Frank Peers fonds

Biographical History

Canadian Political Scientist and academic Frank Peers was born on January 18, 1918 in Alsask, Saskatchewan. Peers received a Bachelor of Arts in 1936 and a Bachelor of Education in 1943 from Mount Royal College at the University of Alberta, and a Masters of Arts in 1948 and a Doctorate degree in 1966 from the University of Toronto. Throughout the early stage of his career, Peers held a variety of academic posts including Assistant Director of Extension at the University of Alberta (1943-47), and Assistant Director of the Banff School of Fine Arts (1945-47). In 1948 Peers became the Supervisor of CBC’s Public Affairs, a position which he held until 1960. In 1966 Peers joined the faculty of the University of Toronto’s Political Science department where he remained until his retirement in 1983. As an academic, Peers published numerous books and articles including The Politics of Canadian Broadcasting 1920-1951, and The Public Eye: Television and the Politics of Canadian Broadcasting 1952 – 68. Peers also served as Editor of the Canadian Journal of Political Science, and was a member of the Canadian Political Science Association and the Canadian Historical Association.

Peers is perhaps best known for his contributions to the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting (FCB), which was founded in February 1985 as a vehicle to publicly protest against budget cuts imposed on the CBC in 1984. The FCB continues to function as a public interest group, advocating for adequate funds for the CBC, monitoring Canadian broadcasters, making representations to the CRTC, and appearing before parliamentary committees and public inquiries. The FCB has established associations with a variety of organizations including: The CBC, the CRTC, various private broadcasters, the Canadian Conference of the Arts, and labour unions representing broadcast employees. Peers was a long standing member of the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting Advisory Committee and the fonds contains a large portion of records related to the group.