[1][2] After graduating from high school in Windsor, he attended Wayne State University in nearby Detroit, Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications in 1958.
[2] He joined the Canadian Sports Network (CSN) in 1966 to be the producer for their Hockey Night in Canada in broadcasts; he would remain with them for 19 years as executive producer, hiring sports commentators including Ron MacLean, Dick Irvin Jr., Jim Robson, Bob Cole, Dave Hodge, Dan Kelly, Mickey Redmond, Don Cherry, and Howie Meeker.
[9] For the 1988 Winter Olympics held in Calgary, Alberta, Mellanby was the executive producer of the Canadian Television Network Host Broadcaster (CTV HB).
[10][11] An extensive setup of microphones throughout outdoor event courses and indoor venues was also used to capture "natural sounds" for the viewing audience and fill breaks in commentary.
[15] His son, Scott Mellanby, was a professional hockey player who played 1,431 games in the NHL, and his daughter Laura was a sports broadcasting executive with CTV and ESPN.