Lloyd Robertson, 92, on Aug. 4. Robertson began his broadcasting career in 1952, while still in his teens, as an operator and announcer at CJCS radio in his hometown of Stratford, ON. He went on to join CJOY Guelph in 1953, moving into television a year later with CBC Windsor. That was followed by four years (1956-’60) with CBC Winnipeg and two in Ottawa (1960-’62). By 1970, he had worked his way up to anchor CBC flagship newscast, The National. Frustrated with union rules prohibiting him from writing or editing, Robertson left the public broadcaster after 22 years in 1976, joining CTV News later that fall as co-anchor of CTV National News, alongside Harvey Kirck. He was appointed Chief News Anchor and Senior News Editor in 1983 when Kirck retired. He continued to anchor CTV National News until Sept. 1, 2011, signing off for a final time with his signature “And that’s the kind of day it’s been” at age 77 after 41 years as a national anchor – the longest tenure of any national news anchor in North America. He continued to co-host W5 until 2016. Read more here.
Bill Atanasoff, 73, on Aug. 1. Atanasoff was a Citytv cameraman from the 1970s through the mid-2000s, who was struck by a drunk driver in November 2010, while on assignment. The experienced night shift field cameraman, who was 58 at the time, suffered severe head trauma, a broken neck, broken pelvis and two broken legs in the accident. He was left blind and paralyzed from the neck down. Atanasoff survived his circumstances with dignity, becoming an inspiring beacon of perseverance to friends and colleagues. Listen to this tribute on the Toronto Mike’d podcast here.
Jim Fonger, 69, suddenly on July 25. Fonger began his broadcasting career in 1979 at Telemedia Ontario, engineering Toronto Blue Jays home broadcasts alongside sports broadcaster Tom Cheek and pitcher Early Wynn. In 1982, he joined CFNY-FM as Sales Manager, later rising to the position of Director of Operations. Fonger helped guide the station through a difficult period, making efforts to broaden its audience while heeding a commitment to introduce new music. In 1990, he co-founded Zenox Communications (later DCCI and Telmetrics), leading the company as President and CEO for its first 11 years. Zenox pioneered tech-connected computer applications with telephone networks, laying the groundwork for the modern call-tracking industry. He went into the energy sector in 2011 and from 2024, up until this year, served as President of Rodan Distributed Energy Resources.
Alan Bell-Chambers, 73, on July 18 in Shellbrook, SK. Bell-Chambers was with CTV Saskatoon for over 23 years. He had ascended to the role of News Director, prior to layoffs in October 2001.
