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charlene · 12-12-2018, 02:27 PM

part 2 -
In 1940, he went to Hamilton as production manager of radio station CKOC. He was delighted to be making $125 a month. Once again he did everything, working as an announcer, traffic manager and program director. One night when there was a fire at the Woolworth’s store in Hamilton, he hooked up a primitive relay and broadcast live, at first from a payphone then from an apartment across the street from the fire.

In 1955, he was hired by a Toronto lawyer and a London, Ont., insurance executive to start a radio station from scratch in London. Mr. Potts successfully opened and ran CKSL.

His next stop was Montreal, where he worked for CJAD. The station was soon bought by Standard Broadcasting, which owned CFRB in Toronto and was part of the Argus empire run by E.P. Taylor and Bud McDougald.

In 1963, he moved to Toronto to work for the chief executive of Standard Broadcasting, a rather formidable Englishman by the name W. Thornton Cran. Mr. Cran’s wife liked to give new hires the once-over so she invited Mr. Potts for dinner, and served him kidneys. He couldn’t stand them but ate them anyway and passed muster.

His jobs included overseeing the operation of FM radio stations. In 1966, he organized the first private radio news network, Standard Broadcast News, using reporters and announcers from stations across the country to put together a national news service.

One of his key jobs at Standard was helping write presentations for Mr. Cran to present to the broadcast regulator, the BBG. Keeping the regulators happy was one of the reasons for starting the vast library of Canadian recorded music.

Prime Minister John Diefenbaker created the BBG in 1958. Up until then, the CBC had been the regulator. One of the first appointments was Mabel McConnell, Mr. Diefenbaker’s dentist from Prince Albert, Sask.

“None of these people knew anything at all about broadcasting,” Mr. Potts said. “Along with Diefenbaker’s dentist was the head of the Potato Board in Prince Edward Island. It was all political.”

However, Mr. Potts had a lot of time for Andrew Stewart, the head of the BBG.

It was while he was at Standard Broadcasting that he started the Canadian Talent Library. His skills as a diplomat with the BBG convinced Standard to post him to London, where Standard was working with companies that were trying to set up the first private radio stations in Britain.

When he left the radio business in 1981, he was president of Standard Broadcast Productions and a vice-president of Standard Broadcasting. He then started his own consulting business and kept active in broadcasting for another two decades.

In retirement, Mr. Potts archived the history of the early days of radio broadcasting in Canada. He helped establish a website, The History of Canadian Broadcasting, and wrote many of its entries. He was a walking encyclopedia of the history of radio and television in Canada.

Mr. Potts’s mind was razor sharp. His brain seemed like a computer hard drive, and well into his 90s he could recall the most extraordinary pieces of information without any hesitation.

A diminutive man, he kept the booming voice of an old-fashioned radio announcer all his life. He loved to talk. As Mac McCurdy, his boss at CJAD and Standard Broadcasting used to say, “Ask Lyman a short question and you get a long answer.”

He also kept broadcasting – or at least programming.

Mr. Potts once lent part of his Canadian Talent Library, about 100 records, to a man who had started a radio station in Winnipeg. To repay the favour the man sent back CDs of the records he transferred. At the retirement home where he lived in Burlington, Ont., Mr. Potts organized the music program for the place, programming his CDs every day the way he once programmed radio stations.

His wife, Michelle, suffered from Alzheimer’s and in the last few years of her life lived in an intensive-care home. Mr. Potts would visit her every day and for a long time he read her the newspaper or chatted with her while they watched television.

Mr. Potts died in Burlington on Dec. 9. He leaves his brother, Jack, and his son, Joel.

12-12-2018, 02:27 PM	#3
charlene Moderator Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 16,001	Re: CANADIAN TALENT LIBRARY recording part 2 - In 1940, he went to Hamilton as production manager of radio station CKOC. He was delighted to be making $125 a month. Once again he did everything, working as an announcer, traffic manager and program director. One night when there was a fire at the Woolworth’s store in Hamilton, he hooked up a primitive relay and broadcast live, at first from a payphone then from an apartment across the street from the fire. In 1955, he was hired by a Toronto lawyer and a London, Ont., insurance executive to start a radio station from scratch in London. Mr. Potts successfully opened and ran CKSL. His next stop was Montreal, where he worked for CJAD. The station was soon bought by Standard Broadcasting, which owned CFRB in Toronto and was part of the Argus empire run by E.P. Taylor and Bud McDougald. In 1963, he moved to Toronto to work for the chief executive of Standard Broadcasting, a rather formidable Englishman by the name W. Thornton Cran. Mr. Cran’s wife liked to give new hires the once-over so she invited Mr. Potts for dinner, and served him kidneys. He couldn’t stand them but ate them anyway and passed muster. His jobs included overseeing the operation of FM radio stations. In 1966, he organized the first private radio news network, Standard Broadcast News, using reporters and announcers from stations across the country to put together a national news service. One of his key jobs at Standard was helping write presentations for Mr. Cran to present to the broadcast regulator, the BBG. Keeping the regulators happy was one of the reasons for starting the vast library of Canadian recorded music. Prime Minister John Diefenbaker created the BBG in 1958. Up until then, the CBC had been the regulator. One of the first appointments was Mabel McConnell, Mr. Diefenbaker’s dentist from Prince Albert, Sask. “None of these people knew anything at all about broadcasting,” Mr. Potts said. “Along with Diefenbaker’s dentist was the head of the Potato Board in Prince Edward Island. It was all political.” However, Mr. Potts had a lot of time for Andrew Stewart, the head of the BBG. It was while he was at Standard Broadcasting that he started the Canadian Talent Library. His skills as a diplomat with the BBG convinced Standard to post him to London, where Standard was working with companies that were trying to set up the first private radio stations in Britain. When he left the radio business in 1981, he was president of Standard Broadcast Productions and a vice-president of Standard Broadcasting. He then started his own consulting business and kept active in broadcasting for another two decades. In retirement, Mr. Potts archived the history of the early days of radio broadcasting in Canada. He helped establish a website, The History of Canadian Broadcasting, and wrote many of its entries. He was a walking encyclopedia of the history of radio and television in Canada. Mr. Potts’s mind was razor sharp. His brain seemed like a computer hard drive, and well into his 90s he could recall the most extraordinary pieces of information without any hesitation. A diminutive man, he kept the booming voice of an old-fashioned radio announcer all his life. He loved to talk. As Mac McCurdy, his boss at CJAD and Standard Broadcasting used to say, “Ask Lyman a short question and you get a long answer.” He also kept broadcasting – or at least programming. Mr. Potts once lent part of his Canadian Talent Library, about 100 records, to a man who had started a radio station in Winnipeg. To repay the favour the man sent back CDs of the records he transferred. At the retirement home where he lived in Burlington, Ont., Mr. Potts organized the music program for the place, programming his CDs every day the way he once programmed radio stations. His wife, Michelle, suffered from Alzheimer’s and in the last few years of her life lived in an intensive-care home. Mr. Potts would visit her every day and for a long time he read her the newspaper or chatted with her while they watched television. Mr. Potts died in Burlington on Dec. 9. He leaves his brother, Jack, and his son, Joel.