Hollywood Suite is making changes to its programming department, coinciding with the retirement of Ellen Baine, the specialty broadcaster’s longtime VP of Programming.
Baine has been with Hollywood Suite since its launch, after a long career in programming that started at Citytv in 1977. Baine briefly left CHUM for Super Channel and then First Choice, before returning to Citytv in 1987.
“After starting in the tv business in the traffic department of Citytv in the X0’s (I’m not allowed to say exactly when!), Ellen has screened thousands of hours of tv programs and movies, programmed years of and years of content, haggled with hundreds of distributors and producers, verbally jousted with opinionated viewers and sock puppets, represented in front of a few CRTC hearings, sat on a few film festival juries, and led and mentored numerous programming teams,” said Hollywood Suite president David Kines, in a email to staff. “Ellen has been instrumental in the launch and growth of Hollywood Suite, jumping on board in early 2010 before we had an office or money, and it is hard to imagine life here without her. But imagine we must!”
Baine’s last day will be Mar. 27. With her retirement, Sharon Stevens is promoted to Senior Director of Programming. Stevens has been with the specialty suite of channels since 2017 and was key to its recent acquisitions of British television drama Prime Suspect and the BAFTAs.
Suzanne Marshall is also returning as Programming Manager, effective Feb. 18. Marshall has served as Program Coordinator for the Canadian Film Centre’s CFC Features for the past four years. Marshall will schedule programming across the Hollywood Suite channels, maintain film inventory, and develop content and VOD strategy, working closely with the Marketing and Affiliate departments.
Starting Feb. 10, Eileen Gaudet will also join Hollywood Suite on a permanent basis as Programming & VOD Coordinator, working closely with Operations and assisting in scheduling and traffic preparation.
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