Jane Gray

Elsie Gray (1896 – March 20, 1984), known professionally as Jane Gray, was an English-born Canadian radio and television broadcaster who was active between 1924 and 1979. She was one of the first women to pursue a career in radio broadcasting in Canada, and was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1988. and grew up there. She was interested in theater from an early age, but her parents were religious Baptists and did not want her to be an entertainer. However, they did permit her to sing for church groups, and she also did some performances during World War I to entertain the troops. But when the marriage failed and she separated from her husband in 1924, she needed to support her children; jobs in London did not pay very well, so she decided to move her family to Toronto, where she believed she could find more lucrative opportunities for employment. Some sources have stated, erroneously, that she was Canada's first female broadcaster; Her radio career had begun when she joined station CJGC in London, Ontario; she hosted a program where she read poetry.

By 1927, Gray was living in Toronto, where she was hired by CFRB and then CFCA.

Success By this time, Gray had started to make a name for herself. She not only wrote, produced, and acted in radio plays, but she also held drama school classes on Saturday mornings. On radio and in print, she became known for trying to solve the problems of her audience: people would write to her about family tragedies, illnesses, financial problems, and if she couldn't solve the problem herself, she would use her programs or her column to let others know and try to find solutions that way. In fact, her newspaper promoted her problem-solving abilities in regular advertisements: readers and radio listeners were encouraged to write to her for guidance, because she "has shown the way to happiness... to thousands of men and women."

She also became known as a pitch-woman, making appearances and doing testimonials for various products, several of which claimed to be "miracle elixirs." She assumed the role of "Princess Mus-Kee-Kee," promoting a medicinal tonic called Mus-Kee-Kee that promised to cure a wide range of health problems; the sponsor expected her to dress in a faux-Indian costume, and she made appearances across Canada, selling bottles of the product. She displayed her crafts and toys at hobby shows, and her work became popular, especially with fans who had enjoyed listening to her on the radio.

In addition to her radio work, beginning in 1953, she became a television host on CHCH-TV in Hamilton. The station was founded by Ken Soble, who had never forgotten her. He nicknamed her "Duchess," and hired her for his radio station, CHML, as well as for his TV station. Well into the 1960s, when styles of broadcasting had become smoother and more sophisticated, Gray was considered timeless by her fans: critics might call her corny and old-fashioned, but in a typical week, she would receive as many as 800 letters. She became known for interviewing well-known celebrities, including Liberace, Bob Hope, and Sophie Tucker, and she also interviewed local people.