News Releases - 2001

John Ross Continues to "Give Back" to the Industry that has been his Life for the Past 50 Years

In true "John Ross" fashion, Mr. Ross turned the recent celebration of his 50 years in the broadcast industry into an evening of recognition for all the people that have influenced and supported him along the way.

On July 19, friends, family, and peers gathered together at Grenville Christian College, Brockville, Ontario to honor the man who started his broadcast career at the age of 14, built the very first color television receiver in Canada, and continues to make technological advancements in broadcast production as President and Senior Design Engineer at Ross Video Limited.

The Man that Launched John's Career - Les Bell
Mr. Ross' presentation spanned his life and career, starting with his self-driven interest in electronics at a very young age. In his early teens, John met Mr. Les Bell who offered him his very first "real job" as transmitter operator at the CKY radio station. Mr. Ross acknowledged Les Bell as "the reason we are all here tonight". "I owe a great deal to Les Bell. One evening 50 years ago he was the one who sucked me into the broadcasting industry which has been my love ever since. His Action, his faith and his kindness toward a young kid has affected everyone of us here, as well as having affected countless others inother companies. The ripples still continue to expand. Many people have been involved but it's all started with Les."

Transition from Radio to Television
John's first experiments in television, in 1952, were with an old 5 inch TV receiver chassis that he brought back to life and an antenna that was created using copper water pipe. Occasionally the snowy screen would make way for a few seconds of images that were being transmitted from KSTP-TV in Minneapolis, 450 miles away. John later learned that his brief receptions were a result of the TV signals reflecting off trails left by meteors.

In 1954, John was accepted onto the pioneer staff at CBWT (CBC) in Manitoba where he gained experience in every area of television broadcast including maintenance, audio operator, video operator, camera man, telecine, mike boom operator, photo development, and switcher operator (his favorite).

CBC Winnipeg's First Effects Generator
Intrigued by the wipes and keys being used in American films, John started work on what would become CBC's very first effects generator - in reality, the first Ross switcher. This device was featured in an interview with John on Winnipeg's suppertime program "Spotlight". A version of this effects generator remained in service at CBC Winnipeg for 15 years.

First Color TV Receiver in Canada
In 1957, John's curiosity and experiments resulted in the first color TV receiver in Canada to receive color from a Canadian transmitter (10 years before Canada had color television). John's invention was receiving telecasts from CBWT in Winnipeg. The American color shows were transmitted by the CBC in Canada in black and white but John's set was designed to "bring back the color" by restoring the missing color burst pulse. This allowed the show to be seen as originally telecast in the United States.

An Engineering Degree Made Possible by Gordon Waters
In 1958, Gordon Waters, an engineer in charge of Studio Systems at CBC EHQ, made John's pursuit of a career in engineering possible. Good paying summer jobs at CBC EHQ and CBC Edmonton allowed John to attend university. "To be in school again was wonderful! And, it would never have happened without Gordon Waters." Upon graduation, Mr. Waters hired John to join the CBC engineering headquarters in Montreal.

Less is More
While installing a studio in CBC Toronto, and trying to get a production switcher to meet spec, John discovered the true essence of engineering. An alternative video crosspoint, designed by John, eliminated a major problem and cost half as much as the original. "It suddenly become clear to me that if you really understand the electronic fundamentals and thought about your engineering project, you would use fewer parts, the cost would be less, and the performance, reliability and power consumed would all be better." Mr. Ross recalled what one of his university professors had told him "Engineering is an Economic Science. An engineer is someone who can make for one dollar what any damn fool can make for two!"

The Birth of CDL Broadcast Equipment Division
John's desire to invent things led him to leave CBC in 1963 to found the Broadcast Equipment Division of Central Dynamics Limited (CDL). "At that time, CDL mainly made parts for jet fighter aircraft and had a marvelous machine shop and painting facilities, just what I need to make the metal parts of switchers" explained Mr. Ross. John later became Vice President of CDL. He also obtained several patents including a fundamental chroma keying patent that is still used by everyone today.

The Engineer takes to the Sky and a Company is Born
John took up flying as way of countering a very demanding engineering and managerial career. His first plane was a "well-worn 1943 US army training and observation plane" that he purchased for $2,200. Little did John know that this plane would lead to the birth of what is now known as Ross Video Limited. After being prompted by the late Jim Leitch (Founder and past President of Leitch Video) to sell the plane and start a company of his own, Ross Broadcast Products, which later became Ross Video Limited, was born. "To this day, the only investment in Ross Video is the money from that plane, less than $4,000." explains Ross.

Move to Iroquois? But Where?
While looking for a new home for the then Montreal based Ross Broadcast Products, John visited fellow pilot. George Jackson in his home in Iroquois, Ontario. "I felt so peaceful here, just the antidote for the stress of a high-tech working life." remembers John. His hopes were soon extinguished when he discovered that there weren't any suitable houses available in the small village. Then one day, John received a phone call. John's friend, George Jackson, was offering to sell his house to John. He had also arranged for a suitable commercial property for John to move his company. His reason; "John will be good for Iroquois." John and his family moved to Iroquois. Ross Broadcast Products was re-established in an office space in the Iroquois Plaza. And, George Jackson moved his family into a mobile home in a field where they lived for several years (remember, there wasn't any suitable housing available at that time).

Still in the Saddle
Today, Ross Video has grown to many times it original size. The headquarters and manufacturing facility are housed in a recently expanded building in Iroquois. An ever-growing Research and Development Lab is located in Ottawa and is run by Executive Vice-President and Director, Product Development, David Ross (John's son). John continues to over-see the operations as President, and remains active in engineering as Senior Design Engineer for the RossGear line of terminal equipment.

Credit Where Credit is Due
Over the course of his presentation, Mr. Ross paid tribute to many people that made a difference in his career and personal life. In addition to Les Bell, who started John on his career and Gordon Waters, who made an engineering degree possible, John acknowledged many friends, family, colleagues, former bosses, plus employees, past and present, many of whom were in attendance, for their support, guidance, and loyalty. We all owe a great deal to John Ross for his contribution to the development of the broadcast industry. We also owe a great deal to Les Bell, Gordon Waters, and others, for their contribution to the development of this outstanding individual.