John Allan Slaight, CM (July 19, 1931 – September 19, 2021) was a Canadian rock and roll radio pioneer, media mogul, and philanthropist. He was the founder of Slaight Communications and the president and CEO of Standard Broadcasting Corporation Limited, which became Canada's largest privately owned multimedia company. He was also a co-owner and majority owner of the NBA's Toronto Raptors.
Early Life and Magic Career
Slaight was born in Galt (now Cambridge), Ontario, to John Edgar Slaight, a newspaperman, and Florence Eileen Wright. He developed an interest in magic at age eight after seeing a magician perform at Eaton's department store. As a teenager, he performed as a mind reader under the stage name "Will Powers" and toured Western Canada. He later authored several books on magic, including Stewart James in Print: The First Fifty Years (1989) and Essential Stewart James (2007).
Broadcasting Career
Slaight began his broadcasting career at age 17 in 1948 at CHAB in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, as an on-air news reporter and host of a late-night jazz program called Spins and Needles. He dropped out of the University of Saskatchewan after his first year to pursue radio full-time.
After working at stations in Edmonton (CFRN, CJCA, CHED-AM), he moved to Toronto in 1958 as program and promotions manager for CHUM-AM, where he helped transform the station into a leading rock and roll broadcaster. In 1967, he moved to England to co-found a consulting firm for the emerging commercial radio sector, including work with Radio Caroline.
Building a Media Empire
Returning to Canada in 1967, Slaight formed Allan Slaight Limited. In 1970, he founded Slaight Broadcasting Ltd. and purchased CFGM-1310 AM in Richmond Hill, Ontario, for $2.5 million, turning it into Canada's first full-time country music station. He later acquired stations in Montreal and Sarnia, and launched CILQ-FM (Q107) in Toronto in 1977.
In 1985, Slaight acquired Standard Broadcasting Corporation Ltd. from Conrad Black for approximately $110 million, gaining iconic stations such as CFRB and CKFM in Toronto, along with stations in Montreal, Ottawa, and St. Catharines. Under his leadership, Standard Broadcasting grew from 7 to more than 50 radio stations. He sold Standard Radio to Astral Media in 2007 for $1.08 billion.
Toronto Raptors Ownership
In the early 1990s, Slaight partnered with John Bitove Jr. to secure an NBA expansion franchise for Toronto. After disagreements over arena plans, Slaight invoked a "shotgun clause" in their agreement, buying out Bitove's shares for $65 million to become majority owner. He later sold his controlling interest to the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. for a reported $467 million in 1998.
Philanthropy
Slaight founded the Slaight Family Foundation in 2008, which has donated extensively to health care, arts, and social services. Notable donations include $50 million to Princess Margaret Hospital for cancer research (2013), $22 million for a breast cancer rapid diagnostic centre (2009), $5 million to the Art Gallery of Ontario, and $5 million to Massey Hall's revitalization. He also established the Allan Slaight Radio Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) with a $3 million donation.
Honours and Awards
- Inductee, Canadian Association of Broadcasters Broadcast Hall of Fame (1997)
- Honorary Doctor of Commerce, Ryerson Polytechnic University (2000)
- Member of the Order of Canada (2001)
- Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award, Juno Awards (2005)
- Inductee, Canada's Walk of Fame (2020)
Personal Life
Slaight married Ada Mitchell in 1950; they had three children (Gary, Greg, and Jan Marie) before divorcing in 1987. He married Emanuelle Gattuso in 1995. He died on September 19, 2021, at his home in Toronto at age 90.
