Shaw Communications has announced the retirement of company president Jay Mehr, effective Apr. 9. Mehr has been in the role since Mar. 2016 and with the company for more than two decades. Paul McAleese, who has served as president of the company’s Wireless division for the last three years, will succeed Mehr in the role, responsible for overseeing all sales, marketing, base management and customer facing areas of the business, including the Wireless and Wireline divisions. Read more here.
Golden West Broadcasting has named Doug Campbell to the new role of Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Campbell, who was most recently with white-label digital marketing provider Vendasta, will work closely with Cameron Friesen, Golden West’s Chief Operating Officer, and Brett Adnum, VP of Sales and Operations, to focus on new revenue opportunities. Prior to Vendasta, Campbell was Director, Business Development and interim CEO of Moose Jaw’s Mosaic Place arena, and held sales roles with Clear Sky Radio in Lethbridge, the Lethbridge Hurricanes Hockey Club, and the Regina Pats Hockey Club. Read more here.
Reshmi Nair has left CBC after a decade and has resurfaced at Bell Media Radio. Nair had been an anchor with CBC News Network since 2009. She was heard filling in for Evan Solomon on his network radio show this week. Nair previously did a brief stint reporting for CTV in both Vancouver and Toronto, before joining the public broadcaster.
Flow 93.5 (CFXJ-FM) Toronto has parted ways with longtime assistant program director and on-air personality Mastermind and announced it’s bringing in syndicated American morning show The Breakfast Club, starting Mar. 16. Paul Parhar (aka Mastermind) had been with the station since 2011. The Breakfast Club, which originates from New York City hip-hop and R&B station, Power 105.1 (WWPR-FM), will air on Flow weekdays from 6 – 10 a.m. Read more here.
Kid Carson will take over the Z95.3 (CKZZ-FM) Vancouver morning show, starting Mar. 30. Carson previously worked at the station early in his career (circa 2003-04) as an evening announcer. He was most recently on-air at KiSS (CKKS-FM) Vancouver, until his release from mornings in 2016. Stingray cancelled Z95.3’s Mornings with Leslie & Scooter last week, also letting producer Jaclyn Tatay go.
Leslie Roberts is hosting new 580 CFRA Ottawa talk show Ottawa at Work with Leslie Roberts, from 10 a.m. – noon weekdays. Roberts will also continue to host the Ottawa edition of CTV Morning Live from 6 – 10 a.m. on CTV2.
Deb Smith is returning to Halifax to join The Breeze (CKUL-FM) morning show, alongside Brad Dryden. Smith has been co-hosting mornings at Pure Country (CKHJ-FM) Fredericton, but previously worked as an on-air personality at both CKUL-FM and brother station Q104 (CFRQ-FM). Former morning co-host Natalie Fournier has moved into a promotions position with Global Halifax.
Amy Gilbert is taking on the role of Program Director for Bell Media in Winnipeg, responsible for Virgin Radio (CKMM-FM) and Bob FM (CFWM-FM) Winnipeg as well as Bob FM (CKX-FM) Brandon. Gilbert just celebrated her 10th anniversary with Bell Media, most recently as a programmer for Penticton and the South Okanagan.
Grant Scott is transferring from his programming role at Bell Media Terrace/Prince Rupert to take over programming in Penticton and the South Okanagan. Scott had been PD for Bell’s BC North station group since 2012.
Sergio Marchi is joining CHIN Radio as host of one-hour, weekly program The Public Square/La Piazza. The program will be broadcast live every Friday at 11 a.m. from CHIN Ottawa studios and simulcast on CHIN 100.7 Toronto, starting Apr. 3. The former Toronto City Councillor and Member of Parliament left politics in 1999, going on to appointments as Canadian Ambassador to the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Organizations in Geneva.
Kevin Sexton, Canadaland’s managing editor of podcasts, is moving on. Sexton has been producing for Canadaland since 2015 and in his current role for the last two and a half years.
Julian McKenzie has joined The Canadian Press Sports bureau in Montreal part-time. McKenzie has been a freelance sports stringer for the last few years, in addition to presenting weather on CTV Montreal and CTV News Channel.
Victoria Walton is leaving Rogers’ News 95.7 (CJNI-FM) Halifax and Halifax Today to join alt independent weekly The Coast. Walton, who’d been a weekend editor with Rogers for the past year, will join The Coast as its new lifestyle editor.
Nicholas Pescod is joining CHEK News Victoria this month as a digital editor. Pescod has been a journalist with the Nanaimo News Bulletin for the last six years.
Alison Bailey has left News 1130 (CKWX-AM) Vancouver. Bailey, who had been a midday anchor and morning show reporter for the station since 2014, be joining the Vancouver School Board as a communications and engagement advisory.
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