John Ross

Ross Video’s founder, John Ross has been awarded the Order of Canada, the highest honour a Canadian Citizen can receive as announced by the Governor General on December 30, 2012.

Nominated for his contributions as a technology innovator, developing products at the forefront of broadcast engineering, John Ross will accept his insignia at a ceremony to be held at a later date.

In January 1954, the CBC hired John to be part of the initial staff of CBWT. At CBWT John was the youngest member of the pioneering “start-up” crew of the first TV Station between Toronto and Vancouver.

During his employment at the CBC, Ross designed a transistorized wireless microphone adapter to be worn on a belt, and the first colour TV in Canada to receive colour pictures from Canadian Transmitter (CBWT in 1956). After completing his university education in Engineering, John went on to design what is described as the first solid-state TV production switcher and he was awarded a chroma key patent that led to the use of the green screen. John also obtained a contract for the development of the first automated solid-state Master Control Switcher, plus co-designed and built the first successful all-electronic tape editing system in the world.

In 1974, John founded Ross Video, based out of Iroquois, Ontario, and retired from the company in 2005, handing the company over to his son David who now serves as President, CEO and Chairman of the Board.