Collection search - Benson, Thom - Interview

Record information – Brief

1

Benson, Thom - Interview

Item number (ISN):

304305

Hierarchical level:

Item (Accession level)

Date:

1981-12-10

Item number (ISN):

304305

Type of material:

Sound recordings

Found in:

Archives / Film, Video and Sound

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Record information – Details

Fonds/collection:

CARLETON UNIVERSITY: INSTITUTE FOR CANADIAN STUDIES

Accession:

1982-0055

Media:

Sound

Part:

2 of 2

Production date:

1981-12-10

Production company:

Carleton University Institute For Canadian Studies

Production credit:

interviewer, Ross Eaman

Description:

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Ross Eaman interviews Thom Benson, former liaison officer, documentary producer, and administrator for the CBC. Benson discusses: his birth in 1915; his family background and early education; his first job as an announcer for CJRC station; his late night show from St. Charles Ballroom; his CKY Manitoba Summer job; his promotion to regular staff announcer; his entry into the Navy in 1942; his officer training at King's College; his return to CKY in 1945 to become the chief announcer; Ira Dilworth's request that he become regional representative of the International Service for the prairies; his transfer to Ottawa to work as a broadcast liaison officer; his move to Toronto with the International Service; the Communist scare and the campaign against the I.S. in the 1950s; RCMP reports on alleged Communist sympathizers; Ira Dilworth's role in the affair; Benson's responsibilities as a liaison officer; his previous work in production on the prairies; his documentary on Chalk River; the CAMERA CANADA series; Bill Herbert; Bing Wittaker; the Royal Tour of 1939; Bill O'Brien; the advent of television and its production problems; television coverage of royal tours; the development of CBC-TV; exposure of public to American programming; Benson's coverage of the first televised opening of Parliament; Sydney Newman and hockey broadcasts; Benson's works as head of Outside Broadcasts; as head of Features Department; Peter Kelly; Gene Lawrence; Daryl Duke and the documentaries on Canadian rivers; Eugene Hallman and the cancellation of the program on Cuba; the relationship between producers and management; lack of feedback from management to the Features Department; the introduction of colour in documentaries; the CBC production of THE GIFT; freedom of producers; guidelines for production; 13-week series on the Massey Commission; Alphonse Ouimet; the controversy over the cancellation of the radio series PREVIEW COMMENTARY; Ernie Bushnell's involvement in the PREVIEW COMMENTARY controversy; the CBC producers' strike of 1959; and Lister Sinclair's term as CBC Vice-President.~Benson also comments on: the events before the SEVEN DAYS controversy; Reeves Haggan and the Current Affairs Department; tolerance of management toward controversial programming; programming and the journalistic ethic; Haggan's role in the SEVEN DAYS affair; and the Gerda Munsinger affair. <53mn>

Language:

English

Notes:

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1. Recorded in Toronto.

Detailed holdings information:

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Vault ISN:

339655

Format:

SOUND

Location number:

C02922

Number of items:

1

Kind of sound:

R/R

Technical description:

POLY

Made from:

FROM LOANED MATERIAL

Status:

MASTER

Vault ISN:

339656

Format:

SOUND

Location number:

C02923

Number of items:

1

Kind of sound:

R/R

Technical description:

POLY

Made from:

FROM LOANED MATERIAL

Status:

MASTER
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Conditions of access:

Open

Reproduction access:

with permission of Advisory Committee of CBC Oral History Project

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Date modified:: 2024-07-24