Rex Loring | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 November 1925 |
| Died | 17 April 2017 (aged 91) |
| Citizenship | Canadian |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1947–1990 |
| Employer | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Organization | National Film Board of Canada |
Rex Loring (November 25, 1925 - April 21, 2017) was a British-born Canadian radio announcer, best known as a longtime anchor of World Report , the morning newscast on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's radio news and talk network. [1]
Born in Totton, Hampshire, England, he had begun studies in architecture at the University of London, while also taking some acting classes at the London Studio Centre. [2] His studies were interrupted by the breakout of World War II, during which he worked as a transport pilot in the Royal Air Force. [3]
Moving to Canada in 1947 to pursue work opportunities, he joined the National Film Board of Canada as a narrator of documentary films, and then worked in as an announcer for commercial radio stations such as CFCF in Montreal, CHEX in Peterborough and CKOY in Ottawa, [2] before joining the CBC in 1955. [3] He became a Canadian citizen in 1953. [3]
With the CBC he was a host or announcer of television and radio programs such as Mr. Fixit , [4] Tabloid , Seven-O-One , Close-Up, The Sound of Britain, On the Scene, and Festival , [5] and was a frequent narrator of documentary films. [6] He became anchor of The World at Eight, the predecessor of World Report, in 1971, and remained with the program when it was renamed World Report in 1982. [7]
He retired from World Report in 1990. [8] By this time, he was considered to be Canada's last remaining exemplar of the historic model of news broadcasting, in which newscasts were presented by people with a background in announcing rather than journalism, [1] although he was paired with a journalist as cohost throughout his time as a newscaster. [9] Although renowned for his composure and professionalism, at the time of his retirement he reminisced about one of his rare on-air bloopers, when he struggled to pronounce the unfamiliar name of northwestern Ontario's Wabigoon River. [10]
Loring and his first wife Jill had two children: Elaine Loring is an arts and entertainment journalist who was a reporter for Global News in Toronto from 1984 to 2002, [11] and Carolyn (Carrie) Loring is a singer and children's entertainer who was one of the hosts of Polka Dot Door . [10] He later married writer Shirley Fox.
He died on April 21, 2017, aged 91. [3]
