CBC’s The National will relaunch Nov. 6. New hosts, including Rosemary Barton who has signed off from Power and Politics, will move from their existing roles into program development by Sept. 18. Beginning Oct. 16, Carole MacNeil will host CBC News Network programming from Toronto at 7-9 p.m. ET weeknights. On The Money with Peter Armstrong will become a live program weekdays at 4 p.m. ET, beginning Oct. 16. Robert Lack will be executive producer of both programs. Daily News executive producer Mark Ross will also help develop both programs.
The new CBC News Central Desk will launch Oct. 23, which will see a team of dedicated senior producers write, edit, publish, chase and manage live hits and breaking news for the big stories of the day across all platforms and programs. Set to begin over September and October, overseeing story teams will be senior producers David Michael Lamb, currently SP of World Report; Andrew Davidson, currently SP on the Assignment Desk; and Terry Auciello and Heather McLennan, currently SPs on The National. Avril Sequeira from the CBC News Network weekend team will also be seconded as a senior producer. As previously announced, Derek DeSouza and Andrew Pepper will be their executive producers, with Aubrey Silverberg quarterbacking weekend coverage. Overseeing Breaking, Alert, Chase and Lives will be senior producers Carolyn Ryan, currently on the Alert Desk, and Mark Tapper, currently SP at CBCNews.ca. Mandy Luk will oversee the team. Alison Masemann continues as interim executive producer of Syndicated Audio. Waqas Chughtai will take over as weekday senior producer of World Report.
Bell Media has made changes to its Senior Leadership Team. Stewart Johnston is appointed president, Media Sales, Marketing, and TSN, following the departure of Stuart Garvie, who returns to GroupM as Canadian CEO. Johnston’s role expands to include leadership and strategic direction of Bell Media ad sales across all platforms, as well as its in-house creative agency. Additionally, Mike Cosentino, senior VP CTV and Specialty, is appointed president, Content and Programming, responsible for the acquisition of Bell Media English programming. Nanci MacLean, VP of In-house Production, is appointed vice-president and head, Bell Media Studios. She’ll be responsible for all aspects of in-house production for Bell Media’s conventional and specialty channels
Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, who originally hails from the Ottawa area, is stepping down in December from the post he’s held for 25 years. Carter co-founded The Canadian Review in 1973, before moving to the U.S. to write for Time and Life, later co-founding Spy magazine in 1986, before taking up his post at Vanity Fair. He’s also produced several documentaries, including 9/11 by Jules and Gedeon Naudet, for which he received both an Emmy and a Peabody Award. Carter was appointed to the Order of Canada earlier this year.
Jody Vance will cross the street to Vancouver’s Roundhouse Radio, 98.3 (CIRH-FM) where she will host middays 10am-3pm starting Sept. 25. Vance exits CKNW, where she has been filling in for the past year since being let go by Rogers in 2016 as part of cost cutting measures.
The Winnipeg Jets have hired Jamie Thomas as the new host of Jets TV, joining reporter Mitchell Clinton. Thomas was most recently co-host of the morning show at TSN 1150 (CKOC-AM) Hamilton. He brings 20 years of sports broadcasting experience, including time at Sportsnet and the Calgary Flames broadcast team from 2006-08.
Jay Helmus has left Corus Entertainment and 102.1 The Edge (CFNY-FM) Toronto as senior imaging producer to start his own production company. Helmus had been with Corus Toronto since June 2016. He’s also spent time as a commercial and imaging producer with Newcap Vancouver, Rogers Vancouver, and Rogers Toronto.
Rod Kitter has retired after 37 years at CJWW-AM Saskatoon, as both program director and long-time morning show co-host. Dave Thomas will take over PD duties and continue to co-host the show with Steve Chisholm. Formerly PD and midday host on 98COOL FM (CJMK-FM), Chisholm is now director of programming for all three Saskatoon Media Group stations. In addition, Jerad Bowes has joined CJWW as a swing announcer after stints at CJYM-AM Rosetown and XM105 FM (CIXM-FM) Whitecourt. The revamped 98COOL FM line-up has Gregger and Lena in the morning; Jeremy Hudson on mid-days, who moves over from 92.9 the BULL (CKBL-FM); and music director Matt Bradley on afternoon drive. The revamped line-up on 92.9 the BULL FM has PD Pat Dubois on mornings; music director Cristy Beggs on middays; Greg Krienke on afternoon drive, who moves from co-hosting mornings; and Trevor Chikoski in the evening time slot.
Jessica Johnson has been promoted to the new combined role of executive editor and creative director of The Walrus. Formerly senior editor and creative director, Johnson has an extensive editing background with stints at Saturday Night magazine, the National Post and Fashion Quarterly. She’ll oversee art and editorial content on all platforms.
CRTC secretary general Danielle May-Cuconato has moved to another department, leaving another senior staff opening. Until the position is filled, a number of staff will rotate through in the interim including Claude Doucet, executive director of communications and external relations, broadcasting executive director Scott Hutton and Chris Seidl, executive director of telecommunications. May-Cuconato joined the CRTC in Nov. 2015.
Wow Unlimited Media Inc. has named John Vandervelde its chief financial officer and corporate secretary. Vandervelde previously worked at Nelvana, DHX Media Ltd.’s Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc. and was most recently GM at InterMedia Finance Corp.
Davicom’s new technical sales rep for the U.S. and Canada is Louis-Charles Cuierrier. Cuierrier has extensive sales experience in the wireless market and recently completed a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering at Laval University. Diana Ortega has been named the new technical sales representative for Latin America.
Marc Antoine Godin has been named the senior writer and managing editor of Athlétique Montréal, the French arm of new online sports startup The Athletic, helmed by former LNH.com managing editor Arpon Basu. Emma Achour is the new associate editor. Marc Dumont of Montreal Canadiens blog Habs Eyes on the Prize has also been named an editor. Additional contributors include TSN 690 (CKGM-AM) personalities Mitch Melnick, Joey Alfieri and Robin Flynn; Olivier Bouchard, longtime baseball writer for Le Journal de Montréal; and former Montreal Impact player Lloyd Barker.
