CHEK’s Tchadas Leo, The Zone’s Dylan & Jason honoured at BCAB awards

The British Columbia Association of Broadcasters (BCAB) presented awards to three Victorians on Tuesday — Tchadas Leo from CHEK News and Dylan Willows and Jason Lamb from The Zone at 91-3.

Leo won the BCAB award for the Broadcast Performer of Tomorrow, which is awarded to a broadcaster who shows potential to play a significant role as an on-air performer.

“It feels very special to have this recognition but I’ve always wanted to do it to elevate other people’s voices,” Leo said when accepting the award.

“I’m just very happy and I’m just excited to keep going. This just fuels me to keep doing what I love to do and what took me a long time to get back to but I’m happy to be doing it again and thank you to everybody who has supported me along my journey.”

His journey to broadcasting started when he was 12 years old. A local cable producer presented to his class and sparked his passion for television.

He began volunteering for the company, then eventually went to school for campus radio. Leo’s journey detoured for awhile as he began managing restaurants and selling cars, then one day he applied for a job at CHEK.

“He didn’t get that job, he wasn’t quite the right fit right at that moment, but it started a conversation,” Rob Germain, CHEK’s general manager said when presenting Leo the award.

“Tchadas clearly had a passion, he had the raw talent, he just needed a new opportunity.”

Instead of the job he applied for, Leo launched CHEK’s first podcast — Our Native Land — and also went to British Columbia Institute of Technology to study to be a broadcast journalist.

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After he graduated from BCIT, Leo started as a co-op student, then was hired as a multi-media journalist. In addition to that, he continues to host Our Native Land, fills in on the anchor desk, and has become a drone pilot.

Dylan & Jason

Willows and Lamb were presented the award for Broadcast Performers of the Year, which is awarded to performers who demonstrate innovation, creativity, determination, involvement and excellence in their on-air performance.

Willows had just celebrated his 19th anniversary working at The Zone, and Lamb had worked with him for 16 years.

“They’ve done so much for the community,” Rob Bye, The Zone’s general manager said when presenting the award.

“The Zone’s annual toy drive, it’s held every December and doing that morning show from usually a chilly snowy parking lot, and just seeing the outpouring of that connection with the community and that two-way street and when it really works really comes alive and these guys have certainly personified that for a long time.”

In February, Willows signed off for the last time after learning his cancer was terminal.

READ PREVIOUS: ‘Much love’: Dylan Willows announces last show at The Zone amid cancer diagnosis

“In a time of uncertainty, I truly believe the only way forward is to stay courageous, stay creative, take risks, always be original and true to yourself,” Bye said, reading from a letter Willows sent to The Zone staff after his last shift. “The listener will always connect with something real.”

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