John Leigh "Johnnie" Walters (born c. 1933) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

retired broadcaster and television personality known for his on-air improvisation and sense of humour. He is best known for his long affiliation with

CKCO-TV CKCO-DT (channel 13) is a television station in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Part of the CTV Television Network, it is owned and operated by network parent Bell Media alongside London-based CTV 2 station CFPL-DT, although the two stations maintain ...

Kitchener, Ontario ) , image_flag = Flag of Kitchener, Ontario.svg , image_seal = Seal of Kitchener, Canada.svg , image_shield=Coat of arms of Kitchener, Canada.svg , image_blank_emblem = Logo of Kitchener, Ontario.svg , blank_emblem_type = ...

. He received his training on American TV and radio, developing his style hosting TV shows in U.S. cities. According to

Harold Ramis Harold Allen Ramis (; November 21, 1944 – February 24, 2014) was an American actor, comedian, director and writer. His best-known film acting roles were as Egon Spengler in ''Ghostbusters'' (1984) and '' Ghostbusters II'' (1989), and as Russel ...

Dave Thomas Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * Dave (film), ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * Dave (musical), ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital ...

's book, ''SCTV: Behind The Scenes'', the SCTV "Dialing For Dollars" spoofs were based on the show of that name hosted by Walters in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

. His early gigs included radio hosting at WHK in

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, and a daily show WLW-TV in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

with

Vivian Della Chiesa Vivian Della Chiesa (October 9, 1915 – January 6, 2009) was an American lyric soprano who achieved a high level of popularity in the United States singing on the radio during the 1940s and the early 1950s. Della Chiesa performed a wide variety ...

, from 1964-68. Walters joined

as the host of ''Horoscope Dollars'', a low-budget show featuring Walters calling area residents at random with a question, the correct answer to which depended on them viewing that particular show. Some of the most entertaining moments came during the time spent dialing and waiting for numbers to connect, as he engaged in informal banter with offscreen crew and organist Pat Ludwig. From mid-1970s to the early 1980s, Walters hosted ''The Johnnie Walters Show,'' an hour-long weekday morning program featuring guests, an exercise segment, horoscopes, and a cooking segment. Later, he joined a mid-weekday news/information program with

Betty Thompson Betty Thompson (1934–1994) was a Canadian television presenter who spent most of her career at CKCO-DT, CKCO-TV in Kitchener, Ontario. She was seen throughout Canada as host of CTV Television Network, CTV's version of ''Romper Room'', a child ...

(Miss Betty from CKCO's

Romper Room ''Romper Room'' is an American children's television series that was franchised and syndicated from 1953 to 1994. The program targeted preschoolers (children five years of age or younger), and was created and produced by Bert Claster and his ...

) and Bill Inkol (CKCO sports director). Walters hosted ''Trivia Company'' on CKCO from 1983 to 1988.Aagaard, Christian (6 May 2002)
Walters was early master of 'reality TV'
''

Kitchener Record The ''Waterloo Region Record'' (formerly ''The Record'') is the daily newspaper covering Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada, including the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, as well as the surrounding area. Since December 1998, the ''Re ...

'', Retrieved November 16, 2010 This half-hour show was done in a game show format, and featured Walters taking a mobile unit on the street asking various people trivia questions for cash prizes that were often accompanied by a "Certificate of Genius". On the latter was written a brief but grandiloquent speech, read on-air by the prize-winner, which proclaimed them "A genius, and certainly not a jerk." Walters frequently reacted exuberantly whenever contestants indicated they might have an inkling of what the answer might be (and sometimes even when they didn't), bellowing his catchphrase, "This guy (or lady) knows the answer!" stentoriously to draw in passersby to the spectacle in front of the camera. The show was revived in 1992 by

CFPL-TV CFPL-DT (channel 10) is a television station in London, Ontario, Canada, part of the CTV 2 system. It is owned and operated by Bell Media alongside Kitchener-based CTV station CKCO-DT, channel 13 (although the two stations maintain separate oper ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and

CFTO-TV CFTO-DT (channel 9) is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, serving as the flagship station of the CTV Television Network. It is owned and operated by network parent Bell Media alongside Barrie-based CTV 2 outlet CKVR-DT, channel 3 ( ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

(11 September 1992)
Old maestro of minutiae Johnnie Walters is back
''

'', Retrieved November 16, 2010 and finished production in 1994. Walters was also an occasional fill-in weatherman on the late edition of CKCO news, becoming one of those who wore the classic CKCO red jacket. In 2010, Walters published a memoir about his mother titled ''A Very Capable Life: The Autobiography of Zarah Petri'', which won the 2010

Edna Staebler Edna Staebler (January 15, 1906 – September 12, 2006) was a Canadian writer and award-winning literary journalist,Faculty of Arts, August 28, 2012, , ''Wilfrid Laurier University'', Headlines, Retrieved 11/26/2012 best known for her series of c ...

Award for creative non-fiction.Aggerholm, Barbara. (13 November 2010)
An immigrants story
, ''

Waterloo Region Record The ''Waterloo Region Record'' (formerly ''The Record'') is the daily newspaper covering Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada, including the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, as well as the surrounding area. Since December 1998, the ''Re ...

'', Retrieved November 16, 2010

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Walters, Johnnie 1933 births Canadian television hosts People from Kitchener, Ontario Living people Place of birth missing (living people)