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| Long-time Fashion Television host Jeanne Beker on the set of the show that really mae her famous |
Jeanne Beker: Bringing a passion for fashion
to TV
She did more than anyone else in Canada to bring fashion to television
– and she is still doing it. Starting back in the 1980s and continuing on to
today on The Shopping Channel, Jeanne Beker has become the epitome of style.
City Television
Back in the 1980s, there were just two national television networks –
CBC and CTV. The third channel on the rural cable network was Channel 7, which
was part of a loose affiliation of TV stations across Canada. That’s why
periodically, we would see Global News, and anchors such as Peter Kent, out of
Toronto.
Channel 7 also broadcast various shows produced by Moses Znaimer and
his City Television. There was a news magazine called, “That’s Life” hosted by
Ann Rohmer and Peter Feniak, and “The NewMusic”, hosted by J.D. Roberts and
– Jeanne Beker.
Znaimer would go on to pioneer Muchmusic and the whole City-TV network
that still exists.
Roberts would move to Muchmusic, then become John Roberts and become a
TV news anchor in the United States.
Jeanne Beker, who hosted “The NewMusic” from 1979 to 1985, would move
on to pursue her passion for fashion and be the heart, the soul, and the face of
Fashion Television, often called FTV.
Fashion Television
According to www.tvarchive.ca, “Fashion
Television began when Moses Znaimer, CITY-TV’s head honcho, wanted to make use
of the fashion videos being created by big designers. What was originally to be
simply a half-hour special was expanded to seven one-hour segments (under the
title FTV and later FT-Fashion Television), and then to a weekly half-hour show
beginning in September, 1986.”
To be honest, I do not have a lot of memories of Fashion Television,
but it always seemed to be on Channel 7 on Saturday afternoons, when I was
flipping channels.
My overriding memories are of how glamorous and beautiful Beker was,
and that thundering theme music. It was the intro of “Obsession” by Animotion
they used in the opening of Fashion Television, which was eventually shortened
to FTV.
Fashion Television would have immense staying power, staying on the
air in syndication until Beker announced in 2012, via social media, the show was
ending.
Parting thoughts
Some times there are just uniquely Canadian personalities who carve
out a special niche in pop culture, people who become synonymous with their
subject matter.
This is the best way to describe Jeanne Beker, who really was the last
word on fashion in Canada, and a leading commentator all over the world. Her
clear voice and signature style made her one of a kind.
It is only appropriate she would eventually take the leap and start
her own fashion line. That was the last time I saw her – not commenting
on fashion, but describing her own designs being modelled live in studio on The Shopping
Channel.
It is the fitting next step in the long and distinguished career of
Jeanne Beker.
The Canadian Walk of Fame recently unveiled the stars of a number of
outstanding individuals on June 7 and Robvogt80s will be honouring those people
in a series.
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