I have one clear memory of Ben Chin and it isn’t very flattering.
 
If memory serves, Ben was “discovered” by Moses Znaimer when he was working as a maitre d’ at a local Toronto restaurant. He had no broadcast experience and he certainly knew nothing about journalism. Still, Moses hired him and put him on the air at City TV as a reporter.
 
It didn’t take long for that inexperience to show.
 
I was sitting in the City TV control room during a newscast one night as a guest of my friend, the late, great Clint Nickerson. Ben Chin was still a raw rookie at the time and was assigned to do a story on an arrest in a homicide, that had taken place the night before.
 
There was an entire crew in the room, all busy while the story was running and I think Clint and I were the only ones who were actually listening to the report. He did a stand-up in front of the building where the crime took place and said something like this:
 
“John Smith was standing here last night when he stabbed Bill Brown to death.”
 
Clint and I both issued a huge gasp, causing everyone else to turn around and look at us. “What happened?” the director asked, as the story ran on.
 
And I blurted out, “he just convicted the guy and he was only taken into custody last night! You can’t say that he murdered anybody!”
 
But that’s what happens when you hire a head waiter to be a newsman. Still, to be fair, Ben did learn his craft the hard way and he got better with time. 

I sure hope he’s more of an expert now than he was then.

I'd always heard maitre d' but one thing was clear - he wasn't a trained journalist. (I'm not positive, but I think Ben Chin's dad was some kind of diplomat or was involved in politics in some way, which could explain how he got to where he is now.)

Still, having no real experience doesn't preclude having a long career in the biz. Moses also discovered Peter Gross driving a cab. After all these years, he's still at 680 News as their morning sports guy. Draw from that what conclusions you will.