Lloyd Robertson is CTV News chief anchor and senior news editor and has been in the company of Arthur Weinthal since joining the network as co-anchor of the CTV National News in 1976.

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From the time I got to know him almost 20 years ago, Arthur Weinthal has been the executive who has always had a unique handle on how to get television right. Arthur also has the quintessential tv boss persona; confident, smooth, affable and with a faintly avuncular approach. But Arthur brings more to the table than his obvious smarts and his looks. I speak from experience.

Back in 1980, when Terry Fox was forced to end his phenomenal cross-country run to raise money for cancer research, his Marathon of Hope, ctv made an impulsive, heartfelt, daredevil gesture that reflected perfectly the mood of the time and did wonders for network public relations. Capturing the moment, we decided to hold an immediate telethon to try to help finish the job for Terry who had been felled for the final time by his killing cancer.

Mounting a major network telethon is difficult at the best of times, but on 48 hours’ notice it would have been impossible if it had not been for people like Arthur. He pitched right in, lining up talent and helping structure the format.

And an awesome task lay before me. It meant anchoring a six- to seven-hour telethon with little or no preparation. Among the many hurdles to be overcome was how to open up; how to set the scene for a broadcast that was shrouded in sadness because of Terry’s condition and yet had to be infused with a somewhat celebratory air to inspire the audience to pitch in and make pledges.

I was stymied for a long time until Arthur, who had been pacing around the fringes of the set in those frenetic moments before the broadcast, came to my rescue.

He could tell from the haunted look in this talking head’s eyes that I was in trouble, and when I motioned for him to come forward, he bounded onto the set with a ‘Hi pal,’ (his trademark greeting) ‘how’s it going?’ I muttered something about not having a clue how to get the show started.

The words that came tumbling forward from Arthur I remember to this day because they proved to me for all time that here was somebody who really knew how to tap into the intangible that can trigger a program’s success. He said, ‘Lloyd, this is a celebration of courage.’

Perfect, I thought. What an elegant way to open up. I made the phrase ‘celebration of courage’ the subtitle of the broadcast both at the beginning and several times throughout.

Arthur had set the tone and probably helped to seal the success of a perfect evening and an unforgettable event in all our lives. The telethon drew an overwhelming response from Canadians everywhere and stayed on the air much longer than expected as high-profile entertainers like Anne Murray, Mr. DressUp and Tommy Hunter (all recruited by Arthur) came by to make their meaningful contributions of time and talent.

At the end of it all we had raised $14 million and the network was able to take a bow. I bowed in Arthur’s direction and thanked him then, as I thank him now, for making that wonderful evening a success for me.

Watching Arthur survive in the often harsh environment of the tv boardroom has become something of a sport in the Canadian broadcast industry. As we cast our minds over the landscape of executive land, past and present and on both sides of the border, his longevity is truly remarkable if not record-breaking.

He has even so far survived the tenure of ctv’s buoyant young president John Cassaday, who subscribes to the business world’s idea that all key jobs should have a successor in place. John would admit that he’s given up trying to squeeze someone in beside Arthur. They are simply dwarfed in comparison. So the old master probably gets to stay as long as he likes.

Yes, Arthur Weinthal is a true Canadian original. He is a giant of the industry and a credit to the country. Here is someone, after all, who has kept alive the tender plant of Canadian drama and entertainment in the extremely competitive world of private television. We hail him as a hero.

Here’s to you Arthur, and may you go on and on and on. . .