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

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.