Year of Induction: 2008
Member of CAB Hall of Fame
Chandrasekar, Jaya ( – )
Jaya Chandrasekar was a true broadcasting pioneer in the field of ethnocultural programming in Canada.
With her husband Shan, Jaya Chandrasekar was a leader in broadcasting first on City TV, then as one of the original producers at CFMT. Jaya then moved to a central role in the Asian Television Network (ATN), which consisted in 2008 of fourteen channels serving Canada’s South Asian community.
As the network’s Executive Vice President and Vice President of Programming, Jaya Chandrasekar was responsible for all of the programming content on these channels. This included a great deal of original Canadian programming, much of which was produced within ATN’s state-of-the-art broadcast and production facilities. As Canada’s South Asian community grew, ATN grew as well, providing the community with news, public affairs, entertainment, and specialized sports programming. This wide selection of programming was the direct result of the leadership and hard work of Jaya Chandrasekar and the members of her team.
Staring in the early 1970s, Jaya hosted a long-running series, Asian Horizons, which was distributed to South Asian communities across Canada.
Over the years, Jaya served as a mentor for a large number of broadcasters and broadcasting professionals, including many from the South Asian community, who got their start and learned their craft at ATN. Jaya Chandrasekar also played a central role in numerous fundraising campaigns for various charities, and received awards and honours for public service.
Throughout her distinguished career, Jaya Chandrasekar set a new standard for excellence in broadcasting, ensuring the highest quality in programming for her audiences, and fulfilling a commitment to community service.
In November 2008, Jaya Chandrasekar was inducted into the CAB Hall of Fame.
Written by Pip Wedge – October, 2008