Bill Evanov will be posthumously inducted into the Ontario Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame this October.
The Evanov Communications founder and president passed away in March 2020 at age 77.
Nominated by the board, the Ontario Hall of Fame award is annually presented to individuals who’ve demonstrated a commitment to the highest standards of broadcast excellence.
The son of Bulgarian immigrants, whose work ethic he carried with him throughout his career, Evanov started in radio in sales in the late 1960s at Johnny Lombardi’s CHIN-FM in Toronto. Within 18 months he’d been named VP of Sales, going on to spend 13 years with the company.
In 1980, he left for CING-FM Burlington to become station manager. Facing financial difficulties, Evanov and CHIN colleague John Dukelow convinced ownership that they could turn the station’s fortunes around, in exchange for a 35% stake. Evanov was also among a group who purchased partial ownership in what would become ethnic, multi-language station CIAO, the first of what would grow to 19 stations by 2020.
“He stood firm and bucked the trend during an age when independent radio ownership had drastically declined, and where consolidation and concentration of ownership made the large broadcasters larger. It is one thing to operate radio stations, it is another to be successful, especially in major markets where competition is fierce,” reads OAB’s tribute.
“Bill Evanov was a pioneer who learned a strong work ethic from his Bulgarian Canadian heritage. He was a street fighter, a visionary, a loyal friend, a mentor who was at heart kind and shy. His contribution to the Canadian broadcast industry is considerable and his influence will endure. However, his biggest and most important legacy, he would argue, are his children Kristina and Paul whom he loved dearly and to whom he entrusted the continued success of the company, at the helm, steering it into the future.”
Evanov was previously inducted into the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame in 2011.
The Ontario Hall of Fame Award presentation will be held during CONNECTION 2022, at the OAB Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at the Hyatt Luxe Convention Centre in Mississauga.
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