CTV's Sandie Rinaldo honoured with RTDNA lifetime achievement award

Extended: Sandie Rinaldo's RTDNA award speech Watch CTV news anchor and W5 reporter Sandie Rinaldo's full speech as she receives the lifetime achievement award presented by the RTDNA.

Trailblazing CTV News anchor and W5 reporter Sandie Rinaldo has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award from the Radio Television Digital News Association of Canada for her 45 years with the network.

Rinaldo accepted the award Saturday night at a gala event in Toronto.

Rinaldo joined CTV in 1973, just one week after graduating from York University. For nearly four decades she has been the weekend anchor of CTV National News, and has also reported extensively for CTV’s investigative news program, W5.

In 1980, Rinaldo became the first woman in Canadian history to anchor a daily network newscast when she was promoted to news anchor of Canada AM. Her reporting has also taken her around the world, from Cape Breton to the Middle East.

RTDNA President Ian Koenigsfest has described Rinaldo as an “icon” whose journalistic work has been an inspiration to many.

The award is one of many Rinaldo has earned throughout her career. She was named on the 2013 Women’s Executive Network list of Canada’s Most Powerful Women in Arts & Communications and has also won the Canadian Association of Journalism Award in 2001 for Best Overall Newscast as well as several RTNDA Awards for Best Newscast.