Moses Znaimer

Early Life and Education

Moses Znaimer was born in 1942 to Jewish parents who had fled the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, finding refuge in Tajikistan. After the Second World War, his family lived in a displaced persons camp in Germany before immigrating to Canada, arriving in Halifax and ultimately settling in Montreal in 1948. They lived in a third-floor flat on Saint Urbain Street, an area known for its immigrant community. Znaimer attended United Talmud Torah and Herzliah High School within Montreal's private Jewish school system, where he first gained attention for his singing voice during religious services.

He pursued higher education at McGill University in Montreal, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and politics. Znaimer then continued his studies at Harvard University in the United States, earning a Master of Arts in government in the mid-1960s. This academic background in political thought and philosophy would later inform his visionary and often contrarian approach to media and broadcasting. His early experiences as an immigrant and his classical education provided a unique foundation for his future career in the very contemporary world of television.

Career at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Znaimer began his broadcasting career in the mid-1960s when he joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, working in both Montreal and Ottawa. He quickly became a recognizable voice and face on the public broadcaster's airwaves, serving as the host of CBC Radio's national phone-in program, Cross Country Checkup, which engaged Canadians in debates on current affairs. On television, he co-hosted the afternoon program Take 30 alongside Adrienne Clarkson, who would later become Governor General of Canada. Despite this success, Znaimer grew frustrated with the CBC's bureaucratic structure and felt his creative ideas were being stifled.

He sought opportunities to pursue a more innovative and personal vision for television but was denied the chance to develop it within the corporation. This creative impasse led Znaimer to resign from the CBC, deciding to move into private broadcasting where he could exercise greater control over content and format. His departure from the public broadcaster set the stage for his most significant entrepreneurial venture, which would directly challenge established television conventions. Znaimer's time at the CBC provided him with national exposure and production experience that he would later deploy in his own enterprises.

Founding and Leading Citytv

This new station, Citytv, launched in 1972 and immediately began to differentiate itself. Inspired by media theorist Marshall McLuhan, Znaimer pioneered a distinctive broadcasting style that was strongly local, informal, and aimed squarely at a young, urban audience. The station's on-location reporting, casual hosts, and innovative music programming broke from the staid conventions of the time. In 1981, the Toronto-based media conglomerate CHUM Limited purchased Citytv, and Znaimer became vice-president of CHUM and the executive producer for all of Citytv's programming. Under this new corporate structure, he was able to expand his vision dramatically. His concept for a 24-hour music video channel was realized in 1984 with the launch of MuchMusic, which became a cultural institution for a generation. This was followed in 1986 by MusiquePlus, a French-language counterpart based in Montreal, and the physical home for this expanding empire became the CHUM-City Building, a renovated publishing building in downtown Toronto that opened in 1987.

Throughout the 1990s, Znaimer presided over a considerable expansion of the CHUM-City television empire. Bravo was launched as a new style arts channel in 1995, and Space was launched in 1997. He continued his original vision for television with the launching of Canada's first 24-hour local news station, CablePulse 24 in 1998. Further cable channels included Canadian Learning Television, Star, Drive-In Classics, FashionTelevisionChannel, BookTelevision, CourtTV Canada, SexTV The Channel, MuchLOUD and MuchVibe.

• Bravo!, a new style arts channel, launched in 1995.
• Space, a science fiction and fantasy channel, began broadcasting in 1997.
• CablePulse 24, Canada's first 24-hour local news station, started in 1998.
• Other channels included Canadian Learning Television, Star!, FashionTelevisionChannel, BookTelevision, and CourtTV Canada.

Znaimer also oversaw the launch of Citytv Vancouver. He left Citytv and CHUM Limited in April 2003, but stayed on in certain production roles. Ultimately, CHUM Limited was acquired in 2007 by CTVglobemedia. The Citytv stations, including CITY and CKVU, are now owned by Rogers Media.

Building ZoomerMedia

After leaving CHUM, Znaimer turned his attention to a new demographic: older adults, whom he termed "Zoomers." In 2006, he filed an application with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to acquire CFMX-FM, a classical music station. By 2008, he had CRTC approval to relaunch its Toronto rebroadcaster as a full station, CFMZ-FM, using his initials. In 2007, he announced a deal to acquire CHWO, an AM station in Toronto known for pop standards music, and he took control in 2008, renaming it CFZM. The station's powerful signal, operating from the former transmitter of CBC Radio's CBL, covers a vast area of eastern North America at night and much of the Great Lakes region during the day. Znaimer's strategy extended beyond radio, as he acquired web developer Fifty-Plus Net International with plans to launch a social networking site for older adults. In 2008, he formally incorporated ZoomerMedia Limited to consolidate these holdings, and the company expanded further in June 2009 with a $25 million deal to acquire the media assets of S-VOX, which operated several religious television channels.

Honours and Museum

Moses Znaimer's contributions to Canadian media have been recognized with several prestigious honours. In 2005, he received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, which is Canada's highest honour in the performing arts. The following year, in 2006, he was appointed as a member of the Order of Ontario for his significant impact on the province's cultural life. These awards acknowledge his lifelong work in innovating broadcast formats and creating content that resonated with diverse Canadian audiences, from youth to older adults.

A collector of vintage television sets, Znaimer's MZTV Museum of Television is located at The ZoomerPlex, which is the ZoomerMedia building, in the Liberty Village area of Toronto. The collection includes the set David Sarnoff presented at the 1939 World's Fair. The museum preserves the technology that brought television into the Canadian home. This reflects the medium Znaimer helped transform through his work at Citytv and ZoomerMedia.

Personal Life

Moses Znaimer has been in a long-term relationship with actress and voice artist Marilyn Lightstone since they met as students at McGill University in the early 1960s. The couple never had children, and Znaimer has also been involved in business ventures outside of media, co-founding and serving as chairman of Cannasat Therapeutics, a publicly traded company pioneering drugs derived from marijuana. Beyond his professional life, Znaimer is known for his distinctive personal style and his role as a thoughtful commentator on media and society. His life and career reflect a journey from immigrant child to establishment innovator, consistently challenging conventions in Canadian broadcasting.

Questions about Moses Znaimer

What radio stations does Moses Znaimer own?

Through ZoomerMedia, Moses Znaimer owns two Toronto radio stations. CFMZ-FM (96.3 FM) is a classical music station. CFZM (740 AM) is a pop standards station that also broadcasts news, talk programming, and classic radio dramas from the 1930s to 1950s. He acquired and relaunched these stations between 2006 and 2008.

What does ZoomerMedia do?

ZoomerMedia is a media company founded by Moses Znaimer. It operates radio stations like CFMZ-FM and CFZM. The company also operates television channels acquired from S-VOX. It was officially incorporated in 2008 to operate his media holdings.

What is Moses Znaimer best known for?

Moses Znaimer is best known as the co founder and former head of Citytv, the first independent television station in Toronto. He pioneered a distinctive, local and casual broadcasting style aimed at young audiences, inspired in part by Marshall McLuhan. His vision led to the creation of the 24 hour music video station MuchMusic in 1984. He also oversaw the launch of numerous other cable channels including Bravo and Space. Following his departure from Citytv, he became the head of ZoomerMedia, which operates radio stations and other media properties.

What awards has Moses Znaimer won?

Moses Znaimer received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2005, which is Canada's highest honour in the performing arts. This award recognized his lifetime contributions to broadcasting. In 2006, he was made a member of the Order of Ontario. These accolades honour his significant impact on Canadian media through his innovative work at Citytv and his subsequent ventures with ZoomerMedia.

Where is the MZTV Museum of Television?

The MZTV Museum of Television is located at The ZoomerPlex, which is the ZoomerMedia building, in the Liberty Village area of Toronto. The museum houses Moses Znaimer's personal collection of vintage television sets. A notable item in the collection is the television set that David Sarnoff presented at the 1939 World's Fair. The museum is part of his media complex and reflects his lifelong passion for the medium.

Did Moses Znaimer work for the CBC?

Yes, Moses Znaimer's broadcasting career began when he joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in the mid 1960s. He worked for the CBC in Montreal and Ottawa. He became well known as the host of CBC Radio's Cross Country Checkup and as the co host of CBC Television's Take 30 with Adrienne Clarkson. After being denied the opportunity to pursue his creative vision at the public broadcaster, Znaimer quit and moved into private broadcasting, which led to the founding of Citytv.

Sources and further reading

• Moses Znaimer (Wikipedia)
• Moses Znaimer's career (zoomermedia.ca)
• About Moses Znaimer (mztv.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-11-03.