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Jay SwitzerJay Switzer CM (July 11, 1956 – January 29, 2018) was a Canadian television executive, most noted as a longtime senior executive of CHUM Limited.[1] Born in Calgary, Alberta and raised in Lethbridge, he was the son of broadcast executives Israel Switzer and Phyllis Switzer.[1] He had his first job in broadcasting as a weekend switchboard operator for Citytv, and then worked as a cable installer for Maclean-Hunter, a director of television pilots and a research analyst for the Financial Post. He attained an MBA from the University of Western Ontario's Ivey Business School,[2] before rejoining Citytv as director of programming in 1983.[1] In that role, he also oversaw the launch and development of MuchMusic, the first of CHUM's forays into ownership and operation of cable channels.[2] In March 2000, he was named senior vice-president and general manager of the company, before being promoted to president and chief executive officer in 2002.[3] He stepped down in 2007 after CHUM was acquired by CTVglobemedia.[4] He then joined the board of directors of OutTV,[5] and became one of the founding investors in Glassbox Television.[6] In 2011, he was one of the founding partners in the new pay TV film service Hollywood Suite,[7] and joined the board of directors of Shaftesbury Films.[8] He was married to actress Ellen Dubin.[1] He died in Toronto of brain cancer.[9] HonoursHe was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2004.[2] He was named to the Order of Canada in December 2017.[10] In January 2018, just before his death, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television named him as a recipient of its Board of Directors Tribute award, alongside Margaret Atwood, to honour his work in and commitments to the Canadian broadcasting industry.[11] References
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