Troy Reeb has come a long way since his days at the old CFOK radio station in Westlock having climbed his way to the top of a Canadian broadcasting empire.
Lethbridge College will present Reeb with an honorary Bachelor of Applied Arts degree at the institution’s April 26 convocation ceremonies. He was previously recognized as distinguished alumni in 2003.
“I’m obviously flattered,” he said. “I was only there a couple of years, but they were obviously my formative years, as was my time in Westlock. I graduated from R.F. Staples, I went on to Lethbridge and obviously had a pretty good career from there.”
Reeb is living proof that even small-town kids can have a big impact on the national media scene. He made his way from Westlock to Lethbridge then to Ottawa, as a parliamentary reporter and on to Washington as bureau chief for Global Television.
Now, as executive vice-president of broadcast networks for Corus Entertainment, Reeb oversees 15 Global TV stations, 44 specialty TV stations, 39 radio stations and all of the company’s online platforms and apps.
“I always had big dreams, but realistic expectations. I don’t know that I ever anticipated being at this level of senior management,” said Reeb from his Toronto office, right on the shoreline of Lake Ontario.
“My world has changed substantially.”
Reeb was recently promoted to the executive position, but still approaches his job with the mind of a storyteller.
“You are trying to harness the work of people who are passionate about connecting with audiences and telling stories, the same way the Westlock News is,” he said.
As he worked his way up the industry ladder though, it became apparent, he said, that his background of growing up in a small town may have been a detriment.
“I realized there seemed to be a much vaster path into the big jobs for people from big schools ... one of the things I wanted to do was show that people who grow up in a small-town environment, who may only have the financial means or connections to go to a smaller school, that they deserve the same kind of opportunity as people of privilege,” said Reeb.
With that in mind, he has sponsored the Troy Reeb Internship at the college for the last 14 years, giving digital communications and media students at the school an opportunity to spend 10 days in big city markets like Toronto and Ottawa to gain on-the-job experience and make some connections that may help out with future job prospects.
“We have been somewhat successful in that. We’ve had some really good success stories in the last 14 years of having interns who go on to some pretty cool journalism careers.”
Reeb looks back on his time growing up in Westlock fondly.
“It was a great place to grow up. One of the things that growing up in a small town teaches you is how to get along with people and how to hustle to get ahead,” he said.
Reeb has always had a healthy work ethic, which he said is critical, sometimes working seven days a week through high school at the Medicine Bottle Drug Store. He also worked at the old Mohawk gas station on Highway 44.
“I think that work ethic that so many people in Westlock have and so many people in small town Alberta have does you really, really well as you move into a career like journalism.
“It teaches you not to be afraid to shake somebody’s hand and to look them in the eye, which is a really important trait to have.”
