8th ACTRA Awards

Date

April 4, 1979

Hosted by

Gordon Pinsent, Don Harron

Highlights

Best TV Program

A Gift to Last

Best Radio Program

The Other Self

Television/radio coverage

Network

CBC Television

← 7th ·

ACTRA Awards

· 9th →

The 8th ACTRA Awards were presented on April 4, 1979.^[1] The ceremony was hosted by Gordon Pinsent for television categories, and Don Harron for radio categories.^[1]

Television

Best Television Program	Earle Grey Award
A Gift to Last^[2] The Champions^[3] Tyler^[3]	Helen Burns, Catsplay^[2] Robin Gammell, The Jesus Trial^[3] R. H. Thomson, Tyler^[3]
Best Continuing TV Performance	Best Supporting TV Performance
Gordon Pinsent, A Gift to Last^[2] Ruth Springford, A Gift to Last^[3] Al Waxman, King of Kensington^[3]	Murray Westgate, Tyler^[2] Donald Davis, The Newcomers: "1832"^[3] Moya Fenwick, Catsplay^[3]
Best TV Variety Performance	Best Television Host
Brian McKay, Clowns^[2] Patsy Gallant, The Patsy Gallant Show^[3] Rich Little, Rich Little's Christmas Carol^[3]	Roy Bonisteel, Man Alive^[2] Hana Gartner, Take 30^[3] Brian Linehan, City Lights^[3]
Best Television Public Affairs Broadcaster	Best Children's Television Program
*Eric Malling, The Fifth Estate: "Law for Sale"^[2] Roy Bonisteel, Man Alive^[3] Adrienne Clarkson, The Fifth Estate*^[3]	Pencil Box^[2] Encounter with Orion^[3] The Friendly Giant^[4]
Best Writing, Television Drama	Best Writing, Television Comedy/Variety
Roy MacGregor, Tyler^[2] Carol Bolt, One Night Stand^[3] Charles Israel and George Ryga, The Newcomers: "1927"^[3]	Jeri Craden, Rob Iscove and Peter Mann, Clowns^[2] Benjamin Gordon and Lorne Frohman, The Rimshots^[3] Johnny Wayne, Frank Shuster, Ted Lonsdale and Kate Lonsdale, Wayne and Shuster^[3]
Best Writing, Documentary
*John Kastner, The Fifth Estate: "Four Women"^[2] Eric Malling, The Fifth Estate^[3] Harry Rasky, The Peking Man*^[3]

Radio

Best Radio Program	Best Radio Host
The Other Self^[2] Signature: "McCarthyism and the Arts"^[3] Sunday Morning: "Operation White Knight"^[3]	Warren Davis, Panning for Gold^[2] Don Harron, Morningside^[3] Betty Kennedy, The Betty Kennedy Show^[3]
Best Radio Actor	Best Radio Variety Performance
Ruth Springford, The Other Self^[2] Marilyn Lightstone, The Other Self^[3] Florence Paterson, A Place to Come Back To^[3]	Gay Claitman, Robert Cameron and Nancy White, Lies My Mother Told Me^[2] Dave Broadfoot, Royal Canadian Air Farce^[3] Nancy White, Sunday Morning^[3]
Best Radio Public Affairs Broadcaster	Best Writing, Radio Drama
*Terence McKenna, Sunday Morning: "Regina v Roberts"^[2] Arthur Cole, Gordon Sinclair and Betty Kennedy, Let's Discuss It^[3] Barbara Frum and Alan Maitland, As It Happens*^[3]	Tom Gallant, Darlin' Dolly^[2] Margaret Atwood, Estelle^[3] Marian Waldman, Beth and Rosamund^[3]
Best Writing, Radio Variety	Best Writing, Radio Documentary
Gay Claitman and Nancy White, Lies My Mother Told Me^[2] Roger Abbott, Dave Broadfoot, Martin Bronstein, Don Ferguson and John Morgan, Royal Canadian Air Farce^[3] W.O. Mitchell, Live at the St. Lawrence^[3]	*Terence McKenna and Stuart McLean, Sunday Morning: "Operation White Knight"^[2] Robert Harris and Bob McKeown, Muhammad Ali^[3] Rob Lucy and Jay Mowat, Albert Establishment*^[3]

Journalism and special awards

Gordon Sinclair Award	Foster Hewitt Award
Barbara Frum, As It Happens^[2] Robert Cooper, Ombudsman^[3] John Robertson and Mike Allder, 24 Hours^[3]	Brian Williams^[2] Ernie Afaganis^[3] Dave Hodge^[3]
John Drainie Award
Ruth Springford^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b "CBC sweeps ACTRA Awards". North Bay Nugget, April 5, 1979.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v "List of winners". North Bay Nugget, April 5, 1979.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao "Front-runners picked for ACTRA Awards". Montreal Star, March 24, 1979.
^ The initial Canadian Press article reporting the winners erroneously identified The Friendly Giant as a co-winner in this category alongside Pencil Box; however, a correction was subsequently published indicating that Pencil Box was the sole winner.

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