Year Born: 1946
Year Died: 2012
Year of Induction: 2006
Member of CAB Hall of Fame
Gourd, Alain (1946-2012)
After receiving a law degree and a Master of Philosophy from the University of Ottawa, Alain Gourd became a professor in the Faculty of Philosophy and the Faculty of Law in the same university, from 1969 to 1972. He was called to the Quebec Bar in 1971.
After practising law in a private law firm for a year, Alain began his career in the family broadcasting business in Rouyn-Noranda, in Northwest Quebec, upon being appointed President and CEO of Radio-Nord, in 1973.
He left Radio-Nord in 1981 to become President and CEO of Radiomutuel, as well as Vice-President of Corporation Civitas.
In 1982, he left Radiomutuel to become Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, then Deputy Minister, at the Federal Department of Communications, successively working with Ministers Marcel Masse, Flora MacDonald and Perrin Beatty, where until 1992 he participated in the development of several policies dealing with communications and Canadian culture. In 1992, he became Deputy Minister of Public Affairs at the Federal-Provincial Relations Office.
Between 1992 and 1994, Alain was the Associate Secretary to the Cabinet and Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council.
In 1994, he returned to the private sector as President and CEO of Cancom, and then held the same position at Bell Satellite Services from 1998 to 1999. From 1999 to 2001, he was Chairman and CEO of Bell ExpressVu and President and CEO of BCE Media. Between 2001 and 2004, he was Executive Vice-President Corporate at Bell Globemedia, with responsibilities that included government and regulatory affairs.
Alain was a dynamic presence in his capacity as member of several committees and boards of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB), in particular as Chair of the Television Board in the early 1980s, as well as Chairman of the Board of the CAB in 2003 and 2004. From 1976 to 1978, he was also successively a member of the Board of Directors, a member of the executive committee, Vice-President and then President of the Association canadienne de la radio et de la télévision de langue française (ACRTF).
In addition to his work in broadcasting and communications, Alain sat on the Board of Directors of numerous non-profit organizations, including the Banff Television Festival Foundation, the Canadian Broadcasting Museum Foundation, the Canadian Film Centre, Chair of the Hexagram (Institute for Research / Creation in Media Arts and Technologies), Chair of the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada, the International Institute of Communications (London), where he was Chair (1991-1994), the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada, where he was also President, the Canadian Museum Construction Corporation, the Conseil régional de développement de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue, where he was President, and the Conseil de presse du Québec.
He also sat as a Director at the University of Ottawa and was Chairman of the Board at the Université du Québec en Outaouais.
He was also Chairman of Telesat Canada, a Director of Regional Cablesystems, a member of the executive committee of the TVA Network and Vice Chairman at Télévision Quatre-Saisons (TQS), in Montreal.
In 2004, Alain launched Alain Gourd Communications Inc. in Gatineau, a consulting firm specializing in strategic, regulatory and government affairs.
In 2005, he was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the Université du Québec en Outaouais, for his volunteer work in the fields of education and the battle against cancer as well as to honour all his career achievements
Alain Gourd was inducted into the CAB Hall of Fame in 2006.
Alan Gourd died on December 8th 2012.
Written by Pip Wedge – November, 2006