John Stephen Stohn (born May 8, 1948) is an American-born Canadian entertainment lawyer and

television producer A television producer is a person who oversees one or more aspects of video production on a television show, television program. Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the television net ...

. He is best known for his involvement with the ''

Degrassi ''Degrassi'' is a Canadian television franchise created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler in 1979. It is centred on a multigenerational teen drama about an ensemble cast of teenagers attending the namesake Toronto school as they navigate their ad ...

'' teen drama franchise, particularly as an executive producer on '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''. Until 2018 he was the president of Epitome Pictures Inc., which he and his wife

Linda Schuyler Linda Schuyler, (; née Bawcutt; born February 12, 1948) is a Canadian television producer. She is best known for being the co-creator and producer of the ''Degrassi'' teen drama franchise, which has spanned five series over four decades. She i ...

founded in 1992 and was sold to

DHX Media WildBrain Ltd. (formerly known as DHX Media, Ltd.) is a Canadian media, animation studio, production, and brand licensing company, mostly associated as an entertainment company. The company is known for owning the largest library of children ...

in 2014. On June 7, 2019, he was installed as Chancellor of

Trent University Trent University is a public liberal arts university in Peterborough, Ontario, with a satellite campus in Oshawa, which serves the Regional Municipality of Durham. Trent is known for its Oxbridge college system and small class sizes.

Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Career

Stohn's work in the entertainment industry commenced with part-time appearances as a performing artist, continuing with active work as a songwriter (including two songs that reached the Canadian Top-10, ''Maybe Your Heart'' and ''Once In A Long Time'', co-written with

Christopher Ward Christopher Ward may refer to: * Christopher Ward (British politician) (born 1942), British solicitor and Conservative Party politician * Christopher Ward (conductor) (born 1980), British conductor * Christopher Ward (entomologist) (1836–1900), E ...

), and a primary career as an entertainment and copyright lawyer since he was called to the Ontario Bar in 1979. Trent University had barely been built when Stohn attended there starting in 1966. He helped found, and named, Trent's student newspaper ''Arthur''. Stohn also helped found the radio station at Trent, now

CFFF-FM CFFF-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts at 92.7 FM radio, FM in Peterborough, Ontario. The broadcast facility, which uses the on-air name Trent Radio, was previously licensed as the campus radio station of the city's Trent Universit ...

, along with Peter Northrop and

. In the early 1990s, he helped found the

Songwriters Association of Canada The Songwriters Association of Canada (SAC) is a Canadian organization dedicated exclusively to Canadian composers, lyricists and songwriters. Their mission is to develop and protect the creative and business environments for songwriters in Canada ...

along with Donna Murphy, Terry McManus and internationally acclaimed songwriter

Eddie Schwartz Edward Sydney Schwartz C.M. (born December 22, 1949) is a Canadian musician who had moderate success as a recording artist in the early 1980s before becoming a successful songwriter and record producer in the late 1980s and the 1990s. Songs he ...

. Stohn has executive-produced two feature films, ''Me?'' and ''

The Clown Murders ''The Clown Murders'' is a 1976 Canadian horror film directed by Martyn Burke. It was one of the earliest films in which John Candy appears. The Executive Producer was Stephen Stohn, who later produced the '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' TV ...

''. He was also executive producer of ''Riverdale'', English Canada's first prime-time soap opera, and of the lifestyle TV series ''Savoir Faire'' (hosted by Nik Manojlovich) and ''

Room Service Room service or in-room dining is a hotel service enabling guests to choose items of food and drink for delivery to their hotel room for consumption. Room service is organized as a subdivision within the food and beverage department of high-end ...

'' (hosted by

Sarah Richardson Sarah Richardson (born October 22, 1971) is a Canadians, Canadian interior designer and television personality who started out her career as a prop stylist in 1994. Since then, she has hosted several television series on design for HGTV (Canada), ...

Book

A book of stories from Stohn's life was published by

Dundurn Press Dundurn Press is one of the largest Canadian-owned book publishing companies of adult and children's fiction and non-fiction. The company publishes Canadian literature, history, biography, politics and arts. Dundurn has about 2500 books in print, ...

in March 2018. Entitled ''Whatever It Takes: Life Lessons from Degrassi and Elsewhere in the World of Music and Television'', the book has been written by Stohn with

, and includes a foreword by

Martin Gero Martin Gero (born July 6, 1977 in Geneva, Switzerland) is a Canadian screenwriter and co-executive producer for ''Stargate Atlantis'' and the creator of '' Blindspot''. Born in Switzerland, Gero spent much of his childhood in Ottawa, Ontario ...

''Degrassi''

In early 2000,

and

Yan Moore Yan Moore (born February 6, 1953) is a Canadian television writer and producer. He is best known as a writer for ''Degrassi Junior High'', ''Degrassi High'' and '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''. He was also the creator and producer of the Canadi ...

were developing a new teen TV series with the working title ''Ready, Willing and Wired, based on the already success''. One day Yan came up with the brainstorm that baby Emma, who was born to the then 8th-grade student Spike Nelson in ''

Degrassi Junior High ''Degrassi Junior High'' is a Canadian television series and the second series in the ''Degrassi'' franchise created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler. A successor but not a direct spin-off of ''The Kids of Degrassi Street'', it debuted on CBC o ...

'', would be the right age now to be attending high school, and why not make her a main character in ''Ready, Willing and Wired'' thus turning the new series into a sequel to the original ''Degrassi''. Inspired by his love for the original ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' sci-fi TV series, which had spun into '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Stohn suggested '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' as the title for the new sequel series. By autumn 2001 the title remained, and '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' made its first appearance on air. Stohn co-wrote the opening theme music for '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' with Jim McGrath and Jody Colero. He is also the executive producer of

Alexz Johnson Alexzandra Spencer Johnson (born November 4, 1986) is a Canadian musician, actress, and philanthropist. Her debut album ''Voodoo'' was independently released with her brother Brendan Johnson in 2010, followed by the demo release of ''The Basem ...

's debut solo album ''

Voodoo Voodoo may refer to: Religions * African or West African Vodun, practiced by Gbe-speaking ethnic groups * African diaspora religions, a list of related religions sometimes called Vodou/Voodoo ** Candomblé Jejé, also known as Brazilian Vodu ...

'', and the executive producer of all the various ''

Degrassi soundtracks This is a list of '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' soundtracks. __NOTOC__ ''Songs from Degrassi: The Next Generation'' ''Songs from Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is a soundtrack album from the television series '' Degrassi: The Next Generat ...

'' and ''

Instant Star soundtracks The television show ''Instant Star'' has produced a series of soundtracks featuring songs from the show, mostly performed by Alexz Johnson, released between 2005 and 2009. The first two albums contain only songs sung by Johnson, but starting from ' ...

''.

Other work

For nearly 20 years, until 2009, he was executive producer of the telecast of Canada's music awards show, ''The Juno Awards'', and during that period was a director and then Chair of

Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) is a non-profit organization responsible for promoting Canadian music and artists. It administers the Juno Awards, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the MusiCounts music education char ...

, the organization responsible for ''The Juno Awards''. He was also Chair of '' MusiCounts'', a charity associated with ''The Juno Awards'', which among other things distributes musical instruments to schools in need. From 2004 to 2008 Stohn executive produced the teen drama television series ''

Instant Star ''Instant Star'' is a Canadian musical comedy-drama television series which aired from 15 September 2004 to 26 June 2008. The series starred Alexz Johnson as teenage singing competition winner Jude Harrison. The show chronicles Harrison's experie ...

'' about a young woman (played by

) who wins a singer/songwriter contest. In 2011 and 2012 he executive produced the television series ''

The L.A. Complex ''The L.A. Complex'' (originally ''Highland Gardens'') is a Canadian drama television series that premiered on CTV on January 10, 2012, subsequently airing on MuchMusic. It also began airing in the United States on April 24, 2012, on The CW. Th ...

'' (formerly called ''Highland Gardens'') for

Bell Media Bell Media Inc. ( French: ) is a Canadian company formed by the amalgamation of several companies. Establishment (2011–13) On December 9, 2011, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan announced the sale of its majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports ...

in Canada and

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

in the U.S., about young Canadians dreaming of fame and fortune while struggling to survive in an apartment-style hotel in Los Angeles. His recent projects have included the family mystery series '' Open Heart'' for YTV in Canada and

TeenNick TeenNick is an American Pay television, pay-TV channel that is operated by the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Aimed primarily at teens and tweens, its programming includes a variety of live-action series inherited from si ...

in the U.S. and the latest incarnation of ''Degrassi'', namely '' Degrassi: Next Class'' for Family Channel in Canada and

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

worldwide.

Legal background

Stohn's industry experience includes being a partner for 10 years in Canada's largest law firm,

McCarthy Tétrault McCarthy Tétrault LLP is a leading Canadian law firm that delivers integrated business law, litigation services, tax law, real property law, labour and employment law nationally and globally through offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Mont ...

. He graduated from the

University of Toronto Faculty of Law The University of Toronto Faculty of Law (U of T Law, UToronto Law) is the law school of the University of Toronto. The Faculty's admissions process is the most selective of law schools in Canada and is one of the most selective in North America. ...

(J.D. 1977) and

(B.A. 1969). He is a founding partner in the Canadian entertainment law firm Stohn Hay Cafazzo Dembroski Richmond LLP, where he provides strategic legal advice to performers, advertising agencies, merchandisers, recording artists, songwriters, multimedia/internet creators, broadcasters and film and television producers. He and two other partners in the firm constitute three of the fourteen entertainment lawyers named in the 2014 Lexpert American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada.

Personal life

Stohn was born in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

. He is married to ''Degrassi'' creator

; they have one son, Max.

Awards

* Stohn has been nominated 28 times in Canada's national television awards ceremony, the

Canadian Screen Awards The Canadian Screen Awards (french: link=no, Les prix Écrans canadiens) are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media (web series) p ...

(formerly the

Gemini Award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in the United States ...

s), and has won 14 times. In 2011 he was nominated for a primetime

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

and won a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

. He was nominated three more times for a primetime

, in 2012, 2014 and 2015. * In August 2005, Stohn received a commendation from the

Government of Ontario The government of Ontario (french: Gouvernement de l'Ontario) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Ontario. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the province by the lieutenant governor� ...

reading in part: ''"You are no stranger to Canadian show business, having worked, and excelled, in nearly all facets of the industry. You seem to have worn every possible hat—from performing artist to accomplished entertainment lawyer—and, in doing so, have amassed an incomparable wealth of knowledge and experience. Your skills and expertise have stood you in good stead, propelling you from success to success. Whether producing the internationally acclaimed television series Degrassi: The Next Generation or playing a key role in the development of Epitome Pictures, you take on challenges in a manner appropriately echoed by the words of the legendary

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmuel Gelbfisz; yi, שמואל געלבפֿיש; August 27, 1882 (claimed) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer. He was best known for being the founding contributor a ...

: All opportunities in the world are waiting to be grasped by people who are in love with what they are doing.'''' * On March 10, 2011, he was inducted into the Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame. * On June 4, 2015

awarded him an honorary doctorate, Doctor of Letters (D.Litt ''honoris causa'').

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stohn, Stephen 1948 births American emigrants to Canada Canadian lawyers Canadian television producers Lawyers in Ontario Living people Lawyers from Denver People from Toronto Trent University alumni University of Toronto alumni