Who is Alex Trebek?

Alex Trebek hosts an episode of Music Hop in June 1964. (CBC Still Photo Collection/Barry Wilson)

Alex Trebek might be known as the king of trivia but long before he became quizmaster for the legendary game show Jeopardy, Alex Trebek cut his teeth on CBC Radio and Television programs.

Trebek was born in Sudbury, Ont., on July 22, 1940 and studied philosophy at the University of Ottawa.

He began his career at CBC in 1961 and worked as a newscaster and sportscaster. He covered a range of special events and news for CBC radio and television.

His first hosting job was on Music Hop in 1963. The Music Hop aired from 1963-67. Most episodes featured visiting musicians who would perform songs before a studio audience of dancing teenagers.

Watch Trebek on Music Hop:


Trebek moved on to the teen quiz show Reach for the Top in 1966. The remarkable question and answer program featured Canada's brightest high school students. It aired from 1966 to 1985, with Trebek serving as host from '66 to '73. For one season in 1969, Trebek also hosted CBC's Strategy, a U.S.-style game show in which competing couples were the life-sized pawns on a floor-sized game board.

His big break in the United States came with 1973's The Wizard of Odds. TV game shows were a very popular genre at the time, and Trebek hosted numerous programs for the next few years. He went on to host a game show called High Rollers, which aired on NBC from 1975 to 1979. But he often returned to Canada to act as quizmaster on the Reach for the Top national finals.

In 1984, Trebek became host of Jeopardy, one of the most successful game shows in the history of television. He has won four Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Watch Trebek talk about his career on an episode of The Hour:

Posted on Aug 10, 2011 6:00:00 AM