Bell Media has announced a streamlining of its executive team as Wade Oosterman assumed operational leadership of the division this week following the departure of President Randy Lennox. Mike Cosentino, President of Content and Programming; Tracey Pearce, President of Distribution and Pay; Corrie Coe, SVP of Original Programming; Nanci MacLean, VP of Bell Media Studios; Scott Henderson, VP of Communications; and Kevin Goldstein, VP of Regulatory Affairs, are among those caught up in the restructuring. Bell Media’s new executive structure reportedly sees Karine Moses, upped from President, Bell Media Québec and Bell Vice Chair, Québec to SVP, Content Development & News, focused on both French and English-language content. Dave Daigle, VP, Radio & Local TV, will take on MacLean’s duties at Bell Media Studios, while Justin Stockman, VP Brand Partnerships and Client Strategy, moves into the role of VP of Content & Programming for English-language television. Read more here.
Bob Layton has retired after 50 years in radio and 49 years with 630 CHED Edmonton. Layton’s career started in 1969 at CKNL Fort. St. John, BC. He was hired by CHED 15 months later, initially as a writer for Frank Robertson. He went on to become news director for CHED, CISN Country, iNews880 (CHQT-AM) and Chuck @ 92.5 (CKNG-FM) in 1995. An award-winning editorialist, Layton received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the RTDNA in 2010 and was inducted into the Western Association of Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame in 2018.
Paul Edmonds will lead play-by-play coverage of the Winnipeg Jets’ 2020-21 NHL season on 680 CJOB Winnipeg, joined in the booth by Jamie Thomas of JetsTV, former national sports anchor and Western Hockey League colour analyst. In addition to carrying all Jets games live, CJOB will also air pre- and post-game shows hosted by Kelly Moore, who’ll be joined on game nights by a rotating panel of former NHLers including Jordy Douglas, Ted Irvine, Grant Clitsome and Derek Meech, in addition to former Canadian Women’s Olympic Team and Brandon Wheat Kings Coach Dwayne Gylywoychuk. Game night coverage will also include a media panel featuring analysis from Winnipeg Sun Sports editor Ted Wyman, Sun Sports reporter Scott Billeck, Murat Ates of The Athletic and Sean Reynolds of Sportsnet. A new 30-minute weekday noon show focused on the Jets will feature broadcaster and CJOB hockey analyst Leah Hextall.
Brandon Gonez has left Bell Media to launch his own news and entertainment show on YouTube. Since 2016, Gonez had worked with CTV in both Barrie and Toronto and for the last two years had been a reporter and anchor with CP24. The Brandon Gonez Show is set to make its online premiere Jan. 17 backed by sponsors Moët Hennessy, Uber, and Seneca College.
Alan Habbick has retired from CBC News after 32 years. Habbick started his career with the public broadcaster as a city hall and general assignment reporter in Winnipeg in 1988, before moving into producing. He went on to act as the project lead on the launch of Corus/CBC joint venture Country Canada in 2001, also serving over the years as the senior producer of Venture, the CBC News Business Unit, CBC News Morning, and CBC’s Washington Bureau. For the last decade, Habbick had been the Executive Producer at CBC News Toronto.
Matt Rutherford (aka Seth Armstrong) has joined the recently rebranded Virgin Radio (CIDR-FM) Windsor in the afternoon drive time slot. Rutherford was most recently with the My 92.1 (CHMX-FM) Regina morning show (now Play 92) and part of company-wide layoffs at Harvard Broadcasting in late June.
Hannah Witherbee, who was most recently hosting middays on Edmonton’s Play 107 (CKPW-FM), also joins Virgin Radio (CIDR-FM) Windsor as part of the station’s new morning show. Witherbee has previously been on-air with the Virgin brand in both Halifax and Edmonton. Jay Stevens, afternoon host, APD, and music director at 97.5 Virgin Radio (CIQM-FM) London will voicetrack middays.
Jonny Jazzno will be joining the Play 107 Edmonton team as Music Director and Midday Host, starting Jan. 11. Jazzno was most recently APD and on-air at C95 (CFMC-FM) and Rock 102 (CJDJ-FM) Saskatoon. Prior to that, he was PD at Virgin Radio (CFMG-FM) Edmonton.
Rick Howe, longtime talk host at Rogers’ News 95.7 (CJNI-FM) Halifax, has announced he’s taking an extended leave from the show to deal with a health issue that will require surgery and a six to eight week recovery. Former station host Jordi Morgan will start filling in for Howe, starting Monday.
Sheldon MacLeod, former afternoon talk host at News 95.7 (CJNI-FM) Halifax – who was part of layoffs at Rogers Sports & Media in November – is joining the SaltWire Network as a multimedia journalist and producer.
Britt Ralph, Promotions Coordinator at Q107 (CILQ-FM) and Sugar Beach Sessions coordinator for 102.1 The Edge (CFNY-FM), has left Corus Entertainment for a new opportunity with Snap’d Inc. as Manager of Strategic Relationships and Event Development. Ralph first joined the Q107 promo team in 2009, while still a student at Humber College. She went on to hold various roles with AM640 (CFMJ-AM), including producing Toronto Maple Leafs broadcasts as dad Jim Ralph colour commentated. Over her time with Corus, Ralph also served as assistant producer of Derringer in the Morning and filled-in as Toronto sales coordinator.
Darryl Mabley, the longtime voice of the KOOL FM (CKMB-FM) Barrie afternoon drive show, is hanging up his headphones to pursue joining the Ontario Provincial Police. Mabley had been with the station since 2012 and in radio for the last 16 years. He’s also served as the PA announcer for the OHL Barrie Colts.
Andy James, one half of the Andy & TJ Morning Show on the former EZ Rock (CILK-FM) Kelowna, is a casualty of the radio station’s rebrand to the new MOVE Radio format. A married couple, Andy & TJ had been hosting the morning show together since 2003. TJ will return to the station in a new role following treatment for breast cancer, while former afternoon host Stephen Keppler moves into the morning time slot.
Chris Pollard, who has worked with CKDR Dryden in various roles for the last 23 years, has left Acadia Broadcasting to join the Municipality of Sioux Lookout as IT & Communications Coordinator. Pollard first joined CKDR in 1997 and has held roles from evening announcer and webmaster to creative director.
Saron Fanel is returning to CTV News Ottawa in February after two years working with CTV Saskatoon as a VJ, anchor and producer. Fanel was previously a community reporter for CTV Ottawa in 2017, prior to her move to Saskatchewan.
Max Wark has parted ways with CTV Kitchener after more than nine years with the station. Wark started as a VJ, producer, and writer in 2011 and most recently had been the co-anchor and co-producer of CTV News at 5.
Some personal news — it’s been fun. It’s time to let someone else ask the questions in 2021. pic.twitter.com/1owJtizNaX
— Max Wark (@MaxWarkCTV) December 17, 2020
Janelle Blakley is leaving Global Regina to join CTV Regina as a digital content producer. A 2018 University of Regina Masters of Journalism graduate, Blakley had been a writer and producer for Global since late 2019.
George Affleck has joined CKNW Vancouver as a freelance fill-in host. Affleck, the founder and president of Curve Communications Group, is also the co-host of Orca Media political podcast UnSpun, alongside veteran broadcaster Jody Vance.
Ian Mendes has joined The Athletic where he’ll be covering the Ottawa Senators and NHL. Mendes was most recently co-host of The Drive on TSN Radio 1200 (CFGO-AM) Ottawa and covered the Senators for TSN.ca. Prior to moving into radio in 2013, Mendes was a host with Sportsnet and before that worked in the Sens front office.
Emilie Nicolas is Canadaland’s new French language media correspondent. A columnist with Le Devoir, Nicolas is also an educator and consultant on public policy, equity, human rights, race and gender issues, and a regular contributor to CBC’s Power & Politics and Let’s Go as well as CTV’s PowerPlay.
Trey Anthony, the creator of the ‘Da Kink in My Hair’ TV series, adapted from her award-winning play, has been hired as a Development Producer by Bell Media Studios to help develop unscripted content. Anthony, who has also written for the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and The Comedy Network, will work with the Bell team as part of an ongoing partnership with Motion Content Group.
Liquid Media Group Ltd. has appointed Ronald Thomson as its CEO to drive the growth of its evolving business. As President of global business development firm Cameron Thomson Group Ltd., Thomson has been building successful media/entertainment and tech companies for more than two decades from its offices in Toronto, London, Lake Como, Los Angeles and Taipei.
Xplornet Communications Inc. has announced the appointment of James Moore and Lynn Loewen to its Board of Directors. Moore, a Member of Parliament for 15 years, served as Min. of Industry, Min. of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages and as Secretary of State for the 2010 Olympics and Asia-Pacific Gateway. He’s currently a Senior Business Advisor at Dentons and a Public Policy Advisor with global public relations firm Edelman. Loewen is the former President of Minogue Medical Inc., the former President of Expertech Network Installation Inc., and has held key financial leadership positions with Bell Canada Enterprises and Air Canada Jazz.
