8th ACTRA Awards

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
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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]

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.