Bill Matheson
Encyclopedia
Bill Matheson was a Canadian weathercaster born in Lethbridge
, Alberta
, who was a television
weather presenter
with ITV
(now Global Edmonton) in Edmonton
.
as a paratrooper
. After leaving the army a few years later, he received a job with the Transport Department's meteorological branch in 1948. Matheson worked in remote areas as a technician, sampling environmental data until 1954, when a friend told him of a new TV station being built in Lethbridge. He had a popular call-in show on radio called "Phone Bill" on CJOC in Lethbridge which had a huge local following.
He secured a position as the stations' weatherman, despite not owning a television himself. Nonetheless, he remained for almost 20 years. Then, in the 1970s, he was offered a job with ABC
in New York. Matheson returned to Alberta after a little under 2 years; local unions failed to convince him to apply for U.S. Citizenship which he would need to continue his employment at ABC.
As well as being a prominent personality at ITV, Matheson enjoyed strong listenership with CJCA and Bill Jackson until the station folded in 1993. At that time, he moved to 630 CHED
for a solo show. He became known for his frequent attempts to retire (at least 3 separate times) as well as the format of his show, which allowed callers to call in for any particular reason. Matheson once said that his was the only show where people would call in about the numbers on the back of a pack of Chiclets.
Matheson retired from both radio and television in November 1999, and his final forecast on ITV was extravagant. Alongside the regular forecast, there was a quick speech from Matheson, a sendoff from Edmonton Police
Pipe and Drum, as well as two fans who managed to sneak into the studio alongside staff and family. After his retirement the studio retired Matheson's board, which was raised to the rafters.
Claire Martin
often cites Matheson as one of the reasons she went into meteorology in the first place. Though she started off working for Environment Canada
, Matheson convinced her to move into television. She became the evening and weekend forecaster in 1996, and upon Matheson's retirement, she became the permanent forecaster before moving to CBC Television
in 2005.
" or its counterpart, the "Keep your eye on the Idaho High". Matheson was also known to say things such as "gather ye rosebuds, while ye may" to indicate a sudden cooling trend; while storm clouds were called the "darkling shadows on the weather map". These sat alongside "Mother Low", the "Omega Block" and numerous others.
Matheson mentioned the town of Baker Lake, Nunavut
so often that he was eventually invited to visit the town, which he did.
Matheson's daily introduction to the Bill and Bill Show on CJCA:
"We are broadcasting to you from the crystal gondola in the palatial main studios of 930 CJCA in beautiful downtown Edmonton for the education, elucidation, emancipation, enlightenment and mental emolument of the hoi-polloi."
Lethbridge
Lethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, who was a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
weather presenter
Weather forecasting
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a given location. Human beings have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia, and formally since the nineteenth century...
with ITV
CITV-TV
CITV-DT is a television station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Known on air as Global Edmonton, the station is owned by Shaw Media, and is an owned-and-operated station of the Global Television Network. It transmits on channel 13 and cable 8 in Edmonton, and is carried on the Bell TV and Shaw...
(now Global Edmonton) in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
.
Early life
He joined the army at the age of 17 and fought in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as a paratrooper
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
. After leaving the army a few years later, he received a job with the Transport Department's meteorological branch in 1948. Matheson worked in remote areas as a technician, sampling environmental data until 1954, when a friend told him of a new TV station being built in Lethbridge. He had a popular call-in show on radio called "Phone Bill" on CJOC in Lethbridge which had a huge local following.
He secured a position as the stations' weatherman, despite not owning a television himself. Nonetheless, he remained for almost 20 years. Then, in the 1970s, he was offered a job with ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in New York. Matheson returned to Alberta after a little under 2 years; local unions failed to convince him to apply for U.S. Citizenship which he would need to continue his employment at ABC.
Return to Canada
He returned to Alberta and joined Edmonton's CJCA radio station, where, partnered with Bill Jackson, he co-hosted the "Bill-and-Bill" show. Around the time he joined with CJCA, Bill Matheson also joined CITV-TV in Edmonton as its weatherman. Despite advances in technology, Matheson was known for sticking with his felt marker, his weatherboard, and a long pointer which he would bounce on the ground and catch at the end of every forecast. With his flowery language and expressive nature, he earned the "Best Weathercaster in the World" award in 1995.As well as being a prominent personality at ITV, Matheson enjoyed strong listenership with CJCA and Bill Jackson until the station folded in 1993. At that time, he moved to 630 CHED
CHED (AM)
CHED is a talk radio station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, broadcasting at 630 kHz on the AM dial and is owned by Corus Entertainment.The station originally began broadcasting at 1080 AM in 1954, until it moved to its current frequency in 1965....
for a solo show. He became known for his frequent attempts to retire (at least 3 separate times) as well as the format of his show, which allowed callers to call in for any particular reason. Matheson once said that his was the only show where people would call in about the numbers on the back of a pack of Chiclets.
Matheson retired from both radio and television in November 1999, and his final forecast on ITV was extravagant. Alongside the regular forecast, there was a quick speech from Matheson, a sendoff from Edmonton Police
Edmonton Police Service
Edmonton Police Service is the municipal police force for the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.-Organization:The current head of the EPS is Roderick Knecht....
Pipe and Drum, as well as two fans who managed to sneak into the studio alongside staff and family. After his retirement the studio retired Matheson's board, which was raised to the rafters.
Claire Martin
Claire Martin (meteorologist)
Claire Martin BSc is a national television weather presenter with CBC Television in Canada. She is a niece of Barbara Edwards, who in 1974 became the BBC's first female weather presenter in the UK...
often cites Matheson as one of the reasons she went into meteorology in the first place. Though she started off working for Environment Canada
Environment Canada
Environment Canada , legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC) (French: Environnement Canada), legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment...
, Matheson convinced her to move into television. She became the evening and weekend forecaster in 1996, and upon Matheson's retirement, she became the permanent forecaster before moving to CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
in 2005.
Speech
Matheson was well known for his poetic, almost Shakespearean language on air. He widely referred to "that most dreaded of all meteorological phenomena, the Siberian HighSiberian High
The Siberian High is a massive collection of cold or very cold dry air that accumulates on the Eurasian terrain for much of the year. It reaches its greatest size and strength in the winter, when the air temperature near the center of the high-pressure cell or anticyclone is often lower than...
" or its counterpart, the "Keep your eye on the Idaho High". Matheson was also known to say things such as "gather ye rosebuds, while ye may" to indicate a sudden cooling trend; while storm clouds were called the "darkling shadows on the weather map". These sat alongside "Mother Low", the "Omega Block" and numerous others.
Matheson mentioned the town of Baker Lake, Nunavut
Baker Lake, Nunavut
Baker Lake , is a hamlet in the Kivalliq Region, in Nunavut on mainland Canada. Located inland from Hudson Bay, it is near the nation's geographical centre, and is notable for being the Canadian Arctic's sole inland community...
so often that he was eventually invited to visit the town, which he did.
Matheson's daily introduction to the Bill and Bill Show on CJCA:
"We are broadcasting to you from the crystal gondola in the palatial main studios of 930 CJCA in beautiful downtown Edmonton for the education, elucidation, emancipation, enlightenment and mental emolument of the hoi-polloi."
Death
Bill Matheson died of complications from Alzheimers and Parkinsons on September 19th, 2006 in a nursing home at the age of 80. He is survived by two children, three stepchildren, four grandchildren and six step-grandchildren, as well as his second wife.External links
- "Remembering Bill" (Global Edmonton) News Hour Top Story on Tuesday, September 19, 2006.
- "City's weatherman for all seasons dies at 80" (Edmonton JournalEdmonton JournalThe Edmonton Journal is a daily newspaper in Edmonton, Alberta. It is part of the Postmedia Network.-History:The Journal was founded in 1903 by three local businessmen — John Macpherson, Arthur Moore and J.W. Cunningham — as a rival to Alberta's first newspaper, the 23-year-old...
) - "He was 'hilarious'" (Edmonton SunEdmonton SunThe Edmonton Sun is a daily newspaper published in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is a division of Sun Media, a Quebecor company.It began publishing in 1978 and shares many characteristics typical of Sun Media tabloids, including an emphasis on local news stories, its conservative editorial stance,...
)