MusiquePlus, a popular music-television station in Quebec, was founded by Znaimer in 1986.
Photo Credit : Musiqueplus
1942 -
Moses Znaimer
Moses Znaimer is a Canadian media mogul and current head of ZoomerMedia who, amongst other ventures, founded both the MuchMusic and MusiquePlus television channels.
Born in Tajikstan to Latvian and Polish refugees of World War Two, Znaimer arrived in Montreal in 1948 after a stay in a Displaced Persons Camp in Germany. He graduated from McGill University with a BA in Philosophy and Politics and from Harvard University with an MA in Government. While at McGill, he served as President of the McGill Debating Union.
Znaimer’s career in broadcasting began when he joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in the mid-1960s. Known for such shows as Cross Country Checkup, as well as Take 30 with Adrienne Clarkson, Znaimer left CBC and entered into private broadcasting.
In 1972, Znaimer and a partner launched Citytv, pioneering a casual and contemporary broadcasting style aimed at youth. In 1981, Toronto-based media conglomerate CHUM Limited purchased Citytv, and Znaimer became Vice President of CHUM and Executive Producer for all of Citytv’s programming. By 1984, Znaimer and John Martin’s vision of a 24-hour music video station was realized with the creation of MuchMusic. MusiquePlus, a joint venture based in Montreal and catering to Canada’s French-speaking audiences, was launched in 1986. Znaimer’s company also launched channels such as Bravo! (1995), Space (1997), the first 24-hour local news station, CablePulse 24 (1998), Canadian Learning Television, Star!, Drive-In Classics, Fashion Television, BookTelevision, CourtTV Canada, SexTV: The Channel, MuchLOUD and MuchVibe. Although he resigned in 2003, he reappeared in 2005 and created a new media empire, ZoomerMedia.
Znaimer’s contributions to Canadian culture have been recognized with a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement and the Order of Ontario.
