Michael Bate
Encyclopedia
Michael Bate is a Canadian
media entrepreneur and one of the founders of the Ottawa
edition of gossip magazine Frank
.
Born in England, he grew up in Canada, attending the University of Victoria in 1965, and later studying history at Carleton
. Bate was a long time Ottawa
musician (pedal steel guitar
) who worked as a radio producer and as a computer games developer (working on such titles as B.C.'s Quest for Tires
, B.C. II: Grog's Revenge
, and Ace of Aces). He also worked as a reporter for Canadian Press
.
In 1989, Bate became a business partner with David Bentley
to expand Frank from its Halifax roots by launching an Ottawa edition. Bentley eventually returned to Halifax and, under Bate's direction, the Ottawa edition of Frank blossomed in the mid-1990s. Paid circulation of the magazine peaked at under 20,000 copies nationally but it earned a notoriety that far exceeded its readership. The magazine infuriated then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
for a mock contest to "deflower" his daughter. Mulroney said in a television interview that he wanted to get a gun and "do serious damage" to Frank's editor. Bate defended the piece as an attempt to show that the unpopular prime minister was exploiting his daughter for political gain.
Soon after he started at Frank, he was named by Chatelaine
magazine as one of Canada's sexiest men. However, he had many more detractors than fans in th media. Robert Fulford, for example, called him Franks "slanderer-in-chief"
Bate purchased Bentley's share of Ottawa Frank during the 1990s and later sold the franchise to Fabrice Taylor
in 2003. Taylor moved the magazine's headquarters to Toronto and said he planned to turn it into a serious satire magazine. Circulation declined after the sale and the magazine went out of business in December 2004.
Bate regained ownership of the property and started an online version of the Ottawa edition of the magazine called eFrank.ca on September 27, 2005, with a print version following in late November 2005. Within a month of publication, his new venture had its first lawsuit. For a publisher who thrived on controversy, Bate was pleased, "It's just like the old days. Now it's official. We're back." Bate decided to cease publishing in October 2008 as subscriptions had declined once again. Frank, said Bate, was a victim of the Internet. At the time, Bate said he was contemplating a book on the publication's controversial run.
Bate is featured prominently in the 2001 muckraking documentary film The Frank Truth which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
media entrepreneur and one of the founders of the Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
edition of gossip magazine Frank
Frank (magazine)
Frank is a bi-weekly Canadian scandal or satirical magazine published since 1987 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.A separate publication in Ottawa, Ontario, of the same name was published from 1989 to 2004 and then revived from 2005 to 2008...
.
Born in England, he grew up in Canada, attending the University of Victoria in 1965, and later studying history at Carleton
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
. Bate was a long time Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
musician (pedal steel guitar
Pedal steel guitar
The pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"...
) who worked as a radio producer and as a computer games developer (working on such titles as B.C.'s Quest for Tires
B.C.'s Quest For Tires
B.C.'s Quest for Tires is a 1983 video game developed by Sydney Development Corp. and published by Sierra On-Line. It was released for the Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit, ColecoVision, ZX Spectrum, MSX, and Apple II, based on the comic strip B.C. by Johnny Hart...
, B.C. II: Grog's Revenge
B.C. II: Grog's Revenge
B.C. II: Grog's Revenge is a 1984 video game by Sierra On-Line for the Commodore 64, ColecoVision, and MSX. It is the sequel to B.C.'s Quest For Tires and is based on B.C., the newspaper comic strip by Johnny Hart.-Gameplay:...
, and Ace of Aces). He also worked as a reporter for Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
.
In 1989, Bate became a business partner with David Bentley
David Bentley (Canadian businessman)
David Bentley is a Canadian businessman from Halifax, Nova Scotia who has been involved in print media since the 1970s.Born in England, Bentley emigrated to Nova Scotia in 1966-The Daily News:...
to expand Frank from its Halifax roots by launching an Ottawa edition. Bentley eventually returned to Halifax and, under Bate's direction, the Ottawa edition of Frank blossomed in the mid-1990s. Paid circulation of the magazine peaked at under 20,000 copies nationally but it earned a notoriety that far exceeded its readership. The magazine infuriated then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
for a mock contest to "deflower" his daughter. Mulroney said in a television interview that he wanted to get a gun and "do serious damage" to Frank's editor. Bate defended the piece as an attempt to show that the unpopular prime minister was exploiting his daughter for political gain.
Soon after he started at Frank, he was named by Chatelaine
Chatelaine
Châtelaine has the following meanings:*Châtelaine, a woman who owns or controls a large house ....
magazine as one of Canada's sexiest men. However, he had many more detractors than fans in th media. Robert Fulford, for example, called him Franks "slanderer-in-chief"
Bate purchased Bentley's share of Ottawa Frank during the 1990s and later sold the franchise to Fabrice Taylor
Fabrice Taylor
Fabrice Taylor is a journalist who reports on business and investment activities for print, radio and television media.Taylor began his career at the Globe and Mail in 1995. He moved to the Toronto Star in 1997 where he worked as an assistant business editor for three years before returning to the...
in 2003. Taylor moved the magazine's headquarters to Toronto and said he planned to turn it into a serious satire magazine. Circulation declined after the sale and the magazine went out of business in December 2004.
Bate regained ownership of the property and started an online version of the Ottawa edition of the magazine called eFrank.ca on September 27, 2005, with a print version following in late November 2005. Within a month of publication, his new venture had its first lawsuit. For a publisher who thrived on controversy, Bate was pleased, "It's just like the old days. Now it's official. We're back." Bate decided to cease publishing in October 2008 as subscriptions had declined once again. Frank, said Bate, was a victim of the Internet. At the time, Bate said he was contemplating a book on the publication's controversial run.
Bate is featured prominently in the 2001 muckraking documentary film The Frank Truth which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
.