Legendary Canadian media executive Jay Switzer died on Monday after a brief battle with brain cancer. He was 61.
He died with his family at his side, according to a release from Hollywood Suite, an independent Canadian movie channel he helped found in 2010.
Switzer, whose mother Phyllis Switzer helped found City TV, began his career manning the switchboard for the company at just 16 years of age.
He moved on to become a floor director for the company, helping high school classmates assemble a boxing ring for the station’s “Fight Night” broadcasts. The pay was low ($1.50 an hour) but he earned the honour of cleaning legendary Canadian fighter George Chuvalo’s spit cup.
After university, he returned to City TV as program manager where he eventually helped the station become the first Canadian broadcaster to sell its programming internationally. In 2002, he would become CEO of Chum Channels which included Much Music and Fashion Television.
Switzer was appointed a member of the Order of Canada in December 2017, and will be awarded the Academy Board of Director’s Tribute at the Canadian Screen Awards in March.
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