Moses Znaimer

2005 Lifetime Artistic Achievement (Screens and Voices (formerly Broadcasting and Film))

In a career spanning over three decades, Moses Znaimer has dramatically transformed television content, format and style. He is known to the international broadcasting community for his unique Participatory and Interactive Streetfront, Studioless Television Operating System™. As a producer, director, presenter, and especially as a creator of channels, he has revitalized the industry, bringing an original drive in television and allied communications arts into comfortable alignment with the practical demands of commerce.

Mr. Znaimer was born in Kulab, Tajikistan, and arrived in Montreal as a Displaced Person (DP) in 1948. He is the co-founder and former President and Executive Producer of Citytv (Toronto and Vancouver); MuchMusic; MusiquePlus; MuchMoreMusic; MusiMax; Bravo! - Canada's NewStyleArtsChannel; SPACE: The Imagination Station; CablePulse24; Star! - The Entertainment Information Station; FashionTelevision: The Channel; SexTV: The Channel; and the "NewNet" group of stations. He was also founding Chairman/Executive Producer of the ACCESS Media Group, comprising ACCESS: The Education Station; Canadian Learning Television: Television That Teaches; BookTelevision: The Channel; CourtTV Canada; The Learning Annex, Canada; and the annual ideaCity Conference.

His Speakers Corner™ concept and his innovations in televised diversity, videography and on-air "look and feel" have achieved widespread recognition and use throughout the broadcast world. Internationally, he licensed MuchaMusica, a Spanish language pop music joint venture seen in Argentina and other parts of South America; Jyrki in Finland; Citytv Bogotá in Colombia; and Citytv Barcelona in Catalunia, Spain.

His MZTV Museum of Television has amassed probably the largest collection of vintage TV sets in the world, encompassing 70 years of North American visual devices and associated popular culture.

Awards and honours include Apple Computers' Hakone Impact Award for pioneering and championing Interactivity and NewMedia; the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' 1998 Gold Ribbon; and several awards recognizing his leadership in the field of race relations and multicultural representation on air and in the workforce. Moses Znaimer holds honorary doctorates from three Canadian universities, and was inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame in 2004.