Guy Mayson is the president and CEO of the CFTPA.

Laszlo Barna may have only joined the board of the CFTPA in 2001, but he has certainly made an impression. He has been CFTPA chair since 2003, and even though he is one of the country’s busiest producers, he has taken the time to apply his energy, passion, creativity and his great sense of humor to his role at the association.

Central to Laszlo’s character is his strong social conscience, evidence of which can be seen in many of the projects he takes on, from Milgaard and At the End of the Day: The Sue Rodriquez Story to the recently aired Choice: The Henry Morgentaler Story and The Last Just Man, the story of Roméo Dallaire. But he loves to be provocative, too, and for that one need look no further than his series about sexual anthropologists, Show Me Yours.

His relationships with the guilds and unions have been a bonus for the CFTPA. He has a strong respect for the creative process and is always aware of the importance of the creative voice in any project. He sees the industry as a whole, not just from the producers’ perspective.

He has always played a strong role on the board and carried those characteristics over to his role as CFTPA chair. One of his first projects as chair was a cross-country tour informally meeting members and non-members in every major urban center to discuss the Canadian Television Fund and other issues.

Laszlo was passionate about getting the word out to members about the value of the association and urged them to get more involved. But he was equally passionate about listening to the concerns of members and integrating those concerns into the priorities of the association.

Active and outspoken on producer rights issues, and continually working for better deals and terms from broadcasters and distributors, Laszlo’s tenacity and personal commitment on producer issues has often provoked angry reactions from the country’s broadcasters, but he has always had the personal courage to say what he thinks.

He has always seen producers as central to the production and broadcasting system, yet undervalued. Producers are the ones often under the most pressure and squeezed most by the financing system. It is this viewpoint of Laszlo’s and others on the CFTPA board that has helped shape the direction of fundamental policy initiatives at the association – the need to develop a national corporate strategy for building strong production companies. He has brought this message to Ottawa, actively meeting with representatives at the Departments of Canadian Heritage and Finance as well as the CRTC.

A strong social conscience and his commitment to human rights issues have also played a role in Laszlo’s time on the CFTPA board. He mobilized the board and the resources of the production community to help produce public service announcements in support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation in its work against HIV/AIDS in Africa. Through this initiative, six PSAs were produced and have been getting airplay across the country.

With his great sense of fun, love of life and compassion, Laszlo has made himself accessible in his role as chair.

I have truly enjoyed my time working with Laszlo. He is ultimately a champion for anyone he believes is not getting a fair deal. He may ruffle a few feathers from time to time, but they are likely feathers that needed some ruffling.

-www.cftpa.ca