[5] McPherson was an admirer of the media theory of Marshall McLuhan,[6] whose work he praised during his interview for the National Film Board (NFB) role.
[5] McPherson was offered and accepted the role, although some staff at the NFB were suspicious of their new Chairman, thinking that he had only been appointed due to political connections.
[5] During his time at the NFB, McPherson initiated the "Challenge for Change" series of socially activist productions.
[3] However, it was also under his aegis that the NFB began to censor some controversial productions, particularly those from French Canadian filmmakers based in Quebec.
[7] Earlier that year, the Canadian government had publicly criticised the NFB, and some employees had demonstrated on Parliament Hill to protest against staff cuts.