Year Born: 1923
Year Died: 2014
Year of Induction: 1995
Pioneer – Member of CAB Hall of Fame
Caine, Jean E. (1923-2014)
Latterly chair of the Board of the Golden Horseshoe Radio Network, Jean Caine’s first job with a radio station began at CKOC Hamilton in 1941 when, as Jean Gillard, she joined the staff as a writer.
However, for several years previous, she had free-lanced in the Toronto-Hamilton area in commercials and dramatic roles.
Marriage to Howard Caine, his years in the RCNVR during WW II and raising a family, interrupted her radio career.
However, when Howard obtained his licence for CHWO, Jean joined with him in establishing the new station in the Oakville community.
On Howard’s death in 1967, Jean became president and took over the management of CHWO while training son, Michael, as the station’s next manager.
In 1974, the CRTC granted the Caines a second radio licence to serve the fast-growing nearby municipality of Missssauga. CJMR and CHWO were identified as “The Golden Horseshoe Radio Network’.
On January 1st 2001, CHWO moved from 1250AM , when it beat other applicants for the licence to take over AM740 when CBC Radio 1 moved to FM 99.1 The 1250 AM frequency became CJYE with a Multi-Cultural fomat and CJMY Mississauga took on a Christian format.
For her work in the community, Jean was presented in 1978 with the CCBA Howard Caine Memorial Award, and was the first recipient of the ‘Ability Fund Award’ from the Rehabilitation Council for the Disabled. In 1987, she was named Oakville’s ‘Business Person of the Year’. For several years, Jean was a member of the Board of the Canadian Communications Foundation.
In 1995. Jean Caine was inducted into the CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame.
Jean Caine died on January 8th at the age of 90.
Written by J. Lyman Potts – February, 1996