Article

Joseph-Alphonse Ouimet

Published Online September 8, 2008

Last Edited September 24, 2014

Joseph-Alphonse Ouimet, engineer, CBC president (b at Montréal 12 June 1908; d there 20 Dec 1988). Educated at Université de Montréal and McGill, Ouimet worked for a firm developing television and built a prototype TV receiver in 1932.

Joseph-Alphonse Ouimet

Joseph-Alphonse Ouimet, engineer, CBC president (b at Montréal 12 June 1908; d there 20 Dec 1988). Educated at Université de Montréal and McGill, Ouimet worked for a firm developing television and built a prototype TV receiver in 1932. He joined the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission, later the CBC, in 1934 and as chief engineer from 1948 was responsible for the creation of Canadian TV broadcasting. He became general manager of the CBC in 1953 and president in 1958; under his leadership the national television service was established from coast to coast and in both languages. BROADCASTING legislation was politically contentious during this period and Ouimet resigned in 1967, after Secretary of State Judy LAMARSH criticized the CBC's "rotten management." He was chairman of the board of Telesat Canada 1969-80. Among other awards he was appointed Companion to the Order of Canada in 1969 and received the McNaughton Medal for public service in 1972.