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FRANK RATCLIFFE MEMORIAL AWARD
for Communications
Nancy Lee - Executive Director, CBC TV Sports
Nominated by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity
For years Nancy Lee laboured behind the scenes at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, first in Radio Sports and then in television - effective but unsung. Even today, making waves one year into her appointment as executive director of CBC TV Sports, hers is not a household name, nor do young girls seek her autograph. Yet.
It could happen, and soon. In The Globe and Mail's feature "The top 25 in Canadian sports," there was Lee, nicely positioned in number 10 spot, ahead of such newsmakers as golfer Lori Kane and Paul Beeston, president and chief operating officer of major league baseball.
Just what has the very tough, very determined, very equality minded Lee been up to since her promotion? For one thing, she is doing business differently. "Now that we've established ourselves as executives, the big challenge is getting women on TV where they'll be seen," she says. One way is to acquire women's sports, and Lee persuaded IMG to develop the Nation's Cup spotlighting women's professional golf. She was behind the acquisition of women's tennis with a three-year deal for the Canadian Open to begin this summer. Another breakthrough was CBC's decision to air women's curling on a Sunday when, Lee reasoned, women are more apt to watch television. Meeting with beach volleyball organizers who were courting CBC coverage, she explained that since men competing in the event were free to choose how to dress, it was only fair to extend the same courtesy to the women. Reportedly, the organizers thought she was kidding. She wasn't. And she got her way. There is no doubt that Lee is changing the face of television.
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