Spencer Wood Caldwell (1909 – December 10, 1983) was a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

broadcasting Broadcasting is the data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), ...

pioneer and the founder of CTV. Amongst his notable achievements are as

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...

of the

Dominion Network The Dominion Network was the second English-language radio network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation from January 1, 1944 to 1962. It consisted of the CBC-owned CJBC (AM), CJBC radio station in Toronto and a series of 34 privately owned ...

, S.W. Caldwell Ltd. (a TV and radio programme and equipment distributor), an advertising agency created to air Canadian advertisements into the broadcasting of

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

TV show '' Westinghouse Playhouse''. Caldwell was one of the first to apply for a television station

licence A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...

to the

Board of Broadcast Governors The Board of Broadcast Governors (BBG) was an arms-length Government of Canada agency. It was created in 1958 by amending the ''Broadcast Act'' to regulate television and radio broadcasting, originally taking over that function from the CBC. T ...

, but was turned down. After being turned down for a television station, Caldwell applied for a licence to create Canada's first private television network. With the licence approved, Caldwell created CTV, Canada's first commercial TV network. Caldwell was the first President of CTV and was inducted into the

Canadian Association of Broadcasters The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) is a trade association representing the interests of commercial radio and television broadcasters in Canada. It is co-located with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council in Ottawa. It was first ...

Hall of Fame. Caldwell was killed in a

road accident A traffic collision, also known as a motor vehicle collision, or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other moving or stationary obstruction, such as a tree, pole or building. Tr ...

with a transport truck near his home in

Caledon, Ontario Caledon (; 2021 Canadian census, 2021 population 76,581) is a town (Ontario), town in the Regional Municipality of Peel in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. The name comes from a shortened form of Caledonia, the Roman name for what is ...

References

External links

BroadCasting History - Spence Caldwell
1909 births 1983 deaths Canadian television executives CTV Television Network people People from Caledon, Ontario Road incident deaths in Canada Accidental deaths in Ontario Businesspeople from Ontario Businesspeople from Saskatchewan Canadian television company founders People from Regina, Saskatchewan {{Canada-business-bio-stub