The Ontario Association of Broadcasters (OAB) Board of Directors has announced former Acadia Broadcasting President Chris Pearson as the 2026 OAB Hall of Fame Award recipient.

The board-nominated honour is annually presented to individuals who have spent the majority of their careers working in private broadcasting and who have demonstrated a commitment to the highest standards of broadcast excellence.

Pearson, whose career spans nearly four decades, started his career as a junior sales rep at Acadia’s CKBW-AM Bridgewater, NS in 1987. He went on to hold progressive sales and leadership roles within the company, including Vice President of Sales, before ultimately being named president in 2016.

“As President of Acadia Broadcasting, Chris led a period of significant growth, including the acquisition and integration of five radio stations, expanding the company from 11 to 16 stations across Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia,” OAB said in a citation. “He helped shape Acadia’s strategic direction through long-term business planning and a leadership philosophy centered on people development, teamwork, and continuous improvement.”

While Pearson retired last December, he remains a strategic advisor to the Acadia Broadcasting board, in addition to serving as the current president of OAB. He also sits on the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) CEO Radio Council, and as Interim Chair of the Commercial Radio News Fund.

“I owe this industry a great deal,” said Pearson, in OAB’s announcement. “It has given me a career beyond anything I could have imagined, the opportunity to collaborate with incredible people, lifelong friendships, and the ability to support my family while serving local communities. I will continue to support this industry for as long as I possibly can.”

Pearson will be formally recognized at the OAB Awards Luncheon on Oct. 29 during OAB’s Connection 2026 conference in Toronto.