Betty Kennedy

Betty Kennedy, OC (born January 4, 1926) is a Canadian broadcaster, journalist, author, and retired Senator, who is best known as a panelist on the CBC television show Front Page Challenge (1962–1995).

From 1959 until 1986, she was a public affairs editor with the Toronto radio station CFRB.

She wrote two books: Gerhard (1975) and Hurricane Hazel (1979). Ms. Kennedy also had a vital career as an Executive Producer for television. Her series, Insight with Betty Kennedy, aired on TV Ontario (OECA) during the early seventies. Robert Gardner, who worked with Ms. Kennedy as a studio director on the series, said of her: "She was remarkable. We would tape five half hour interviews live-to-tape in a single day. She would prep each of the sessions with very prominent guests and would flawlessly interview them. Often there was only a space of fifteen minutes between each program. There were no re-takes and not a single chance for error." She also executive-produced Leave this Not to Cain (narrated by Pierre Berton), This Vibrant Land, and she hosted An Eye for Eternity (the international fine arts exhibition at Montreal).

She was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien on June 20, 2000. She retired less than six months later on her 75th birthday.

Honours

• In 1982 she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.
• In 1983, she was elected to the Canadian News Hall of Fame.
• In 1992, she was elected to the Canadian Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
• In 1998, she was made a Serving Sister in the Venerable Order of Saint John

References

• Betty Kennedy – Parliament of Canada biography
• "Kennedy, Betty (1926- )". Canadian Communications Foundation. Retrieved February 13, 2005.
• "APPOINTMENTS TO THE SENATE". Privy Council Office. Retrieved February 13, 2005.
• "CBC Digital Archives". Betty Kennedy, Reporter and Panellist. Retrieved December 2, 2009.