Year Born: 1943
Year of Induction: 2004
Member of CAB Hall of Fame
Moffat, Randy (1943- )
Randy Moffat was born into a broadcasting family and followed his father’s footsteps and made them larger. Lloyd Moffat brought CKY-AM Winnipeg call letters back to life in 1948, after the CBC bought the Manitoba Government Telephone’s CKY and changed it to CBW.
Lloyd Moffat and friends won the first private TV licence in 1960 and in 1963, Randy left his studies at the University of Manitoba to join his father in broadcasting. A year later he became President of the Company when his father died.
At that time the company owned seven radio stations – CKLG-AM & CFOX-FM in Vancouver, CHED-AM in Edmonton, CKXL-AM (later CISS-FM), CHAB-AM Moose Jaw, CKY-AM & CKY-FM (later CITI- FM) Winnipeg and two television stations CKY-TV Winnipeg and CHAB- TV Moose Jaw. The Company’s investment in Winnipeg Videon Inc. continued to expand.
During the next two decades, under Randy’s guidance, the company’s radio empire grew with the addition of CKNG-FM Edmonton, CHFM-FM Calgary and
CJJD-AM Hamilton along with the extension of the Cable TV operation into the
U. S. CKY-TV was their mainstay on the TV side, due to the sale of CHAB-TV Moose Jaw to the CBC.
In the mid 1980s, efforts to obtain new radio licences in Eastern Canada, prompted Randy to reconsider the company’s future course; with TV and Cable TV being the major contributors to the bottom line, it was a difficult decision, one that would take some time to finalize.
The 1990s saw the sale of the radio stations, but Television and the Cable side of the business continued to expand. The TV Specialty Channel –Women’s Television Network was launched in 1995, with Moffat having a majority stake.
In 1997, Moffat sold its 14.3% of the CTV network as the network started to consolidate into one entity. CKY continued to be an affiliate.
New technology, particularly in the cable TV industry was requiring considerable new capital investment and this led Randy to another difficult decision. In 2000 he sold his shares in Winnipeg Videon Inc. to Shaw Communications, leaving the company with just CKY-TV, which was sold to the CTV Network in 2001, bringing to an end a successful 50 year history of leadership in the broadcasting and communications industry.
Known for his modest, unassuming style, Randy can be proud that his employees who worked in an environment where professional and personal development were the order of the day, with many ex-employees commenting that their best years were spent at Moffat. In 1996, Moffat was recognized by Canadian Women in Communications as Employer of the Year.
A leader in his community, Randy has given his time and financial support to many charitable organizations. In 2000, Randy donated $100 million dollars to the Winnipeg Foundation to establish the Moffat Family Fund.
He was awarded the Western Association of Broadcasters’ Honorary Life Membership in 2003.
At the 2004 Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Annual meeting, Randy Moffat was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Written by Ross McCreath – November, 2004