Rai Purdy

Rai Purdy (born Horatio John Purdy; November 1910 – May 1990) was a Canadian television director and producer. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Early life

Rai Purdy was born Horatio John Purdy in England during November 1910 and moved to

At CFRB Purdy was eventually promoted to the position of head of the drama department and established the Canadian Theatre of the Air, the first national radio playhouse. Purdy also directed weekly serials, notably Penny's Diary and the thriller Out of the Night. At CFRB Purdy also established contacts with a network that would serve him well in later life. This network included comedian Alan Savage, along with future television personalities Lorne Greene, Monty Hall and Andrew Allan. In 1939 Purdy left CFRB to produce broadcasts for radio stations independently.^[1][2]

In 1941, Purdy joined the Canadian Army as a member of the army broadcast unit, and was promoted to lieutenant in 1942. He produced weekly CBC radio shows and directed the Canadian army stage shows, which in 1943 entertained troops in England. After the war, Purdy produced shows in Toronto for a time, then moved to New York City in 1950 to pursue a career in television with CBS Television. During his time at CBS Purdy produced and directed shows such as The Morning Show with Dick Van Dyke and Merv Griffin and Celebrity Time.^[1][2]

Television career

In 1957