Year Born: 1928
Year of Induction: 2006
Pioneer – Member of CAB Hall of Fame
Wedge, Philip “Pip” (1928- )
Pip was born in London, England on December 2nd 1928. After having worked in the music business for several years, first as Business Manager for musician/broadcaster/writer Steve Race, and later as Publicity Manager for Philips Records and Assistant Editor of the New Musical Express, he joined Associated-Rediffusion, the first commercial television station to go on the air in the UK, six months before the station began broadcasting in September 1955. He set up and ran their Music Department for two years, before moving into Light Entertainment production, followed by stints as Assistant Head of Light Entertainment, Acting Head of Light Entertainment and Manager of Children’s Programs.
In 1962, he left A-R to work as a freelance producer/writer, and first came to Canada in 1964 to produce a Canadian version of a British game show series, “Double Your Money“, which was sponsored by Seven-Up and placed on CTV. The series ran on the network in the 1964-1965 broadcast season, and blocks of programs were produced in each of seven CTV affiliate stations across the country.
His work on the series resulted in the Network offering him the job of Executive Producer in Montreal, whence he emigrated in August 1965, and where he was responsible for such series as “B.A. Musical Showcase” (see photo, with guest star Petula Clark and producer/director Ralph Mellanby),”It’s Your Move“, “Words and Music” and “Fractured Phrases“. He also wrote and produced a network special, Expo’s Almost Here”, a prelude to Expo ’67 in Montreal, and acted as Associate Producer for the ten episodes of “W5” that were produced at this highly successful World’s Fair.
He was transferred by CTV to become Executive Producer, Toronto, in August 1967. In 1968 he became Promotion Manager, and was instrumental in the Network receiving several Broadcast Promotion Association awards. In 1970, he added the responsibilities of Director of Development, and for three years worked closely with President Murray Chercover on the development and production of several drama and variety series and specials, which were co-produced with U.S. companies for broadcast both on CTV and in the U.S. He also set up CTV’s first international program sales activity.
In May 1973 he was appointed Vice-President, Programming, a position he held until December 1993. He chaired the Network Program Committee, was responsible for acquisition of all U.S, series, and handled all aspects of the integration of the Network program schedule with the stations’ locally acquired programs. He served on the Board of the Broadcast Executives’ Society in 1979/80, was one of the founding directors of the North American National Broadcasters’ Association in 1978, and became its Chairman for a two-year term in 1983. He represented CTV at meetings of the European Broadcasting Union and the World Conference of Broadcasting Unions over many years, served as a juror at the Golden Rose Festival in Montreux, and was its Vice President in 1971.
He retired from CTV in June 1994, and subsequently did consultancy work for CTV, the CAB and the CCTA. In 2001 he became engaged in research and writing for the Canadian Communications Foundation’s Broadcasting History website, and was named Vice-President of the Foundation in October 2004.
In November 2006, Pip Wedge was inducted into the CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame.
In 2007, Pip became a a National At Large Adjudicator with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, on which he served through September 2016.
In November 2012, Pip was elected President of the Canadian Communications Foundation, and was re-elected for a further year in 2013. On December 31st 2014 he resigned as President of the Foundation, and on January 1st 2015 he became Executive Director of CCF.