{{Short description|Canadian businessman (1942–2022)}} {{Infobox person | name = Ian Greenberg | image = | image_size = 200px | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1942|06|15|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]], Canada | death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|01|10|1942|06|15|df=y}} | death_place = | other_names = | education = | alma_mater = | employer = | occupation = [[President (corporate title)|President]] & [[chief executive officer]], [[Astral Media|Astral Media Inc.]]<ref name="reuters">{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/lookup|title=Company Search Results|agency=Reuters|date=|website=U.S.|access-date=22 January 2019}}</ref> | spouse = Linda | children = 3 | relations = | website = }} '''Ian Greenberg''' (15 June 1942 – 10 January 2022) was a Canadian businessman and media pioneer. He was the co-founder of [[Astral Media|Astral Media Inc.]] and served as its president and chief executive officer from 1996 until 2013.<ref name="reuters" />
==Early life== Greenberg was born in [[Montreal]]<ref name=Pitts>{{cite news|title=Ian Greenberg: No. 1 with a bullet|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/ian-greenberg-no-1-with-a-bullet/article20406759/|first=Gordon|last=Pitts|date=December 10, 2007|access-date=January 12, 2022|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220112073913/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/ian-greenberg-no-1-with-a-bullet/article20406759/|archive-date=January 12, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> on 15 June 1942.<ref name="Paperman obit">{{cite news|title=Ian Greenberg – Funeral Information, Obituary, Condolences|url=https://www.paperman.com/en/funerals/2022-1-13-ian-greenberg|access-date=January 12, 2022|publisher=Paperman & Sons}}</ref> He was one of ten children of Annie and Abraham Greenberg, who worked as a municipal bailiff.<ref name="GandM">{{cite web| url = https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-magazine/astral-the-canadian-media-player-to-watch/article1405602/print/| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101230033058/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-magazine/astral-the-canadian-media-player-to-watch/article1405602/print/| archive-date = 2010-12-30| title = Astral: The Canadian media player to watch - The Globe and Mail| website = [[The Globe and Mail]]}} </ref> Greenberg grew up in a humble household, and his mother died in 1961 when he was nineteen.<ref name="GandM"/><ref name="CP obit">{{cite news|title=Ian Greenberg, media executive and co-founder of Astral, dies at 79|url=https://www.thestar.com/business/2022/01/11/ian-greenberg-media-executive-and-co-founder-of-astral-dies-at-79.html|first=David|last=Friend|date=January 11, 2022|accessdate=January 12, 2022|newspaper=Toronto Star|agency=The Canadian Press}}</ref> He graduated from [[Harvard Business School]]'s six-week Advanced Management program.<ref name="GandM"/>
==Career== In 1961, Greenberg, along with his brothers [[Harold Greenberg|Harold]], Sidney and Harvey, co-founded what would eventually become [[Astral Media|Astral Media Inc]]. They took out a [[Canadian dollar|C$]]15,000 loan from the future father-in-law of Sidney and named their business Angreen Photo Inc., in honour of their late mother.<ref name="GandM"/><ref name="CP obit"/> It was initially focused on [[photographic processing]] – drawing on the previous work experience of two of his older brothers<ref name="GandM"/> – and was based inside [[Miracle Mart]] department stores.<ref name="CP obit"/><ref name=Historica>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Potter|first=Jessica|editor-last=|editor-first=|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|title=Astral Media|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/astral-media|date=January 27, 2010|access-date=January 12, 2022|volume=|publisher=Historica Canada}}</ref> The brothers secured exclusive rights to sell photo merchandise at [[Expo 67]] held in their hometown.<ref name="GandM"/>
They eventually made their business, since renamed to Astral Communications, a [[public company]] in 1974.<ref name="CP obit"/> It took over the Pathé-Humphries motion picture lab that same year, and went on to be known as AstralTech.<ref name=Historica/> The company expanded into other business areas, such as the production and distribution of films and television shows.<ref name=Pitts/><ref name="CP obit"/> Although its early productions were mediocre, the sex comedy ''[[Porky's]]'' (1982) became the highest-grossing Canadian movie at the North American box office for two decades until ''[[My Big Fat Greek Wedding]]'' in 2002.<ref name="CP obit"/>
The success of ''Porky's'' enabled Astral to have more room to manoeuvre financially,<ref name=Pitts/> and the Greenberg brothers quickly divested from film production in favour of [[pay television]].<ref name="CP obit"/><ref name=Historica/> After Harold's death in 1996, Greenberg assumed control of the company as president and chief executive officer. He gradually transformed the company, which had begun as a photographic specialty business, into a pure-play media company (in the 1990s), focused on television, radio, out-of-home advertising and digital media properties.<ref name="CP obit"/><ref name=Historica/> The business was again rebranded in February 2000 as Astral Media.<ref name=Historica/>
Before its sale in 2013, Astral Media had over 2,800 employees in fifty cities across Canada.<ref name="La Presse obit">{{cite news|title=L'homme d'affaires Ian Greenberg est décédé|url=https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/2022-01-11/cofondateur-d-astral-media/l-homme-d-affaires-ian-greenberg-est-decede.php|first=Vincent|last=Brousseau-Pouliot|date=January 11, 2022|accessdate=January 12, 2022|newspaper=La Presse|location=Montreal}} {{in lang|fr}}</ref> Under Greenberg's direction, [[Astral Media]] had grown to operate 84 radio stations,<ref>{{cite news|title=Bell CEO says takeover of Astral good for Canadians|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/bell-ceo-says-takeover-of-astral-good-for-canadians-1.1354298|date=May 6, 2013|access-date=January 12, 2022|publisher=CBC News}}</ref> 24 pay and specialty television channels,<ref>{{cite news|title=BCE–Astral deal likely to spur job cuts|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/bce-astral-deal-likely-to-spur-job-cuts/article535111/|first=Luann|last=Lasalle|date=March 21, 2012|access-date=January 12, 2022|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|agency=The Canadian Press}}</ref> and over 9,500 out-of-home advertising faces.<ref>{{cite news|title=Astral goes mobile with HBO app|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/astral-goes-mobile-with-hbo-app/article4223312/|first=Steve|last=Ladurantaye|date=April 11, 2012|access-date=January 12, 2022|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto}}</ref> The company also operated over 100 websites.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bell to acquire Astral Media for $3.38 billion|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/bell-to-acquire-astral-media-for-3-38-billion-1.782807|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120721112413/http://www.ctvnews.ca/bell-to-acquire-astral-media-for-3-38-billion-1.782807|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 21, 2012|date=March 16, 2012|access-date=January 12, 2022|publisher=CTV News}}</ref>
On March 16, 2012, Astral Media announced it had signed an agreement to sell the company to [[Bell Canada|BCE, Inc]] (Bell Canada). The [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]] (CRTC) initially denied BCE's bid to acquire Astral seven months later, but ultimately approved a re-tooled bid in 2013.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/com100/2012/r121018.htm| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121021002339/http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/com100/2012/r121018.htm| archive-date = 2012-10-21| title = CRTC denies BCE's bid to acquire Astral}}</ref>
==Personal life== Greenberg and his brothers were awarded the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanities Award for their exceptional contributions to philanthropic endeavours in 1993.<ref name="obit press release">{{cite news|title=Ian Greenberg, Canadian media pioneer, dies at 79|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/ian-greenberg-canadian-media-pioneer-dies-at-79/|date=January 11, 2022|access-date=January 12, 2022|publisher=CTV News}}</ref> He was a member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and a governor of the [[Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital]] in Montreal.<ref name="obit press release"/> He was also a member of the board of directors of [[BCE Inc.|Bell Canada Enterprises]] (BCE) and [[Cineplex Entertainment]].<ref name=CBHF/>
Greenberg resided in Montreal with his wife Linda. They had three children and nine grandchildren. He died on 10 January 2022, at the age of 79.<ref name="CP obit"/><ref name="obit press release"/>
==Awards== * 1993: Eleanor Roosevelt Humanities Award, co-awarded with his brothers<ref name="obit press release"/><ref name=CBHF>{{cite news|title=Ian Greenberg|url=https://cbhf.ca/ian-greenberg|access-date=January 12, 2022|publisher=Canadian Business Hall of Fame}}</ref> * 2007: Ted Rogers and Velma Rogers Graham Award<ref name="obit press release"/><ref name=CBHF/> * 2008: Inducted in the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Hall of Fame<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cab-acr.ca/english/media/news/08/nr_oct1708.shtm|title=Canadian Association of Broadcasters|author=|date=|website=www.cab-acr.ca|access-date=22 January 2019|archive-date=1 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201004944/http://www.cab-acr.ca/english/media/news/08/nr_oct1708.shtm|url-status=dead}}</ref> * 2013: Inducted in the Canadian Business Hall of Fame<ref name="urbanheromagazine.com">{{cite web|url=http://urbanheromagazine.com/issue/april-2014/article/ian-greenberg-to-be-inducted-into-canadian-broadcast-industry-hall-of-fame-at-cmw-2014|title=Ian Greenberg To Be Inducted Into Canadian Broadcast Industry Hall Of Fame at CMW 2014 - Urban Hero Magazine - UHM - "Live Music" coverage of Indie, Rock, Country, Blues, Metal, R&B music and more... Now, that's EXCITING!|author=|date=|website=urbanheromagazine.com|access-date=22 January 2019}}</ref> * 2013: Academy Special Award, for exceptional achievement in Canadian film and TV<ref>{{cite web|url=http://playbackonline.ca/2013/02/05/victor-loewy-ian-greenberg-to-receive-academy-special-awards/|title=Victor Loewy, Ian Greenberg to receive Academy special awards|first=Danielle |last=Ng See Quan|date=February 5, 2013|website=playbackonline.ca|access-date=22 January 2019}}</ref> * May 8, 2014: Inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame<ref name="urbanheromagazine.com"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Astral Media}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greenberg, Ian}} [[Category:1942 births]] [[Category:2022 deaths]] [[Category:Anglophone Quebec people]] [[Category:Astral Media people]] [[Category:Businesspeople from Montreal]] [[Category:Canadian chief executives]] [[Category:Canadian company founders]] [[Category:Canadian media executives]] [[Category:Harvard Business School alumni]] [[Category:Canadian Jews]]