Marven Nathanson (1926-2008)

Marven Nathanson

Year Born: 1926

Year Died: 2008

Year of Induction: 1990

Pioneer – Member of CAB Hall of Fame

Nathanson, Marven (1926-2008)

Marven Nathanson was born into broadcasting. His father, Nate, a pioneer in Canadian radio, established CJCB-AM in Sydney, Nova Scotia in 1929, CJCB-TV in 1954 and CKPE-FM in 1962.

Marven started to work for Nate at the age of 16, and went on to carve out a distinguished career in both radio and television. At the time of his father’s death in 1966, Marven had chalked up 7 years in CJCB Radio and 12 years in the management of CJCB-TV. He assumed the presidency of Cape Breton Broadcasters Ltd, the licensee of the three radio stations (including a short-wave transmitter) and the TV station with its rebroadcasters at Inverness and Antigonish.

When CJCB-TV was folded into the Atlantic Television System (CJCH-TV Halifax and CKCW-TV Moncton), Marven moved to headquarters in Halifax as Vice-President, Operations, and a Director of the subsidiary ATV companies in Cape Breton and New Brunswick. Under the banner of Celtic Investments Limited, of which he was president, Marven and his brother, Norris, continued as the owners and operators of CJCB-AM and and CKPE-FM for several years.

Marven Nathanson retired in 1990, but continued to reside in Halifax where he served on the executives of a number of Nova Scotia service and social clubs. During his lifetime career in broadcasting, he served as President of the Atlantic Association of Broadcasters, and as Atlantic Region Director on the Board of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters.

In 1990, Marven Nathanson was inducted into the CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame.

Marven Nathanson died in Halifax on September 24th 2008, at the age of 82.

Written by J. Lyman Potts – September, 1996