Mark Forsythe honoured with RTDNA lifetime achievement award

Broadcaster Mark Forsythe is being recognized with a lifetime achievement award by the Association of Electronic Journalists at a gala later this month.

Forsythe worked with CBC for 30 years but was known around the province as the host of CBC Radio One's afternoon listener call-in program, BC Almanac.

"It's a career achievement award which made me realize my career went by so quickly," Forsythe told the CBC. "It was really gratifying to know the RTDNA are giving me this honour." 

He earned his nickname Mr. B.C. for what he says is the ability of the program to link the entire province together.

"Part of the B.C. Almanac mission is to go out and reflect the province back to itself. I used to go out with my tape recorder and drive to places like Bella Coola, up and down the Columbia Valley, and into the Peace River region. I was one of the fortunate ones that had the opportunity to go out and see these incredible regions and meet the people there."

Forsythe and the B.C. Almanac team received an RTDNA award in 2011 for their series Pipe Dreams which followed Enbridge's proposed plan to build a pipeline from the Alberta oil sands to the B.C. coast. 

The RTDNA regional awards take place on April 18 at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver. The awards banquet recognizes journalists for their work on radio, television, and digital media.