Don’t wait to read today’s industry moves. Subscribe to The Weekly Briefing now and receive the latest Revolving Door updates every Thursday. It’s free, here.
Gerry Dobson has retired from Sportsnet after 18 years covering soccer in Canada. Dobson called his last Toronto FC game Saturday Sept 10 at Chicago. He has called the Reds’ games since they started in 2007. After graduating Centennial College in 1981 with a diploma in Radio and Television Programming, Dobson worked at Global TV in the early 1980s as a beat reporter for the Toronto Blizzard. He moved to CFTO-TV in 1984 where he covered a variety of sports until 1997. Dobson joined Sportsnet at its launch in 1998.
Peter Coade has announced his retirement from CBC Halifax after 53 years and a Guinness World Record for the longest career as a weather forecaster. Coade joined the federal government’s weather service in 1962 and started delivering forecasts on CBC TV in Goose Bay, Labrador for $5 a broadcast. He later became staff meteorologist for CFRB in Toronto in the 70s and 80s. Coade returned to Halifax in 1990, joining ATV (now CTV). Coade re-joined CBC in 2007. On Aug. 1, 2013, Coade’s career reached 50 years, 8 months and 21 days breaking the record held by Toronto’s well-known weatherman Dave Devall and earning a Guinness World Record. His last broadcast will be Sept. 30.
Chris Mayberry, after almost 26 years with Broadcast News/The Canadian Press in Toronto, has retired. He was a newscaster/editor and the sports director there. Before moving to the news agency, Mayberry was the seven-year sports director at CKEY Toronto, a sports anchor and play-by-play announcer of Ottawa 67s hockey at CKOY-CKBY Ottawa, and sports anchor-sports director at CKSL London.
Laura Casella is the new morning anchor at Global Montreal. No stranger to the Montreal market, she was most recently a reporter with City’s Breakfast Television. Casella began her broadcasting career in 2007 at CJAD 800 and also worked as a freelance reporter for CTV Montreal. Kim Sullivan has also been appointed as the station’s weather anchor. She came to the station in June as a summer replacement. Sullivan has also worked at MAtv and The Beat 92.5 (CKBE-FM) in Montreal and Curve 94.3 FM (CHIQ-FM) in Winnipeg.
Jay “Mad Dog” Michaels joined Newstalk 1010 CFRB host Ryan Doyle for The Rush with Ryan and Jay weekday afternoons on Sept. 6. Michaels was last with Virgin Radio 99.9 (CKFM-FM) in Toronto for nine years until March 2015. Prior to that, he was morning co-host on KiSS 92.5 (CKIS-FM) and sister station 98.1 CHFI FM Toronto, as well as morning host at Q-104 (CFRQ-FM) in Halifax. Michaels also hosted the YTV music series Chart Attack and appeared as a judge on Global TV’s Popstars: Boy Meets Girl.
Jody Vance has joined News Talk 980 CKNW Vancouver co-hosting the evening show with Ian Power. Vance will also fill-in and do some weekend hosting. Vance started in 1988 at AM 600 CHRX (now The Peak FM) Vancouver and later moved to CFMI-FM (now Rock 101) and BCTV. In 1999, she was part of the original launch team at CTV Sportsnet (now Rogers Sportsnet). Most recently, she worked as host/news anchor for City’s Breakfast Television in Vancouver until March 2016. Her first show was Sept. 6.
680 CJOB in Winnipeg has revealed its on-air lineup. Former Power 97 (CJKR-FM) host Shadoe Davis takes over mornings with news and sports veterans Kelly Moore and Jeff Braun. Former Morning Host and News Director Richard Cloutier will host afternoon drive with Julie Buckingham. Geoff Currier will continue his midday show and Dahlia Kurtz’s early afternoon show from 1-4 p.m. is expanding to include co-host Brett Megarry.
Saroja Coelho has been named permanent host of Breakaway, the afternoon drive show on CBC Radio One Quebec (except Montreal and Gatineau). She spent the last eight years with Deutsche Welle in Germany as a radio and television presenter, senior editor and producer, writer, event moderator and media trainer. Coelho also freelanced for CBC, BBC, NPR and Ms Magazine. Jacquie Czernin, the last permanent host of Breakaway, left the show over two years ago due to an illness in the family. Coelho’s first show was Sept. 6.
Mark Drelich aka Mark D has moved from 102.3 Now Radio (CKNO-FM) Edmonton where he hosted evenings and overnights to 102.7 The Peak (CKPK-FM) Vancouver where he takes over the evening shift until at least the end of the year to help ease a staffing shortage at the Pattison station. Drelich has been with 102.3 Now Radio for three years, after studying at Humber College.
Shauna MacKinnon has moved from morning news at Mix 103.7 (CFVR) in Fort McMurray down the hall to sister station 100.5 Cruz FM (CHFT-FM) where she takes over middays. MacKinnon was previously midday host at 96.5 KOOL-FM (CKUL) in Halifax.
Mme. Claude Laflamme has joined Attraction Média Inc. Montreal as VP, corporate and regulatory affairs. Laflamme’s background includes similar positions with Stingray and Astral Media Radio.
Danielle Doiron made history as the first woman to give a solo play-by-play broadcast at a professional Canadian baseball game on 93.7 CJNU (CJNU-FM). She called the Sept. 3 Winnipeg Goldeyes game. Doiron works as a media relations assistant for the club and also recently graduated from the Creative Communications program at Red River College.