Bert Luciani

Issue #73 - December 2018

This edition of Sky Studio is dedicated to Bert Luciani

This edition of Sky Studio is dedicated to Bert Luciani, who joined his former colleagues in Sky Studio December 22, 2018.

Bert was truly a broadcast pioneer who witnessed many evolutions of technology over his decades in the business and helped those technologies get implemented which advanced broadcasting and its ability to better serve the community. 

Bert met hundreds of national, international and local celebrities, politicians, entertainers and others who were interviewed in the East Street studios where he was the main studio camera operator. I’m sure they all left with a positive memory of meeting Bert.

He was instantly liked when anyone met him and subsequent interactions lead to deep and ongoing friendships. Even after years of not seeing him, bumping into him was always a heart warming and genuine pleasure.

Over the decades Bert was a key part of the local programming such as Grace Pitt’s Ladies Day, Pitt Stop and other shows including the main supper hour news package Telerama, Lionel McAuley’s Personalities in the News interviews followed in later years by my Public Affairs interview segment, and he was often on the front line with first time, live, community broadcasts of events, parades and telethons over the years when we had local television here.

One of the many great stories about Bert I remember was when Prime Minister Trudeau told him not to be late for supper!

Bert’s wife Lena had called and left a message for him ‘not to be late,’ that was written down and the note left on the studio interview desk.

PM Pierre Trudeau was in the city and, in those days, a TV interview was part of his itinerary. In the studio the PM saw a paper on the desk, read it and asked, “Who’s Bert?” Surprised of course, Bert put his hand up and Trudeau read the message to him!

Not often a guy goes home and is able to say to his wife, “The Prime Minister told me not to be late for supper!”

I was with Bert and others from CJIC TV on a Department of National Defence media military tour in the 1970s that included Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. In 1936 it was the site of the Winter Olympics, the first to feature alpine skiing. Bert was quite the skier but we didn’t have time for him to take a run at the Bavarian Alps but I remember that sparkle in his eye as he thought about it.

Later in his career as Operations Manager at the then new Lake Superior Cablevision, Bert played a pioneering role again when community television programming was important and a priority. 

He mentored many aspiring broadcast camera operators, directors and other studio and creative staff. Bert provided the benefit of his varied and extensive experience to many who worked behind and in front of the camera, along with giving encouraging, supportive guidance, always provided with that magical, warm smile he had, a hearty laugh of good cheer and a pat on the back. 

Often with new technology and ongoing old equipment, of which television was a mixture, things needed fixing. Bert was one of the Mr Fixit’s who could get something that was impossible to repair, working again.

Through the camera lens Bert Luciani saw it all and we’re a better community for his efforts. Bert was a key figure in making local television as important as it was years ago to the viewers it served.

Bert was extraordinarily kind and offered a generous sharing of his skills and knowledge. At this seasonal giving time of year he’ll be particularly well remembered.

The Sault Ste Marie Oral History Library included an interview with Bert which is catalogued under “Umberto Luciani”.
https://youtu.be/SyTpfSfMtH4

Special Announcement
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/en-ca/obituaries/sault-ste-marie-on/albert-bert-luciani-8096120

Sault Star story
https://www.saultstar.com/news/local-news/luciani-was-sault-broadcast-veteran