Brian Williams

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Lore & Background

Brian Williams began his broadcasting career with a part-time job at his college's classical station WXTO, located in the tower of Aquinas College's Administration Building. He was also the first to travel with the Aquinas College 'Tommies' basketball team, announcing their games via a one-man telephone connection. His college goal was to return to Canada and become a sports journalist. After radio employment at Toronto's CFRB and CHUM, he joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1974. Williams served as studio host for CBC's coverage of the CFL, Formula 1, and horse racing, and was play-by-play announcer for Toronto Blue Jays baseball. He was the principal studio anchor for CBC's Olympic Games coverage for eleven Games from 1984 through 2006. On June 5, 2006, Williams announced plans to move to rival CTV and TSN in December 2006, but the CBC fired him on June 8, 2006, causing him to join CTV/TSN immediately as on-site host of TSN's CFL coverage. He was chosen to head CTV's broadcasting team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. On February 22, 2010, he did a skit with Brian Williams, anchor of NBC Nightly News, at CTV's Olympic set, dubbed the 'Battle of the Brians.' He anchored CTV's coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where he criticized the International Olympic Committee for not properly honouring the Israeli delegates slain during the 1972 Summer Olympics. He co-hosted Don Cherry's Grapeline on Sportsnet Radio for thirty-five years until 2019. Williams announced his retirement from broadcasting on December 2, 2021, after a 50-year career.

Reader's Guide

Brian Williams' career is a study in longevity and versatility across Canadian sports broadcasting. He began humbly, calling Aquinas College basketball games over a single telephone line, and rose to become the face of CBC's Olympic coverage for over two decades. His move to CTV and TSN in 2006 was abrupt—announced on June 5, with the CBC firing him just three days later on June 8—but he immediately stepped into on-site hosting of TSN's CFL coverage. At the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Williams shared a memorable skit with his American namesake, NBC's Brian Williams, comparing their respective sets in what media dubbed the 'Battle of the Brians.' During the 2012 London Olympics, he took a serious stand, publicly criticizing the International Olympic Committee for failing to properly honour the Israeli athletes killed in the 1972 Munich massacre. His distinctive quirks, like announcing the time in several time zones at once, made him a frequent parody target on Royal Canadian Air Farce. He co-hosted Don Cherry's Grapeline for thirty-five years, first on CFRB radio in Toronto and later as a syndicated show on Sportsnet, until 2019. Williams retired on December 2, 2021, after a 50-year career, having been inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2010, appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2011, and awarded the Order of Sport in 2022.

Did You Know?

• Williams was the first to travel with the Aquinas College 'Tommies' basketball team, announcing their games via a one-man telephone connection.
• On June 5, 2006, Williams announced plans to move to CTV/TSN in December 2006, but the CBC fired him on June 8, 2006, making his move immediate.
• During the 2010 Winter Olympics, Williams did a skit with NBC's Brian Williams at CTV's Olympic set, dubbed the 'Battle of the Brians.'
• Williams co-hosted Don Cherry's Grapeline on Sportsnet Radio for thirty-five years, until 2019.
• He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and awarded the Order of Sport in 2022.

Early Life & Education

Born on July 18, 1946, Brian James Williams grew up in a household shaped by his father's medical career, which carried the family across multiple cities and provinces. The young Williams attended school in Invermere, British Columbia; New Haven, Connecticut; Edmonton, Alberta; and Hamilton, Ontario, where he completed secondary education at Westdale Secondary School. At Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, he earned a bachelor's degree in history and political science in 1969. Before turning fully to broadcasting, he spent a year teaching at a local Grand Rapids school. His stated ambition during college was to return to Canada and build a career as a sports journalist, a goal that would ultimately define the next five decades of his professional life.

Broadcasting Career & Achievements

Williams' path into broadcasting began modestly at Aquinas College, where he applied for a part-time position at the station WXTO, housed in the college's Administration Building tower. He also became the first person to travel alongside the Aquinas Tommies basketball team, calling their games over a single telephone line. After graduating, he worked in radio at Toronto's CFRB and CHUM before joining the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1974. Over the following decades, Williams became a fixture of Canadian sports television: he served as studio host for CFL, Formula 1, and horse racing coverage, called Toronto Blue Jays games, and anchored the network's Olympic broadcasts across eleven Games from 1984 through 2006. He also covered the 2002 FIFA World Cup and collaborated with Peter Mansbridge on the millennium coverage of 2000 Today. In 2006 he transitioned to CTV and TSN, where he led the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic teams. He retired on December 2, 2021, closing out a fifty-year career.

Defining Moments

Two episodes in particular stand out as turning points in Williams' public narrative. In June 2006, he announced his intention to leave the CBC for rival CTV and its sports arm TSN, effective that December. Just three days later, on June 8, the CBC terminated his contract, accelerating his departure and making him the on-site host of TSN's CFL coverage almost immediately. A second memorable moment arrived during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, when Williams shared a lighthearted skit with his American namesake, NBC anchor Brian Williams, at CTV's Olympic studio. The clip, in which the two compared their respective sets, was quickly dubbed the Battle of the Brians by media commentators. During the 2012 London Games, Williams took a more serious stand, publicly criticizing the International Olympic Committee for failing to adequately honour the Israeli athletes killed during the 1972 Munich massacre.

Legacy, Honours & Distinctive Voice

Few Canadian broadcasters possess a voice as instantly recognizable as Williams'. His habit of announcing the current time—sometimes across multiple time zones in a single breath—became a signature quirk that marked his on-air persona and made him a frequent target of parody on shows like Royal Canadian Air Farce. Beyond the studio, his thirty-five-year partnership with Don Cherry on Grapeline, first broadcast from CFRB in Toronto and later syndicated on Sportsnet Radio until 2019, cemented his place in Canadian sports culture. His contributions were formally recognized in 2010 with induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, and in 2011 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada for his body of work in sports broadcasting, particularly amateur sports, and for his community engagement. He received the insignia at Rideau Hall from Governor General David Johnston in May 2012. In 2022, the Order of Sport marked his entry into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, capping a career that spanned half a century.