Jean Adelard Pouliot was a Canadian broadcasting pioneer who helped establish television stations in Kitchener, Ontario, and Quebec City, Quebec.
18 Facts About Jean Pouliot
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Jean Pouliot founded CFCF Inc in 1979 with his purchase of CFCF-TV, CFCF-AM, and CFQR-FM from the Bronfman family.
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Jean Pouliot was the Chairman and CEO of CFCF Inc from 1979 to 1993, and remained Chairman until the company was sold to Videotron in 1997.
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Jean Pouliot was born on June 6,1923, in Quebec City to mathematician Adrien Jean Pouliot and Laure Clark.
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Jean Pouliot studied at Universite Laval, graduating in 1945 with a degree in electrical engineering, specializing in electronics.
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Jean Pouliot subsequently served as the superintendent of the Canadian Navy Laboratories until 1952.
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Prime Minister Louis St-Laurent, impressed on hearing from his son that Jean Pouliot had built Ottawa's only television receiver, recommended to the president of Famous Players Canadian Corporation that Jean Pouliot be enlisted to aid the company in launching television stations in Canada.
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In 1952, Jean Pouliot's broadcasting career began, as the executive engineer for Famous Players Canadian Corporation.
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Jean Pouliot was President of the flying club Tapis rouge and Quebec Aviation from 1968 to 1976.
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In 1957, Jean Pouliot became the general manager of Television de Quebec, and launched CKMI-TV, Quebec's second private television station.
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From 1971 to 1977, Jean Pouliot was the president of Broadcast News.
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In 1978, Jean Pouliot was forced out of Tele-Capitale, and in the following year, purchased Montreal radio stations CFCF-AM and CFQR-FM, television station CFCF-TV, and production company Champlain Productions from the Bronfman family, forming CFCF Inc In 1982, CFCF Inc purchased CF Cable TV, which served primarily the western half of the island of Montreal, from the McConnell family.
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In 1993, Jean Pouliot stepped down as CEO, handing over control to his son, Adrien Jean Pouliot, who had been able to stabilize CFCF's financial situation.
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Jean Pouliot remained chairman of the board, and continued to work mornings.
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Jean Pouliot received the Communications Award in the category of Communications Entrepreneurship from the Quebec government in 1988.
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Jean Pouliot became an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1990.
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In 1992, Jean Pouliot was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and in 1997, Concordia University granted him a Doctorate of Laws "Honoris Causa".
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Jean Pouliot supported a number of philanthropic causes, most notably the "Telethon of Stars", first broadcast in English and French on CFCF-TV in 1977, benefiting research into children's diseases.