Peter Trueman
| Peter Trueman |
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Peter Trueman, O.C. (born 1934) is a Canadian television and radio personality. He is best known for his work for the Global Television Network between 1974 and July 1988. In the 1960s and early 1970s he was a reporter, editor and producer for CBC Television News.
Raised in Sackville and Fredericton, New Brunswick, he was the son of Albert Trueman, an academic and respected arts administrator. Trueman moved into television after working as a reporter for the Montreal Star. He was executive producer of CBC's flagship newscast The National during the FLQ Crisis in 1970. In his memoirs, he recalled being ordered to censor the CBC's coverage of the crisis: "We were to avoid commentary and speculation of all kinds. We were not to use man-on-the-street interviews or shoot film of any public demonstration. We were to air no panel discussions on the October Crisis and were to avoid reporting speculation, particularly speculation about what the government was doing."[1] Trueman also reprimanded reporter Tim Ralfe for his memorable confrontation with Pierre Trudeau on the steps of parliament in which Ralfe debated the Prime Minister asking how far he was willing to go which prompted Trudeau's famous "Just watch me" line.[2] Trueman later apologised for not challenging the CBC's censorship and for reprimanding the reporter saying "I should have given Ralfe a medal.".[3]
As the original anchor for Global News he was well known for his commentaries in the last minutes of each broadcast which he would end by saying "That is not news. But that, too, is reality". He left Global News in 1988 "in disgust" over the declining quality of news coverage at the network. He later joined Vision TV to host a 26-part series called North-South about Canada's relation to the Third World.[4]
Trueman later co-founded CJAI-FM, a new community radio station serving Amherst Island, Ontario.
He most recently hosted Destination Parks with Peter Trueman on the CTV Travel network.
References
- ↑ Peter Trueman, Smoke and Mirrors (McClelland and Stewart), 1980 p. 37
- ↑ CBC Archives: "Just Watch Me", 13 October 1970
- ↑ Wolfe, Morris. "The October Crisis: Deference to Authority". Essays, New & Selected. Grubstreet Books. Retrieved 2006-11-10., originally appeared in Saturday Night, October 1980
- ↑ Canadian Press, "Vision Host Named", September 5, 1988