Year Born: 1946
Year of Induction: 1994
Pioneer – Member of CAB Hall of Fame
Duffy, Michael D. “Mike” (1946- )
While Charlottetown-born Mike Duffy was in grade 9, he used to spin records for “Club 62” on CFCY-TV, and wrote “Platter Chatter” for the Charlottetown newspaper. His first radio job was with CKDH Amherst in the mid 60s, followed by a stint at CHNS Halifax. He covered city hall, the legislature and in 1967, Robert Stanfield’s successful run for the PC party leadership. That dramatic convention at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens gave him his love of federal politics.
In 1969, Mike canvassed all the radio and TV stations in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa, looking for a job as a reporter. A few months later, he accepted a position with Bert Cannings at CFCF, the CTV affiliate in Montreal. Duff wasn’t hired as a reporter, but as a lineup and assignment editor. However, politics was in his blood, and in 1971 he took a 1/3rd cut in pay and moved to CHUM’s CFRA in Ottawa. Within a year, he was assigned to cover Parliament Hill for the “Contemporary News” service which served the CHUM Group of radio stations.
Mike joined the CBC Radio News Parliament Hill bureau in 1974, and switched to TV on The National in 1977. In 1986 he won an ACTRA Award for live television reporting, for his coverage of a terrorist attack on the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa.
In 1988, he joined Baton Broadcasting Inc as the first host on its new national Sunday morning news program – Sunday Edition – a one-hour series which ran for eleven years, during which time Baton metamorphosed into CTV Inc.. As the series ended in 1999, CTV’s News One cable channel – whch had launched in 1997 – was renamed CTV Newsnet, and Mike was appointed as its Ottawa Editor. In this capacity he appeared daily reporting from Parliament Hill, as well as continuing to provide his shrewd political commentary from the Hill for both CTV National News and local affiliate newscasts.
Over tbe years, Mike broke many stories, won several awards and covered a few wars. In 1990 he was honoured by the University of P.E.I. with an Honorary Doctorate, and received a similar award from Niagara University in Niagara Falls NY, in 1997.
In 1994, Mike Duffy was inducted into the CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame.
On December 2nd 2008, the PMO announced that Michael Duffy had been appointed to fill one of eighteen vacancies in the Canadian Senate.
On July 17, 2014 Senator Mike Duffy was charged with 31 criminal offenses including fraud, breach of trust and bribery, in connection with his senatorial expenses. He pleaded not guilty, and on April 21, 2016 he was acquitted on all 31 charges.