Jack Wasserman (1927-1977) was a nightlife and celebrity columnist for the Vancouver Sun newspaper from 1949 on. He also had a radio program on the Vancouver talk-radio station CJOR (1968).
His column was read throughout the province; largely made of short items strung together, with the names of celebrities in boldface. He often reported things overheard backstage or at political rallies. Whatever was in the headlines, Wasserman would have some inside information on the story.
When printers at the Vancouver Sun declared a strike, Wasserman anticipated a long work stoppage, so he approached his friend Jim Pattison, owner of radio station CJOR. Wasserman would go on the air with a three-hour talk show weekday mornings from 9 am until 12 noon. His competition would be radio veteran Jack Webster. The Sun responded by firing Wasserman, and replacing him with Denny Boyd.
Wasserman was able to bring many major celebrities to the show through his connections with local promoters and nightclub owners. His guests included Nina Simone, Richard Pryor, Dusty Springfield, Eric Burdon, and many others, including politicians such as Tommy Douglas. His ratings, however, could not beat those of rival Webster, and in a couple of years Wasserman was able to return to the Sun and his column, until he died in 1977. He briefly had a show named Wasserman's World on CKNW (1970).
Wasserman's society and celebrity columns (and occasional political analysis) covered the often-lurid details of the Vancouver nightlife and society scene in the 1950s and 1960s, when famous dinner clubs such as The Cave and Isy's attracted big names from around the world.
Quoting from one his columns:
So profound was Wasserman's role in Vancouver's nightlife that the key blocks of Hornby Street, where much of the action was, has since been officially dubbed "Wasserman's Beat."