Antonio Biamonte, in late December, in Edmonton. Tony started his radio and television career in 1949 as an announcer for CKUA-AM Edmonton. He moved on to CKXL-AM Calgary, and later CFRN-TV and radio in Edmonton, where he worked for over 20 years. One of his career highlights was hosting one of the first television shows to air across the country, “Cross-Canada Barndance” with Gaby Haas, where he also appeared as a sometime vocalist. After retiring from broadcasting in 1973, Biamonte spent 15 years teaching for the Radio and Television Arts program at NAIT, until his second retirement in 1990.
Peter Kaczmarek, 88, on Jan. 20. Kaczmarek immigrated to Manitoba from Poland in 1951. Despite no formal education, the natural artist landed a job as a set designer for CBC Winnipeg in 1955. Building sets for TV and game shows, Kaczmarek had to keep pace with evolving technology that allowed cameras to film in higher quality. Outside his 30-year career with the CBC, he also designed sets for Winnipeg’s Hollow Mug Dinner Theatre, Rainbow Stage, the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Manitoba Opera and Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
