Barbara Frum
Birthday: Born in 1937-09-08 in Niagara Falls, New York, USA
Deathday: 1992-03-26
Barbara Frum, a revered American-born Canadian journalist, embarked on her career after graduating from the University of Toronto. She contributed as a writer and commentator for CBC radio and various prominent publications like the Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, and Saturday Night magazine. Her journey included co-hosting Toronto's CBC evening news and then co-hosting CBC's "As It Happens," pioneering live connections to global events via telephone. For a decade, she interviewed world leaders and delved into national and international news, earning respect as a distinguished journalist. Frum received numerous accolades, including the National Press Club of Canada Award and the Order of Canada. In 1982, she made history as the first female lead host of CBC Television's groundbreaking show "The Journal," propelling it to become Canada's most-watched newsmagazine program. Frum's tenure with "The Journal" lasted until her passing in 1992 at 54 due to complications from chronic leukemia. Beyond journalism, she was an art collector and gardener, with a notable African art collection displayed at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Married to Murray Frum, she had three children.
TV Credits
Quarterly Report
Character: Host
Barbara Frum helmed a 90-minute public affairs program that delved into national issues, typically airing quarterly. Focusing on topical subjects, the show extensively covered federal-provincial relations, starting with an exploration of the Parti Quebecois and its leader, Rene Levesque, who was elected the previous year. Other episodes scrutinized the energy crisis, unemployment, aboriginal land claims, family dynamics, the West, and Canada's natural resources....
The Way It Is
Character: Co-Host
"The Way It Is," a Sunday night one-hour show, aired from September 1967 to June 1969. Under the executive production of Ross McLean, following the success of similar CBC programs, it attracted up to 60 contributors, aiming to challenge viewers with compelling content. Hosted by John Saywell and Barbara Frum, who honed her interviewing style here, it featured Patrick Watson, Warren Davis, Percy Saltzman, Ken Lefolii, Peter Desbarats, and Moses Znaimer. Segment producers like Perry Rosemond and P...
Barbara Frum
Character: Host
Barbara Frum is a Canadian talk show which aired on CBC Television between October 1974 and July 1975. Barbara Frum interviewed various guests including Michael Magee, Charlotte Gobeil, Paul Rimstead, Allan Fotheringham, and Jack Webster and in the premiere episode her guests included Roman Gralewicz, the President of the Seafarers' International Union, and, for a surprise appearance, Gerda Munsinger, the woman at the centre of a 1966 scandal that involved Cabinet Minister Pierre Sevigny. Aired...
The Journal
Character: Host
"The Journal," a CBC Television current affairs show from 1982 to 1992, aired at 10:22 PM after "The National," delving deeper into news stories through interviews, documentaries, and town hall meetings. This split hour highlighted CBC's tension between news and public affairs units. Hosted initially by Barbara Frum and Mary Lou Finlay, it became Frum's sole hosting gig after the first season until her passing in 1992. Mark Starowicz produced the show, utilizing interview techniques like the "do...
For The Record
Character: Self
For The Record, a series of one-hour and ninety-minute film dramas, started on the series, Performance, as a subseries called Camera ’76. Aired Sundays 9:00-10:00 p.m., January 1977 to 1986. A collection of docudrama-style short stories on diverse but socially relevant (and very Canadian) topics such as unemployment, euthanasia, spousal abuse, televangelists, aboriginal issues, and anglophone-francophone relations. This series attracted most of the 'big name' Canadian actors and directors of th...