Lyman Potts

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  www.thestar.com/News/Ideas/article/291329 - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 1/6/2008    Last Visited: 1/6/2008  

  Meanwhile the easy-listening genre, and musicians and music fans of all tastes, owe a debt to J. Lyman Potts and his Canadian Talent Library.
  
  Started in 1962 at Montreal's CJAD and transferred the next year to Toronto, when Potts became assistant to the president of Standard Broadcasting (W. C. Thornton Cran, known as "Winks" to his friends), the non-profit Canadian Talent Library was the most important vehicle for Canadian music ever created.While CFRB and CBC had always hired local musicians to perform live on air, practically nothing was available on record.
  
  When the Bureau of Broadcast Governors was created in 1958, Potts, anticipating content regulation such as finally took effect in 1971, remembers thinking: "What the hell are we going to do?
  ...
  "I used to have people calling me wondering where my orchestra was playing," laughs Wilkins, described as "the Nelson Riddle of Canada" by Potts.
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  Potts and his team released more than 260 albums before the CTL merged with the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Records in 1985.That's an achievement, considering this was with a catalogue of chiefly easy-listening records.It wasn't just the stellar musicians involved-"I weep when I hear the talent we had," says Potts-but the success of the Beautiful Music format on radio that made it possible.
  
  "Lyman kept an awful lot of people working," says veteran music writer and radio consultant Larry LeBlanc, 59, who co-founded the music trade publication The Record in 1981.
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  The songs I plugged into the cart machines were often CTL recordings; Banas had phoned up Lyman Potts and asked to borrow the records and Potts had obliged and driven them over.
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  But Potts, now 91 and living in Burlington, a recipient of the Order of Canada, thinks people still want "a song of love . . . a song of inspiration, a song of comfort.Music," he says, "doesn't die at age 50."

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  Arts News Canada: Media and Broadcasting News - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 4/3/2006    Last Visited: 12/6/2006  

  "Don Cameron was a professional, a product of the era that gave us such classic broadcasters as Elwood Glover, Earl Cameron, and Lamont Tilden - men skilled in the art of articulation, men with modulated, quiet dramatic, voices that enabled their listeners to hear every word," said Lyman Potts, retired vice-president of Standard Broadcasting Corporation.

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  Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions |... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 7/19/2004    Last Visited: 12/1/2006  

  A consumers group of which the Executive Director is Mr. J. Lyman Potts, retired.
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  Lyman Potts, V-P, CSCC-SCCCMargot Patterson Canadian Association of Broadcasters

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  Canadian Communications Foundation - Fondation Des... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 1/1/1996    Last Visited: 5/10/2008  

  J. Lyman PottsCanadian Communications Foundation - Fondation Des Communications Canadiennes
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  In 1962, Lyman convinced the Board of Broadcast Governors (BBG), which had taken over the regulation of programming from the CBC, that as a station's support of Canadian talent should be assessed on the amount used in its programs, and that money expended by a station to produce Canadian music programming, whether, live or recorded, should be credited by the BBG in analyzing a station'sperformance.He told the Board that the future of Canadian content was dependent on a large and continuing supply of records by Canadian artists (of which there were few), and that radio station owners, themselves, would have to take the initiative to fund their making.
  
  Supported by Standard Broadcasting's Montreal and Toronto stations, Lyman went on to create the Canadian Talent Library, hiring Canadian musicians in Montreal and Toronto for the production in stereo of the first ten CTL albums.Set-up as a non,profit trust, Lyman invited any and all stations to join with them in expanding CTL as a service to the industry.
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  In 1984, in recognition of his initiatives on behalf of Canadian performers, CARAS (Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences), in association with the annual JUNO AWARDS, presented Lyman Potts with the first new Award of Merit - "For his outstanding contribution to the Canadian Recording Industry".
  
  Previously, in 1978, for his work in broadcasting and Canadian talent, Lyman was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada - the first private broadcaster to be so honoured.Also in 1978, his continuing commitment to the broadcasting industry was recognized by his peers with the Ruth Hancock "Friend of the Industry" award.
  
  He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame (1976) and to the CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame (1987); in 1981 given Honorary Life Membership in the Toronto Musicians Association (A F of M #149).In 2002 he was the recipient of Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee Medal.
  
  Other accomplishments include the conception and establishment in 1966 of Canada's first exclusive broadcaster owned voice news service - Standard Broadcast News - and inspiring the formation in 1953 of the Central Canada Broadcast Engineers Association - an idea which quickly spread to other regions.
  
  From 1994 to 2004, Lyman Potts was Vice-President of the Canadian Communications Foundation, where he played a leading role in the organization and compilation of this website The History of Canadian Broadcasting and continued to act as Co-Editor.

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  Canadian Communications Foundation - Fondation Des... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 11/1/1997    Last Visited: 3/5/2008  

  Written by J. Lyman Potts - November, 1997

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  Canadian Communications Foundation - Fondation Des... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/1/1996    Last Visited: 3/5/2008  

  Written by J. Lyman Potts - March, 1996

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  Canadian Communications Foundation - Fondation Des... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 1/1/1996    Last Visited: 2/24/2005  

  J. Lyman Potts - Co-Editor Canadian Communications Foundation 215 - 2105 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, Ontario, L7R 4Z4
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  Potts, J. Lyman (1916- )
  
  "Lyman Potts, career Broadcaster", born in Regina, made his first radio broadcast in 1932 while still in high school; 1935 announcer with CHWC which shared frequency with CKCK Regina; 1936, the stations merged into CKCK operated by All-Canada Mutually Operated stations (ACMO); 1940 transferred to ACMO operated CKOC Hamilton as Production Manager; 1946 appointed Assistant Manager; 1956 resigned to become Manager of CKSL London, Ontario which he put on air in June 1956; In 1958 moved to CJAD Montreal to assist owner Arthur Dupont in applying for a TV license there; Standard Radio purchased CJAD in 1961; appointed General Manager of CJAD's sister station CJFM - FM which he put on the air in October 1962; 1963 appointed assistant to Standard's President, W. C. Thornton "Winks" Cran in Toronto; 1966, appointed President of new Standard subsidiary Standard Broadcast Productions, an umbrella for the Canadian Talent Library, Standard Broadcast News, program syndication, music publishing; 1970 to 1974, President, Standard Broadcasting Corp. (U.K.) in London England, a consultantancy for applicants for commercial radio licenses in the U. K.; 1981, retired from Standard and formed J. Lyman Potts and Associates, a consultancy for broadcasting, recording, music services and copyright.
  
  In 1962, Lyman convinced the Board of Broadcast Governors which had taken over the regulation of broadcasting from the CBC, that a radio station's support of Canadian musical talent should be assessed on the amount used in its programming, rather than just the money expended.Because there were few, if any, records made by Canadian artists, with funds provided by Standard and supplemented by most of the stations, Lyman produced and developed a "library" of LP recordings (by 1981 - 250 albums) in stereo by top Canadian musicians and vocalists.The project was set-up as a non-profit trust - the Canadian Talent Library (CTL) -with all funds being used solely for the production of records.Over the next two decades, his leadership stimulated a new era in Canadian recordings and made feasible the establishment in 1972, of the Canadian Content Regulations by the BBG's successor, the Canadian Radio-Television Commission, chaired by Pierre Juneau.
  
  CTL was widely acclaimed by talent unions, music publishers, CAPAC, BMI-Canada, the news media and the government.In 1984, in recognition of his initiatives on behalf of Canadian performers, CARAS (Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences), in association with the annual JUNO AWARDS, presented Lyman Potts with the first new Award of Merit - "For his outstanding contribution to the Canadian Recording Industry".
  
  Previously, in 1978, for his work in broadcasting and Canadian talent, Lyman was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada - the first private broadcaster to be so honoured.Also in 1978, his continuing commitment to the broadcasting industry was recognized by his peers with the Ruth Hancock "Friend of the Industry" award.
  
  He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame (1976) and to the CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame (1987); in 1981 given Honorary Life Membership in the Toronto Musicians Association (A F of M #149).In 2002 he was the recipient of Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee Medal.
  
  Other accomplishments include the conception and establishment in 1966 of Canada's first exclusive broadcaster owned voice news service - Standard Broadcast News - and inspiring the formation in 1953 of the Central Canada Broadcast Engineers Association - an idea which quickly spread to other regions.Lyman Potts was for many years Vice-President of the Canadian Communications Foundation, and has played a leading role in organizing and contributing to this History of Canadian Broadcasting, in conjunction with Ryerson Polytechnic University.

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  Canadian Communications Foundation - Fondation Des... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 2/23/2006    Last Visited: 5/10/2008  

  In preparing the application to the BBG, CJAD's Mac McCurdy and Lyman Potts were stopped short when they came to the BBG's question on use of local talent.
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  For many years, Lyman Potts had taken a keen interest in electrically-transcribed program services that originated in the USA.He suggested to "Winks" Cran that CJAD spend its talent money to make stereo records in Montreal.
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  Cran, McCurdy and Potts appeared before the BBG at the CJFM hearing in Quebec City in 1962 and explained how a library of Canadian records could be produced which, on an increasing scale, would bring a measure of Canadian programming throughout the entire broadcast day and throughout Canada. Standard said that it would be willing to share these records with other stations if they, too, would contribute to the talent pool to help make more records There was no profit motive involved.
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  McCurdy and Potts called upon the office of the Montreal Musicians' Association, and were received by the Secretary and a member of the executive.
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  The union was told by McCurdy and Potts that they wished to hire their musicians to make broadcast recordings (in the form of LPs) and that CJAD and CFRB wanted to become signatories to the Transcription Agreement of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.
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  Somewhat stunned by this reaction, McCurdy and Potts set out to convince the two union executives of their sincerity.
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  Potts then wrote to Murdoch, explained the nature of the project, and asked for the needed papers.
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  There was no reply - that is, until after waiting for one month, Potts wrote to Murdoch again, and enclosed a copy of the first letter and allowing for the possibility that it had gone astray.
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  Dashed by this attitude, Potts and McCurdy wondered what to do next.
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  A week later, Potts received a telephone call from an old friend in New York.
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  Potts and Sambrook had first met several years earlier when the latter was General Sales Manager for World Broadcasting System - one of six radio music program libraries in the United States.
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  Lyman Potts selected one track from each of the ten recording sessions and put them on one reel of tape.He made an appointment with Dr. Andrew Stewart, the Chairman of the BBG, to bring the "sample" tape to the BBG's Ottawa office to play it for Dr. Stewart and the two full-time BBG members - Barney Goulet and Carlyle Allison.The three Commissioners expressed their enjoyment of what they had heard.
  
  Potts was anxious that the 12 part-time members of the BBG (representing all parts of Canada from Newfoundland to BC) should also have an opportunity to hear the sample.
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  To introduce CTL to all radio stations in Canada, Lyman Potts produced and sent to every station a recording made up of selections from each disc, together with an explanation of how CTL would operate, and went on to invite their participation.
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  Lyman Potts also convinced Air Canada that their aircraft should carry Canadian performers on their boarding and landing music tapes, pointing out that its international competitors used the people of their country, whereas Air Canada had been using non-Canadian performers.
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  This regulation, which came 10 years after Lyman Potts had shown how Canadian radio could become more Canadian, stimulated further investments in the making of Canadian recordings.New Canadian talent began to emerge, and Canadian records started to appear on popularity charts around the world.
  
  By the time Lyman retired from Standard Broadcasting in 1981, CTL had produced 250 albums.It had given Canadian musicians and singers the opportunity to be heard around the clock, not only in Canada, but in the USA, the UK and other countries, had recorded hundreds of (new) Canadian songs and musical works, and had shown the Canadian Government and its broadcast regulators how Canadian radio could become "Canadian".
  
  In 1985, following the production of its 265th album, the Canadian Talent Library was merged with FACTOR.
  
  For his dedication to the interests of Canadian talent and broadcasting, in 1978, Lyman Potts was inducted as a Member of the Order of Canada. In 1984, at the Juno Award ceremonies, he was presented with the first Special Achievement Award of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) for his outstanding contribution to the Canadian Recording Industry.

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  Canadian Communications Foundation - Fondation Des... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 1/1/1996    Last Visited: 2/24/2005  

  Lyman Potts' interest in radio started in 1922, when as a five-year-old he watched the transmission towers being erected for CKCK on the rooftops of the Regina Leader buildings.His first broadcast on CKCK ten years later led to a lifetime career, first being hired by CKCK after finishing high school, and culminating in his retirement as a Vice-President of Standard Broadcasting in Toronto in 1981.
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  At this point, an approach to the CAB resulted in Ross and Lyman taking over responsibility for the future of the Foundation.
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  Ross agreed to serve as President, and Lyman was named Vice-President.
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  CCF's headquarters were moved from Ottawa to Toronto, and Lyman was able to recruit Peter Searle, a former Vice-President of Standard Broadcasting Corporation, and a practicing Chartered Accountant, to volunteer his services as Secretary-Treasurer.
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  The day-to-day operation of CCF thus was in the hands of Messrs, McCreath, Potts and Searle, with McCreath and Potts also acting as Co-Editors, responsible for all content on the site.
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  The day-to-day operation of CCF thus was in the hands of Messrs, McCreath, Potts and Searle, with McCreath and Potts also acting as Co-Editors, responsible for all content on the site.
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  Lyman started writing biographies of members of CAB's Hall of Fame, while Ross started gathering information on TV.
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  In the early years, Ross and Lyman asked their friends in the industry for help, and over a three-year span collected about $ 50,000, which was used to pay out of pocket expenses.
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  As Co-Editors of the website, Ross McCreath and Lyman Potts have achieved an amazing amount in a comparatively short time, and through their unstinting efforts, a substantial part of Canada's broadcasting history is already available on-line as a unique resource through www.broadcasting-history.ca.
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  Potts, J. Lyman (1916- )
  
  "Lyman Potts, career Broadcaster", born in Regina, made his first radio broadcast in 1932 while still in high school; 1935 announcer with CHWC which shared frequency with CKCK Regina; 1936, the stations merged into CKCK operated by All-Canada Mutually Operated stations (ACMO); 1940 transferred to ACMO operated CKOC Hamilton as Production Manager; 1946 appointed Assistant Manager; 1956 resigned to become Manager of CKSL London, Ontario which he put on air in June 1956; In 1958 moved to CJAD Montreal to assist owner Arthur Dupont in applying for a TV license there; Standard Radio purchased CJAD in 1961; appointed General Manager of CJAD's sister station CJFM - FM which he put on the air in October 1962; 1963 appointed assistant to Standard's President, W. C. Thornton "Winks" Cran in Toronto; 1966, appointed President of new Standard subsidiary Standard Broadcast Productions, an umbrella for the Canadian Talent Library, Standard Broadcast News, program syndication, music publishing; 1970 to 1974, President, Standard Broadcasting Corp. (U.K.) in London England, a consultantancy for applicants for commercial radio licenses in the U. K.; 1981, retired from Standard and formed J. Lyman Potts and Associates, a consultancy for broadcasting, recording, music services and copyright.
  
  In 1962, Lyman convinced the Board of Broadcast Governors which had taken over the regulation of broadcasting from the CBC, that a radio station's support of Canadian musical talent should be assessed on the amount used in its programming, rather than just the money expended.Because there were few, if any, records made by Canadian artists, with funds provided by Standard and supplemented by most of the stations, Lyman produced and developed a "library" of LP recordings (by 1981 - 250 albums) in stereo by top Canadian musicians and vocalists.The project was set-up as a non-profit trust - the Canadian Talent Library (CTL) -with all funds being used solely for the production of records.Over the next two decades, his leadership stimulated a new era in Canadian recordings and made feasible the establishment in 1972, of the Canadian Content Regulations by the BBG's successor, the Canadian Radio-Television Commission, chaired by Pierre Juneau.
  
  CTL was widely acclaimed by talent unions, music publishers, CAPAC, BMI-Canada, the news media and the government.In 1984, in recognition of his initiatives on behalf of Canadian performers, CARAS (Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences), in association with the annual JUNO AWARDS, presented Lyman Potts with the first new Award of Merit - "For his outstanding contribution to the Canadian Recording Industry".
  
  Previously, in 1978, for his work in broadcasting and Canadian talent, Lyman was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada - the first private broadcaster to be so honoured.Also in 1978, his continuing commitment to the broadcasting industry was recognized by his peers with the Ruth Hancock "Friend of the Industry" award.
  
  He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame (1976) and to the CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame (1987); in 1981 given Honorary Life Membership in the Toronto Musicians Association (A F of M #149).In 2002 he was the recipient of Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee Medal.
  
  Other accomplishments include the conception and establishment in 1966 of Canada's first exclusive broadcaster owned voice news service - Standard Broadcast News - and inspiring the formation in 1953 of the Central Canada Broadcast Engineers Association - an idea which quickly spread to other regions.Lyman Potts was for many years Vice-President of the Canadian Communications Foundation, and has played a leading role in organizing and contributing to this History of Canadian Broadcasting, in conjunction with Ryerson Polytechnic University.

• 
  Canadian Communications Foundation - Fondation Des... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 4/1/1996    Last Visited: 3/14/2008  

  CKCK's Lyman Potts who did the 12:30 news in '36 recalls that half the time the machine didn't work and Canadian Pacific Telegraphs would rush their pasted copy by messenger boy which would arrive virtually seconds before air-time, allowing no time for the correcting of mistakes. (6)
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  6. Lyman Potts, Ken Bambrick interview series.National Archives

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