Earl Cameron (Canadian broadcaster)
Encyclopedia
Earl Cameron was a Canadian
broadcaster and was anchor of CBC
's The National from 1959 to 1966.
Cameron was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
and, as a student, found a summer job at a local radio station, CHAB
. He established a career in broadcasting before joining the main CBC Radio
network in Toronto
in 1944 where he was assigned as reader of the daily CBC National News Bulletin following Lorne Greene
's departure from the CBC as the "Voice of doom". It was Cameron who announced the D-Day
invasion of Normandy
to Canadian listeners. As an announcer his other duties included reading commercials, station identifications and hosting various programs.
During this period CBC followed the example of the BBC
in giving responsibility for reading the news to announcers rather than to journalists, an approach that became entrenched by union regulations.
In 1959, Cameron succeeded Larry Henderson
as the anchor of the CBC Television National News (today known as The National). During the 1960s, managers at CBC News moved towards a philosophy of regarding news announcers as journalists rather than performers. As part of this shift, the news service management put pressure on the announcers union to accept an agreement prohibiting news readers from commercials or accepting outside contracts with ad agencies. Cameron was personally pressured to terminate his outside announcing contracts reading commercials for products such as Crest toothpaste and Rambler automobiles and agreed in 1965 to give up his lucrative ad contracts. However, the next year, Cameron was dropped as the anchor of the National News, due to management's desire to have a professional journalist in the position of news anchor. Cameron was replaced by broadcast journalist Stanley Burke
, although he continued as an announcer on CBC radio and television until his retirement in 1976. One of his duties was as the host of Viewpoint, a nightly five-minute programme which followed The National in which Cameron read letters from viewers.
Eugene Levy
's Earl Camembert
character on SCTV
was named after Earl Cameron, but otherwise bore no resemblance to Cameron -- the name was merely an offhand joke designed to get a laugh from Canadian viewers. (The same is true of SCTV character Floyd Robertson
, played by Joe Flaherty
, who otherwise has no connection with or resemblance to Canadian news anchor Lloyd Robertson
.)
Cameron died in Barrie
, Ontario
on January 13, 2005.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
broadcaster and was anchor of CBC
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...
's The National from 1959 to 1966.
Cameron was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Moose Jaw is a city in south-central Saskatchewan, Canada on the Moose Jaw River. It is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians. It is best known as a retirement and tourist city that serves as a hub to the hundreds of small towns...
and, as a student, found a summer job at a local radio station, CHAB
CHAB (AM)
CHAB is a radio station broadcasting an Oldies format. Licensed to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, it serves south-central Saskatchewan. It first began broadcasting in 1922 at 1200 kHz as 10AB , before moving to 1220 kHz in 1941 and to its current dial position in 1946. The station is currently...
. He established a career in broadcasting before joining the main CBC Radio
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
network in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 1944 where he was assigned as reader of the daily CBC National News Bulletin following Lorne Greene
Lorne Greene
Lorne Greene , was the stage name of Lyon Himan Green, OC, a Canadian actor.His television roles include Ben Cartwright on the western Bonanza, and Commander Adama in the science fiction movie and subsequent TV Series Battlestar Galactica...
's departure from the CBC as the "Voice of doom". It was Cameron who announced the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
invasion of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
to Canadian listeners. As an announcer his other duties included reading commercials, station identifications and hosting various programs.
During this period CBC followed the example of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in giving responsibility for reading the news to announcers rather than to journalists, an approach that became entrenched by union regulations.
In 1959, Cameron succeeded Larry Henderson
Larry Henderson
Larry Henderson was the first regular newsreader on the CBC Television's The National News, later rebranded as The National, from 1954 to 1959. He was born in Montreal....
as the anchor of the CBC Television National News (today known as The National). During the 1960s, managers at CBC News moved towards a philosophy of regarding news announcers as journalists rather than performers. As part of this shift, the news service management put pressure on the announcers union to accept an agreement prohibiting news readers from commercials or accepting outside contracts with ad agencies. Cameron was personally pressured to terminate his outside announcing contracts reading commercials for products such as Crest toothpaste and Rambler automobiles and agreed in 1965 to give up his lucrative ad contracts. However, the next year, Cameron was dropped as the anchor of the National News, due to management's desire to have a professional journalist in the position of news anchor. Cameron was replaced by broadcast journalist Stanley Burke
Stanley Burke
Stanley Burke was a Canadian television journalist. He was the anchor of CBC Television's The National News from 1966 to 1969. The show was renamed The National after he resigned to launch a public campaign on the Biafran civil war....
, although he continued as an announcer on CBC radio and television until his retirement in 1976. One of his duties was as the host of Viewpoint, a nightly five-minute programme which followed The National in which Cameron read letters from viewers.
Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, television director, producer, musician, and writer. He is known for his work in Canadian television series, American movies, and television movies. He is the only actor to have appeared in all eight of the American Pie films, as Noah Levenstein...
's Earl Camembert
Earl Camembert
Earl Camembert is a fictional news reporter and anchorman portrayed by Eugene Levy on the Canadian sketch comedy show SCTV, which aired in the 1970s and 1980s.-Career:...
character on SCTV
Second City Television
Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.- Premise :...
was named after Earl Cameron, but otherwise bore no resemblance to Cameron -- the name was merely an offhand joke designed to get a laugh from Canadian viewers. (The same is true of SCTV character Floyd Robertson
Floyd Robertson
Floyd Robertson is a fictional news anchor and reporter, portrayed by Joe Flaherty on the Canadian sketch comedy series SCTV in the 1970s and 1980s. He was a co-anchor, with Earl Camembert , of the SCTV News...
, played by Joe Flaherty
Joe Flaherty
Joe Flaherty is an American-Canadian actor and comedian. He is best known for his work on the Canadian sketch comedy SCTV, from 1976 to 1984, and as Harold Weir on Freaks and Geeks...
, who otherwise has no connection with or resemblance to Canadian news anchor Lloyd Robertson
Lloyd Robertson
Lloyd Robertson, OC is the currently the co-host of CTV's weekly magazine series, W5. Robertson previously served as the chief anchor and senior editor of CTV's national evening newscast, CTV News with Lloyd Robertson, until September, 2011, when he retired from the CTV National News...
.)
Cameron died in Barrie
Barrie
Barrie may refer to:* Barrie, city in Ontario, Canada* Barrie , Canadian federal electoral district* Barrie , provincial electoral district* Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford, former Canadian electoral district...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
on January 13, 2005.
External links
- Earl Cameron biography from the Museum of Broadcast CommunicationsMuseum of Broadcast CommunicationsThe Museum of Broadcast Communications is an American museum that currently exists exclusively on the Internet and not in any physical capacity. Its stated mission is "to collect, preserve, and present historic and contemporary radio and television content as well as educate, inform and entertain...