2010 RTNDA Canada Lifetime Achievement Award Winners

TORONTO, Feb. 23 /CNW/ - RTNDA Canada - The Association of Electronic Journalists is pleased to announce that Andy Mendham and David Craig will be honoured with 2010 RTNDA Lifetime Achievement Awards in the Central Region. The awards will be presented at the RTNDA Central Regional Awards Banquet in Toronto on May 15, 2010.

Andy Mendham retired from CFPL-TV at the end of August 2009, ending a career that covered almost the entire span of television broadcasting in Canada...from film to digital. He has shot interviews with every Canadian Prime Minister since Pierre Trudeau, not to mention such international figures as Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth and Jimmy Carter and celebrities like Johnny Cash, Tony Bennett and many, many more. Andy has been a witness to history having covered the tornado that devastated Woodstock, Ontario in 1979, the Terry Fox marathon of hope and the crash of two snowbird jets in the early nineties. Through it all, Andy remained a consummate professional who always kept calm under fire, meeting deadlines and excelling at "getting the shot."

David Craig started his career in 1959 in Woodstock, New Brunswick "doing everything including sweeping the floors," he says. He was the farm editor, the rock and roll disc jockey and a newsman. In 1967, David was hired by CFRB Toronto where his responsibilities included anchoring, reporting and writing. He was even the station's Queen's Park bureau chief for one year before settling into a 22-year stretch as the morning news editor. After CFRB, David did a stint at CJEZ-FM and later became the first news director at CFTR Toronto when it switched to 680 All News Radio. Most recently, he worked as a weekend announcer for CBC before deciding at age 68 it was time to retire. David says the attraction of news is "the constant adventure of life" it provides.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was created in 2002 to recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves through outstanding service and continued excellence during the course of their career in broadcast journalism.

RTNDA Canada is the voice of electronic journalists and news managers in Canada. The members of RTNDA Canada recognize the responsibility of broadcast journalists to promote and to protect the freedom to report independently about matters of public interest and to present a wide range of expressions, opinions and ideas. The RTNDA Canada Code of Ethics adopted by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, is used to measure fairness and accuracy in our profession.

For further information: Sherry Denesha, Operations Manager, RTNDA Canada at [phone] or email: [email protected] or visit www.rtndacanada.com