McGregor, William Duncan "Bill"

In an era when it was the prayer of every young broadcaster to end up at Toronto's CFRB, Bill McGregor started there. From 1947 to 1950, he was a radio operator at 'RB learning the trade under the tutelage of Bill Baker. In 1950, he moved down the street and up the dial to Foster Hewitt's new station as Chief Engineer of CKFH. Then in '51, to the CBC where, for two years, he was a TV instructor.

And then, he met Jack Fitzgibbons who, at Famous Players, with his brother Gene, was preparing the startup of Kitchener television station CKCO-TV. He invited Bill to join them. This he did in December 1953 as Operations Manager. CKCO-TV went on the air March 1, 1954.

The licensee company was founded as Central Ontario Television Limited - a partnership of Famous Players, K-W Broadcasting (CKCR-Radio) and Carl Pollock, President of Electrohome Limited. In 1962, the company acquired CKKW-AM, and in 1965 re-established CFCA-FM. In 1980, the corporate name was changed to CAP Productions Limited, and on May 1, 1988 became a division of Electrohome Limited.

During these eventful years, Bill McGregor was promoted from Operations Manager to General Manager - then to Vice-President and General Manager - to President and Director. In 1993, he became Senior Vice-President of Electrohome Limited.

A highlight of Bill's CKCO regime was the expansion of Electrohome Communications service through the acquisition in 1988 of Sunwapta Broadcasting (CFRN-AM-FM-TV) in Edmonton.

Active in broadcasting industy matters, Bill McGregor served with distinction as a President of the Central Canada Broadcasters Association (CCBA), President of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB), Chairman and Director of the CTV Televison Network Ltd., a Director of Electrohome Limited and a Director of Rogers Multi-Media Inc.

Awards include the CAB Broadcaster of the Year (1971), Canada Medal for Community Service (1972), and the CCBA Howard Caine Memorial Award (1977).

In 1990, Bill McGregor was inducted into the CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame.