Third-ever female CBC announcer began journey as a Gryphon.
Judy Maddren, a Consumer Studies graduate from the University of Guelph, dreamed of becoming a radio broadcaster since her teenage years. Though the road to the microphone was not always straight and narrow, Maddren persevered with true resilience, becoming the third-ever female hired as a CBC radio broadcaster.
At 15-years-old, Maddren wrote to the CBC expressing her dream of someday becoming a part of the radio world. A current broadcaster at the time responded, explaining that there were already enough talented men in the business. “When I wrote and asked [about becoming a broadcaster], the CBC had told me I couldn’t because I was a girl,” Maddren explained. “I had just accepted that at the time.” That wouldn’t be the last of Maddren; instead, it would become a curve in the road to the end success.
After sidelining the idea of radio, Maddren recognized her strength in Home Economics, pushing her to pursue the idea of becoming a teacher at the University of Guelph. “After visiting the campus, it was just so comfortable,” Maddren said of her initial attraction to the university. “Plus it had one of the highest recommendations for Home Economics in North America at the time. That was appealing – something so close to home (but not too close), with such a high standard.”
In her second year at the university, Maddren made another shift in her career path that would eventually lead to a job with the CBC after graduation. Realizing she didn’t want to become a Home Economics teacher, Maddren became a Consumer Studies major – a new, and popular, concept at the time.
The requirement to complete a thesis led Maddren to her advisor, Dr. Richard Vosburgh. Vosburgh acknowledged Maddren’s passion for radio, as she was involved with the campus radio station (CFRU-FM) at the time, and suggested she complete her thesis in something related to radio media. “[Vosburgh] was the one who said, ‘you’re interested in radio, what could you do that would use that interest?’ So that’s when it all came together,” Maddren explained.
Maddren’s thesis brought her to the CBC in Toronto for research on the roles of women in radio, and how they were changing. Little did she know, at the time, she would soon be a big part of that change.
Maddren thanks Glen Powell, an Agricultural reporter at the time and a fellow Guelph graduate, for her first introduction to the national radio building. Being surrounded by something she was so passionate about swept the young Maddren off her feet. “It was meeting the people, being fascinated with the craft and what I saw of it (by that point, it wasn’t much), that made me pursue working there,” Maddren explained of the experience. Maddren further described her week with the CBC with strong parallels to the university she loved. “It was kind of a creaky old building – it was very Guelph, actually,” Maddren laughed at the similarity. “It was also very comfortable. Just like Guelph, too.”
After completing her research, the Consumer Information department told Maddren to stay in touch. “I called them every week to tell them I graduated,” she explained of her persistence. “Just a gentle nudge, you know. Then they did hire me on a contract basis, which turned into a long-term career.”
Maddren was first hired as a consumer reporter by the CBC, followed by a two-year stint with radio and television contract work in Ottawa. Then, in 1975, Maddren became the third ever female radio announcer hired by the CBC. “I was 22, I was still young,” Maddren said of not fully appreciating what she was apart of until much later. “Men were still putting their hand on your knee saying, ‘don’t worry, I’ll help you.’ It was uncomfortable, but that was the way the world was at the time.”
It was roughly ten years since Maddren had first wrote the CBC that they hired her. “When you’re on the outside looking in, it looks impossible,” Maddren explained. “The path is not always straight, but the whole route along the way was interesting.”
After hosting several programs on national radio and television, Maddren moved to freelance work for fourteen years in order to raise her children. “The work meant I could be me – just me. It allowed me to use my brain and be appreciated for my talent,” Maddren explained. “But it was always in the context of family.”
Family was also the inspiration for Maddren’s work with the Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol charity readings. They are held across Canada, with volunteers reading the classic story aloud to adults, who Maddren believes have lost the pleasure of being read to. Maddren’s incredible charity work with this event led the University of Guelph to award her the honour of the Macdonald Institute Centennial Award in 2003.
Retired from national radio, Maddren is now co-owner and manager of Soundportraits, a company that records audio interviews for families. “It’s the voice. It’s the instrument of the soul,” Maddren explained of her current project. “People’s outsides change radically, but voices don’t. It’s about as close as you can get to somebody.”
With the voice being so significant in Maddren’s mind, she wants young students to use theirs. “It’s about talking. Talk to people involved in what you want to do, they’ll remember you,” Maddren explained. “Just know it’s possible.”