
La Presse, Montreal, for five reports examining the million
dollar deficit involving la fête national du Québec. Delving behind the
scenes, reporter Michel Girard attributed the deficit to numerous
abuses and bad administration, with the charges documented in detail
in the articles. It was also shown how some members of the Parti Québecois
and friends of the party had profited financially from the celebrations.
Following publication, the minister responsible
announced that revisions would be made to the whole organizational
structure for the national day celebrations in order to correct certain
abuses of power.
North Battleford News Optimist, for an investigation disclosing
efforts to make farmers pay twice for expensive farm equipment. Each
farmer had paid an implement dealer money owing under a conditional
sales contract. But the dealer failed to pay money to the mortgage
company that purchased the contracts from him. After reporter Linda
Lewis’ story appeared in the newspaper, the Farmer’s Union pressed
the legislature for retroactive legislation. While it wasn't
retroactive, legislation enacted by the Saskatchewan government
sought to prevent any such thing happening again. The farmers
involved had nothing to cheer about but the rest of the farming
community came out a major winner.
Regina Leader-Post, for a succession of carefully researched
stories by reporter Peter von Stackelberg, disclosing fraud and
incompetence in safety studies into pesticides, drugs, and other
chemicals. The disclosures led to the appointment of a special
federal committee to deal with the health and safety issues
involved.
Judges for the 1981 Michener Award:
Fraser MacDougall, former Canadian Press executive and now executive secretary of the Ontario Press
Council; Bill Boss, former director of public relations at the
University of Ottawa; Emery LeBlanc, former editor of L'Evangeline
and now director of public relations for Via Rail of Montreal; and William
Metcalfe, former managing editor of the Winnipeg Free Press and Ottawa
Journal.
The Michener Award, founded in 1970 by the late Right Honourable
Roland Michener, then Governor-General, goes to a news organization.
The judges’ decisions are heavily influenced by the degree of
public benefit generated by the print and broadcast projects
submitted for consideration. The annual award is open to daily and
weekly newspapers, news agencies, radio and television stations,
networks and periodicals.
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