John Bassett
Encyclopedia : J : JO : JOH : John Bassett
John White Hughes Bassett, PC , CC , O.Ont (August 25, 1915 – April 27, 1998) was a Canadian publisher and media baron.
Born in Ottawa, Ontario, he was the son of John Bassett (1886-1958), publisher of the Montreal Gazette, and Margaret Avery. Bassett attended Ashbury College and graduated from Bishop's University with a BA in 1936. He became a reporter for the Toronto Globe and Mail.
After fighting with the Army in World War II, Bassett ran unsuccessfully for the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, in the 1945 Canadian election in the riding of Sherbrooke. He lost to the Liberal candidate, Maurice Gingues. He also ran in the 1962 election in the riding of Spadina. He lost again to the Liberal candidate, Perry Ryan.
His first experience in newspaper ownership was with the Sherbrooke Daily Record, which he bought from his father. In 1952, Bassett purchased part ownership of the Toronto Telegram. In 1960, he founded Baton Broadcasting to run Toronto's first commercial television station, CFTO. From 1957 until 1979, Bassett was the owner of the Toronto Argonauts, a team in the Canadian Football League. In the 1970's his son John Frederick was also the owner of the Toronto Toros, a hockey team in the World Hockey Association.
In 1989, he was appointed, for a three-year term, Chairman of the Security Intelligence Review Committee, an independent body that reports to the Parliament of Canada on the operations of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Due to the requirements under the Official Secrets Act, Bassett was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada.
He married Isabel Bassett in 1970.
Bassett had six children : John Frederick, Doug and David from an earlier marriage and Avery, Sarah and Matthew from his marriage to Isabel. Former tennis star Carling Bassett-Seguso is the daughter of John Frederick Bassett.
Honours
- 1985 - he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.
- 1988 - he was appointed to the Order of Ontario.
- 1989 - he was appointed to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada.
- 1992 - he was promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada.
- 2000 - he was inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame.
- 2003 - he was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.
External links
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