8th ACTRA Awards

The 8th ACTRA Awards were presented on April 4, 1979.^[1] The ceremony was hosted by Gordon Pinsent for television categories, and Don Harron for radio categories.^[1]

8th ACTRA Awards
Date	April 4, 1979
Hosted by	Gordon Pinsent, Don Harron
Highlights
Best TV Program	A Gift to Last
Best Radio Program	The Other Self
Television/radio coverage
Network	CBC Television
← 7th · ACTRA Awards · 9th →

Television

Best Television Program	Earle Grey Award
A Gift to Last^[2] The Champions^[3] Tyler^[3]	Helen Burns, Catsplay^[2] Robin Gammell, The Jesus Trial^[3] R. H. Thomson, Tyler^[3]
Best Continuing TV Performance	Best Supporting TV Performance
Gordon Pinsent, A Gift to Last^[2] Ruth Springford, A Gift to Last^[3] Al Waxman, King of Kensington^[3]	Murray Westgate, Tyler^[2] Donald Davis, The Newcomers: "1832"^[3] Moya Fenwick, Catsplay^[3]
Best TV Variety Performance	Best Television Host
Brian McKay, Clowns^[2] Patsy Gallant, The Patsy Gallant Show^[3] Rich Little, Rich Little's Christmas Carol^[3]	Roy Bonisteel, Man Alive^[2] Hana Gartner, Take 30^[3] Brian Linehan, City Lights^[3]
Best Television Public Affairs Broadcaster	Best Children's Television Program
Eric Malling, The Fifth Estate: "Law for Sale"^[2] Roy Bonisteel, Man Alive^[3] Adrienne Clarkson, The Fifth Estate^[3]	Pencil Box^[2] Encounter with Orion^[3] The Friendly Giant^[4]
Best Writing, Television Drama	Best Writing, Television Comedy/Variety
Roy MacGregor, Tyler^[2] Carol Bolt, One Night Stand^[3] Charles Israel and George Ryga, The Newcomers: "1927"^[3]	Jeri Craden, Rob Iscove and Peter Mann, Clowns^[2] Benjamin Gordon and Lorne Frohman, The Rimshots^[3] Johnny Wayne, Frank Shuster, Ted Lonsdale and Kate Lonsdale, Wayne and Shuster^[3]
Best Writing, Documentary
John Kastner, The Fifth Estate: "Four Women"^[2] Eric Malling, The Fifth Estate^[3] Harry Rasky, The Peking Man^[3]

Radio

Best Radio Program	Best Radio Host
The Other Self^[2] Signature: "McCarthyism and the Arts"^[3] Sunday Morning: "Operation White Knight"^[3]	Warren Davis, Panning for Gold^[2] Don Harron, Morningside^[3] Betty Kennedy, The Betty Kennedy Show^[3]
Best Radio Actor	Best Radio Variety Performance
Ruth Springford, The Other Self^[2] Marilyn Lightstone, The Other Self^[3] Florence Paterson, A Place to Come Back To^[3]	Gay Claitman, Robert Cameron and Nancy White, Lies My Mother Told Me^[2] Dave Broadfoot, Royal Canadian Air Farce^[3] Nancy White, Sunday Morning^[3]
Best Radio Public Affairs Broadcaster	Best Writing, Radio Drama
Terence McKenna, Sunday Morning: "Regina v Roberts"^[2] Arthur Cole, Gordon Sinclair and Betty Kennedy, Let's Discuss It^[3] Barbara Frum and Alan Maitland, As It Happens^[3]	Tom Gallant, Darlin' Dolly^[2] Margaret Atwood, Estelle^[3] Marian Waldman, Beth and Rosamund^[3]
Best Writing, Radio Variety	Best Writing, Radio Documentary
Gay Claitman and Nancy White, Lies My Mother Told Me^[2] Roger Abbott, Dave Broadfoot, Martin Bronstein, Don Ferguson and John Morgan, Royal Canadian Air Farce^[3] W.O. Mitchell, Live at the St. Lawrence^[3]	Terence McKenna and Stuart McLean, Sunday Morning: "Operation White Knight"^[2] Robert Harris and Bob McKeown, Muhammad Ali^[3] Rob Lucy and Jay Mowat, Albert Establishment^[3]

Journalism and special awards

Gordon Sinclair Award	Foster Hewitt Award
Barbara Frum, As It Happens^[2] Robert Cooper, Ombudsman^[3] John Robertson and Mike Allder, 24 Hours^[3]	Brian Williams^[2] Ernie Afaganis^[3] Dave Hodge^[3]
John Drainie Award
Ruth Springford^[2]

References

1. "CBC sweeps ACTRA Awards". North Bay Nugget, April 5, 1979.
2. "List of winners". North Bay Nugget, April 5, 1979.
3. "Front-runners picked for ACTRA Awards". Montreal Star, March 24, 1979.
4. The initial Canadian Press article reporting the winners erroneously identified The Friendly Giant as a co-winner in this category alongside Pencil Box; however, a correction was subsequently published indicating that Pencil Box was the sole winner.