Jean Pouliot
Encyclopedia
Jean Adélard Pouliot, OC
(June 6, 1923 – August 8, 2004) was a Canadian broadcasting pioneer who helped establish television stations in Kitchener
, Ontario
, and Quebec City
, Quebec
. Pouliot was the President and CEO for the first publicly-traded Quebec broadcasting company, Télé-Capitale, and started two French language networks: TVA
(co-founded with Roland Giguère of Télé-Métropole in 1971), and TQS (Télévision Quatre Saisons)
(launched in 1986).
Pouliot founded CFCF Inc. in 1979 with his purchase of CFCF-TV
, CFCF-AM
, and CFQR-FM
from the Bronfman family
. CFCF Inc. went public in 1985, at which time it also included CF Cable TV
, purchased by Pouliot in 1982. Pouliot was the Chairman and CEO of CFCF Inc. from 1979 to 1993, and remained Chairman until the company was sold to Vidéotron
in 1997.
to mathematician Adrien Pouliot
and Laure Clark.
Pouliot studied at Université Laval
, graduating in 1945 with a degree in electrical engineering, specializing in electronics. He subsequently served as the superintendent of the Canadian Navy Laboratories until 1952. Prime Minister Louis St.-Laurent, impressed on hearing from his son that Pouliot had built Ottawa's only television receiver, recommended to the president of Famous Players Canadian Corporation that Pouliot be enlisted to aid the company in launching television stations in Canada. In 1952, Pouliot's broadcasting career began, as the executive engineer for Famous Players Canadian Corporation. With Famous Players, he studied the feasibility of operating cable TV systems across Canada,
and, in 1954, he oversaw the design and launch of television stations CKCO-TV
in Kitchener
, Ontario
, and CFCM-TV
in Quebec City. CFCM-TV was Quebec's first private television station, owned by Télévision de Québec, a consortium of Famous Players and two AM radio stations, CHRC
and CKCV. CFCM-TV broadcast both CBC
and SRC
programming.
Mr. Pouliot was also President of the flying club Tapis rouge and Quebec Aviation from 1968 to 1976.
, Quebec's second private television station. CKMI-TV became Quebec City's CBC affiliate, and CFCM-TV converted to French language-only broadcasts. The new station was profitable in under a year.
While at Télévision de Québec, Pouliot served from 1961 to 1965 as Vice-President, Television, of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters
(CAB), and as its first francophone president from 1965 to 1967.
In 1971, Télévision de Québec expanded into radio, acquiring CHRC Limitée (CHRC-AM
and CHOI-FM
) and CKLM
Montréal, as well as into movie production, with the purchase of Ciné-Capitale Ltée. In addition, together with Roland Giguère of Télé-Métropole, Pouliot co-founded the French language network TVA
. The company, renamed Télé-Capitale, became the first publicly-traded Quebec broadcaster in 1972, with Jean Pouliot at its head as president, CEO, and major shareholder. From 1971 to 1977, Pouliot was also the president of Broadcast News
.
and CFQR-FM
, television station CFCF-TV
, and production company Champlain Productions from the Bronfman family
, forming CFCF Inc. In 1982, CFCF Inc. purchased CF Cable TV
, which served primarily the western half of the island of Montreal, from the McConnell family. CF Cable acquired other cable systems, such as the Northern Cable
system in Northeastern Ontario
, becoming Canada's fourth-largest cable company at the time.
After having tripled CFCF-TV's advertising sales and increased profitability by a factor of ten, in 1985, CFCF Inc. went public, and CFCF launched a new French language network, TQS (Télévision Quatre Saisons)
, designed to be a "glitzy, high-tech 'metropolitan station'". TQS began broadcasting on September 7, 1986, from CFCF-TV's new Montreal sister station CFJP-TV
("JP" standing for "Jean Pouliot"). The TQS network would later add CFAP-TV
in Quebec City, affiliates in Hull
, Jonquière, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières
, Rouyn-Noranda and Rivière-du-Loup, and a retransmitting station in Rimouski, reaching nearly 90% of the Quebec population.
Télévision Quatre Saisons faced a great deal of growing pains, however, with a Canadian recession depressing advertising revenue, and a difficult task winning viewers from the existing French language networks. By 1990, TQS was the only non-profitable division of CFCF.
In 1993, Pouliot stepped down as CEO, handing over control to his son, Adrien Pouliot, who had been able to stabilize CFCF's financial situation. Jean remained chairman of the board, and continued to work mornings.
With the Global Television Network
planning to enter the Montreal market, in 1997, Pouliot decided to sell CFCF Inc. to Vidéotron
.
Jean Pouliot died on August 8, 2004.
in 1990. In 1992, Pouliot was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and in 1997, Concordia University granted him a Doctorate of Laws "Honoris Causa".
Pouliot supported a number of philanthropic causes, most notably the "Telethon of Stars", first broadcast in English and French on CFCF-TV in 1977, benefiting research into children diseases. After the creation of TQS, the Telethon of Stars was simulcast on CFCF-TV and the TQS network.
Following the sale of CFCF Inc. and the subsequent divestiture of CFCF-TV to a separate owner, although both TQS and CFCF-TV continue to hold the telethon on the first weekend of December, the two broadcasters produce separate telecasts.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(June 6, 1923 – August 8, 2004) was a Canadian broadcasting pioneer who helped establish television stations in Kitchener
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
, 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....
, and Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. Pouliot was the President and CEO for the first publicly-traded Quebec broadcasting company, Télé-Capitale, and started two French language networks: TVA
TVA (TV network)
TVA is a privately owned French language television network in Canada. The network is currently owned by Groupe TVA Inc. , a publicly traded subsidiary of Quebecor Media...
(co-founded with Roland Giguère of Télé-Métropole in 1971), and TQS (Télévision Quatre Saisons)
Tqs
V is a Canadian privately-owned French-language television network. The network has owned-and-operated and affiliated stations existing throughout Quebec, although it can also be seen over-the-air in some bordering markets in the provinces of Ontario and New Brunswick...
(launched in 1986).
Pouliot founded CFCF Inc. in 1979 with his purchase of CFCF-TV
CFCF-TV
CFCF-DT is a CTV-owned and operated station located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
, CFCF-AM
CINW (AM)
CINW was an English language Canadian radio station located in Montreal, Quebec.Owned and operated by Corus Quebec, it broadcasted on 940 kHz with a power of 50,000 watts as a clear channel station, using a slightly directional antenna solely for the purpose of improving reception in downtown...
, and CFQR-FM
CFQR-FM
CKBE-FM is an English language Canadian radio station located in Montreal, Quebec.Owned and operated by Cogeco, it broadcasts on 92.5 MHz with an effective radiated power of 41,400 watts using an omnidirectional antenna...
from the Bronfman family
Bronfman family
The Bronfman family is a Canadian Jewish family. It owes its initial fame to Samuel Bronfman , who made a fortune in the alcoholic distilled beverage business during the 20th century through the family's Seagram Company. The family is of Russian Jewish and Romanian Jewish ancestry...
. CFCF Inc. went public in 1985, at which time it also included CF Cable TV
CF Cable
CF Cable was a Canadian cable company, which served parts of Montreal, Laval and western suburbs on the Island of Montreal. The company was owned by CFCF, a television station in Montreal....
, purchased by Pouliot in 1982. Pouliot was the Chairman and CEO of CFCF Inc. from 1979 to 1993, and remained Chairman until the company was sold to Vidéotron
Vidéotron
Vidéotron GP is a Canadian integrated telecommunications company active in cable television, interactive multimedia development, video on demand, cable telephony, wireless communication and Internet access services. Currently, the company primarily serves Quebec, as well as the francophone...
in 1997.
Early career
Pouliot was born on June 6, 1923 in Quebec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
to mathematician Adrien Pouliot
Adrien Pouliot
Adrien Pouliot, CC was a Canadian mathematician and educator.Born in Île d'Orléans, Quebec, he obtained a B.A. in applied sciences from the École Polytechnique de Montréal in 1919. He helped to create the department of mathematics at Université Laval where he began teaching in 1922...
and Laure Clark.
Pouliot studied at Université Laval
Université Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...
, graduating in 1945 with a degree in electrical engineering, specializing in electronics. He subsequently served as the superintendent of the Canadian Navy Laboratories until 1952. Prime Minister Louis St.-Laurent, impressed on hearing from his son that Pouliot had built Ottawa's only television receiver, recommended to the president of Famous Players Canadian Corporation that Pouliot be enlisted to aid the company in launching television stations in Canada. In 1952, Pouliot's broadcasting career began, as the executive engineer for Famous Players Canadian Corporation. With Famous Players, he studied the feasibility of operating cable TV systems across Canada,
and, in 1954, he oversaw the design and launch of television stations CKCO-TV
CKCO-TV
CKCO-DT is a television station broadcasting on channel 13 in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Owned and operated by Bell Media, it is a part of the CTV Television Network and has been branded CTV Southwestern Ontario since 2005.-History:...
in Kitchener
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
, 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....
, and CFCM-TV
CFCM-TV
CFCM-TV is the TVA owned and operated station in Quebec City. Its studios and transmitter are co-located on Myrand Street in the former suburb of Sainte-Foy...
in Quebec City. CFCM-TV was Quebec's first private television station, owned by Télévision de Québec, a consortium of Famous Players and two AM radio stations, CHRC
CHRC (AM)
CHRC is a French language Canadian radio station located in Quebec City, Quebec. Known as Québec 800, the station has a news/talk/sports format....
and CKCV. CFCM-TV broadcast both 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...
and SRC
Télévision de Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada is a Canadian French language television network. It is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, known in French as Société Radio-Canada. Headquarters are at Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal, which is also home to the network's flagship station, CBFT-DT...
programming.
Mr. Pouliot was also President of the flying club Tapis rouge and Quebec Aviation from 1968 to 1976.
First publicly-traded Quebec broadcaster
In 1957, Pouliot became the general manager of Télévision de Québec, and launched CKMI-TVCKMI-TV
CKMI-DT-1 is the Global Television Network owned-and-operated station in Quebec.Originally a privately owned CBC Television affiliate in Quebec City, the station moved most of its operations to Montreal in 1997 after launching a rebroadcaster there and becoming a Global affiliate as Global Quebec...
, Quebec's second private television station. CKMI-TV became Quebec City's CBC affiliate, and CFCM-TV converted to French language-only broadcasts. The new station was profitable in under a year.
While at Télévision de Québec, Pouliot served from 1961 to 1965 as Vice-President, Television, of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters
Canadian Association of Broadcasters
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters was the national voice of Canada's private broadcasters, representing the vast majority of Canadian programming services, including private radio and television stations, specialty, pay and pay-per-view services....
(CAB), and as its first francophone president from 1965 to 1967.
In 1971, Télévision de Québec expanded into radio, acquiring CHRC Limitée (CHRC-AM
CHRC (AM)
CHRC is a French language Canadian radio station located in Quebec City, Quebec. Known as Québec 800, the station has a news/talk/sports format....
and CHOI-FM
CHOI-FM
CHOI-FM is a French language FM radio station that broadcasts on the frequency 98.1 MHz out of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, with a talk radio format...
) and CKLM
CKLM (defunct)
CKLM was a French-language Canadian radio station located in Laval, Quebec . It operated from 1962 to 1994.The station broadcast on 1570 kHz with a power of 50,000 watts fulltime as a class B station, using a directional antenna with different patterns day and night...
Montréal, as well as into movie production, with the purchase of Ciné-Capitale Ltée. In addition, together with Roland Giguère of Télé-Métropole, Pouliot co-founded the French language network TVA
TVA (TV network)
TVA is a privately owned French language television network in Canada. The network is currently owned by Groupe TVA Inc. , a publicly traded subsidiary of Quebecor Media...
. The company, renamed Télé-Capitale, became the first publicly-traded Quebec broadcaster in 1972, with Jean Pouliot at its head as president, CEO, and major shareholder. From 1971 to 1977, Pouliot was also the president of Broadcast News
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
.
CFCF Inc.
In 1978, Pouliot was forced out of Télé-Capitale, and in the following year, purchased Montreal radio stations CFCF-AMCINW (AM)
CINW was an English language Canadian radio station located in Montreal, Quebec.Owned and operated by Corus Quebec, it broadcasted on 940 kHz with a power of 50,000 watts as a clear channel station, using a slightly directional antenna solely for the purpose of improving reception in downtown...
and CFQR-FM
CFQR-FM
CKBE-FM is an English language Canadian radio station located in Montreal, Quebec.Owned and operated by Cogeco, it broadcasts on 92.5 MHz with an effective radiated power of 41,400 watts using an omnidirectional antenna...
, television station CFCF-TV
CFCF-TV
CFCF-DT is a CTV-owned and operated station located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
, and production company Champlain Productions from the Bronfman family
Bronfman family
The Bronfman family is a Canadian Jewish family. It owes its initial fame to Samuel Bronfman , who made a fortune in the alcoholic distilled beverage business during the 20th century through the family's Seagram Company. The family is of Russian Jewish and Romanian Jewish ancestry...
, forming CFCF Inc. In 1982, CFCF Inc. purchased CF Cable TV
CF Cable
CF Cable was a Canadian cable company, which served parts of Montreal, Laval and western suburbs on the Island of Montreal. The company was owned by CFCF, a television station in Montreal....
, which served primarily the western half of the island of Montreal, from the McConnell family. CF Cable acquired other cable systems, such as the Northern Cable
Northern Cable
Northern Cable was a Canadian cable television provider, which operated from 1972 to 1998.The company, based in Sudbury, Ontario, served most of the Northeastern Ontario region. Although CUC Broadcasting was the largest single shareholder, the company was structured to maintain corporate control...
system in Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and east of Lakes Superior and Huron.Northeastern Ontario consists of the districts of Algoma, Sudbury, Cochrane, Timiskaming, Nipissing and Manitoulin; and the single-tier municipality of Greater...
, becoming Canada's fourth-largest cable company at the time.
After having tripled CFCF-TV's advertising sales and increased profitability by a factor of ten, in 1985, CFCF Inc. went public, and CFCF launched a new French language network, TQS (Télévision Quatre Saisons)
Tqs
V is a Canadian privately-owned French-language television network. The network has owned-and-operated and affiliated stations existing throughout Quebec, although it can also be seen over-the-air in some bordering markets in the provinces of Ontario and New Brunswick...
, designed to be a "glitzy, high-tech 'metropolitan station'". TQS began broadcasting on September 7, 1986, from CFCF-TV's new Montreal sister station CFJP-TV
CFJP-TV
CFJP-DT is the callsign for V's flagship television station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.The station was originally owned by the family of Jean Pouliot, then-owner of CFCF. It was acquired by Cogeco in 2001 concurrently with Cogeco's acquisition of the network...
("JP" standing for "Jean Pouliot"). The TQS network would later add CFAP-TV
CFAP-TV
CFAP-DT is the callsign for the V television station in Quebec City. The station's transmitter is based at Edifice Marie-Guyart in downtown Quebec City....
in Quebec City, affiliates in Hull
Gatineau
Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...
, Jonquière, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
, Rouyn-Noranda and Rivière-du-Loup, and a retransmitting station in Rimouski, reaching nearly 90% of the Quebec population.
Télévision Quatre Saisons faced a great deal of growing pains, however, with a Canadian recession depressing advertising revenue, and a difficult task winning viewers from the existing French language networks. By 1990, TQS was the only non-profitable division of CFCF.
In 1993, Pouliot stepped down as CEO, handing over control to his son, Adrien Pouliot, who had been able to stabilize CFCF's financial situation. Jean remained chairman of the board, and continued to work mornings.
With the Global Television Network
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
planning to enter the Montreal market, in 1997, Pouliot decided to sell CFCF Inc. to Vidéotron
Vidéotron
Vidéotron GP is a Canadian integrated telecommunications company active in cable television, interactive multimedia development, video on demand, cable telephony, wireless communication and Internet access services. Currently, the company primarily serves Quebec, as well as the francophone...
.
Jean Pouliot died on August 8, 2004.
Honours and legacy
Pouliot received the Communications Award in the category of Communications Entrepreneurship from the Quebec government in 1988. Pouliot became an Officer of the Order of CanadaOrder of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 1990. In 1992, Pouliot was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and in 1997, Concordia University granted him a Doctorate of Laws "Honoris Causa".
Pouliot supported a number of philanthropic causes, most notably the "Telethon of Stars", first broadcast in English and French on CFCF-TV in 1977, benefiting research into children diseases. After the creation of TQS, the Telethon of Stars was simulcast on CFCF-TV and the TQS network.
Following the sale of CFCF Inc. and the subsequent divestiture of CFCF-TV to a separate owner, although both TQS and CFCF-TV continue to hold the telethon on the first weekend of December, the two broadcasters produce separate telecasts.