REVOLVING DOOR:
Ronnie Stanton is joining Evanov Communications as Senior Brand Manager for their GTA stations Z103.5 (CIDC-FM) and Lite 92.1 (CKPC-FM). Since late last year, Stanton has been leading national Classic Hits programming at Rogers Sports & Media, in addition to serving as Content Director for JACK FM (CJAX-FM) and the recently-rebranded KiSS Throwbacks (CKKS-FM) in Vancouver. Prior to that, he served as Chief Content Officer for Virgin Radio International. Read more here.
Danielle Bain has joined TSN as the new Winnipeg Bureau reporter, following John Lu’s retirement from the network in July. Bain has previously worked as a host and rinkside reporter for the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Marlies and served as a sideline reporter for the CEBL (Canadian Elite Basketball League), in addition to stints as an anchor and reporter for CityNews Ottawa and 680 NewsRadio (CFTR-AM) Toronto.
Bill O’Donovan, the longtime anchor on Kamloops’ CFJC-TV, has announced he’ll retire at the end of the year, with his final newscast set to be delivered Jan. 2, 2026. O’Donovan’s first stint with the station began in 1979 when he started in the sports department. He went on to spend 15 years with CTV Regina, before returning to CFJC in 2001 as the lead anchor for the midday and evening newscasts. The RTDNA Lifetime Achievement Award honouree plans to continue as the public address announcer for the Kamloops Blazers.
Pete Hicks has hosted his last Sunday morning Country Classics Show on CFCW Edmonton after 70 years in broadcasting, 45 of them at the station. The show has been a staple on CFCW for 30 years. Jackie Rae Greening, who recently announced her retirement, will be taking over the program.
Cathy Airey has announced her upcoming retirement from Stingray Radio where she’s served as the company’s Director of Traffic since 2022. She started with CJMO Moncton in 1988, staying with the station through its acquisition by Newcap and then Stingray. She’ll retire in March 2026.
Howard Harding has retired from CHEK Media where he had been with the Sales & Marketing department for the last 16 years. Harding initially joined the station in 1986 as a commercial writer and producer before moving into a sales role in 2009. He started his career in the Creative department at CFCN-TV in Lethbridge.
Jocelyn Martin has started a new position as Operations Floater at CTV News Barrie. Martin’s most recent gig in broadcasting was serving as the midday announcer and music director at Vista Radio in Barrie. Prior to that, she held on-air positions with Kool FM (CKMB-FM) and Rock 95 (CFJB-FM) Barrie and 97.7 The Beach (CHGB-FM) Collingwood.
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Dan MacDonald has crossed the hall to Windsor’s 89X (CIMX-FM) as afternoon drive host, leaving his midday gig on AM 800 CKLW. MacDonald had been heard on CKLW since 2014.
Kayla Choules is joining MOVE 100.3 (CJMJ-FM) and Pure Country 94 (CKKL-FM) Ottawa as a Promotions Assistant. Choules previously was a show producer and board operator at JUMP! 106.9 (CKQB-FM) Ottawa, up until a getting caught up in a sweeping round of layoffs at Corus Radio Ottawa in June.
Andrew Petersen, who has been leading YouTube’s business in Canada for the last six years, has announced he’ll be taking on a new role with the company and relocating to New York in the New Year as Head of Creator Economy Ecosystem. Petersen worked with Austereo and Universal Music Group in Australia, prior to joining YouTube in 2016 as Broadcast, Sports & New Partnerships Lead for Australia and New Zealand.
Fraser Issac has been appointed Head of Development at Nikki Ray Media Agency. Reporting directly to co-CEOs and executive producers Tanya Linton and Mike Sheerin, Isaac is tasked with helping shape and expand Nikki Ray’s development portfolio across genres, including the company’s growing slate of scripted projects. His career spans Canada and the UK, with credits on Dragon’s Den, the BAFTA Film and TV Awards, Family Feud, and the MTV Europe Music Awards.
Jon Cruz has joined Knowledge Network as the B.C. public broadcaster’s new Director of Finance. He steps into the role as Jeffrey Lee retires after 26 years at the end of December. A Chartered Professional Accountant, Cruz was most recently the Senior Director of Finance for Marquee Sports Events at B.C.’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, overseeing financial governance for high-profile events including Grey Cup 2024, Invictus Games 2025, and FIFA World Cup 2026.
RADIO & PODCAST:
The CRTC is giving more flexibility to radio stations, announcing that broadcast licence terms will now be open-ended, in addition to other changes aimed at reducing the regulatory burden. In forgoing the requirement to submit renewal applications, the commission will now conduct regular audits of a licensee’s requirements, it says will more efficiently address non-compliance issues. It’s additionally streamlining the process for obtaining a licence for a developmental station, making it easier for new licensees to enter the market, as well as those that wish to go from low power to full power. It will also introduce a one-year trial allowing stations to simulcast their AM station on the FM band within the same market, and broadcast spoken word programming without changing format. Read more here.
Stingray has launched Radio DashSync, a new adtech offering set to roll out across all 97 Stingray Radio stations over the next month that syncs text and brand logos on in-car dashboard displays. Already live in Toronto on boom 97.3 (CHBM-FM) and New Country 93.5 (CFXJ-FM), Stingray says Radio DashSync enhances the power of radio by coupling visual messaging with audio ad content, giving advertisers the option to incorporate a custom message that automatically appears on the dashboard display. Read more here.
New Metric Media – the Toronto production studio behind comedic series like Letterkenny, Shoresy, and Children Ruin Everything – has acquired Kelly&Kelly, the boutique Vancouver creative studio best known for podcasts like the award-winning Broomgate: A Curling Scandal and Let’s Make a Rom-Com. As first reported by Deadline, Kelly&Kelly – which was founded in 2016 by CBC Radio alumni Chris Kelly and Pat Kelly – will join the New Metric team on Nov. 1, moving further into video podcasting and unscripted content alongside New Metric’s Stand-up & Podcast division, which was launched earlier this year. Read more here.
Prime Video has announced a new collaboration with Barstool Sports’ Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, as part of the streamer’s ongoing push to connect with Canadian hockey audiences. As part of the collaboration, the Spittin’ Chiclets cast – including Paul “Biz” Bissonnette, Ryan Whitney, and Keith Yandle – will contribute exclusive content and commentary to Prime Monday Night Hockey in Canada for the 2025-26 NHL season, with features in the pre-game show Home Ice Access and during intermission. In addition to his work as a studio analyst for NHL on TNT, Bissonnette will join the desk for select guest appearances as an analyst. The Spittin’ Chiclets crew will also appear on select episodes of NHL Coast to Coast, the live weekly whip-around studio show airing Thursday nights. Read more here.
Stingray’s Sydney radio stations, Hot 101.9 (CHRK-FM) and New Country 103.5 (CKCH-FM), helped raise a record-breaking $1.4 million dollars during Radioday 2025 on Oct. 9 in support of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation. The 18th annual Radioday event, the annual radiothon has now raised more than $14 million for health care in Cape Breton.
CISN Country’s Yards for Hope radiothon raised over $313,000, following over 27 hours outside broadcasting live from the field at Commonwealth Stadium, in support of Hope Mission. This year’s event brings the 10-year total raised to over $3.1 million. Starting Thursday, Oct. 9, at 6 a.m., Jack & Matt from CISN in the Mornings started at one end zone, moving one yard for every thousand dollars donated, travelling well beyond their goal of 110 yards and reaching the other end zone three times by 9 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 10.
SiriusXM Canada has announced the eight finalist towns in its 2025 SiriusXM Music Town search, with one community set to win a live show by JUNO Award-winning band The Beaches. Voting is now open until Oct. 24. More than 470 Canadian communities were nominated. This year’s finalists include Amherstburg, ON; Antigonish, NS; Bathurst, NB; Cranbrook, BC; Lacombe, AB; Moose Jaw, SK; Shawinigan, QC; and Vernon, BC.
LISTEN: Veteran broadcaster Dini Petty has stepped back in front of the camera after a 25-year absence from television with Trailblazing Talks with Dini Petty, a new series airing Monday nights on The News Forum. Petty joins Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast, taking us from her days as a child actor and delivering traffic reports to Toronto radio listeners from a pink helicopter, through her other creative ventures, including the new memoir she’s working on.
LISTEN: There are a few Instagram accounts that operate anonymously. Now comes a podcast that is somewhat anonymous. A 15-year radio pro dubbed “Radio Girl” and while the podcast’s artwork is AI-generated, she definitely is a real person. She joins the Sound Off Podcast to share candid insights about the challenges of working in radio, including toxic workplace dynamics, sexual harassment, and dysfunctional relationships. And explains her decision to create an anonymous show as a way to process her experiences and provide a platform for honest conversations about radio’s behind-the-scenes realities.
SIGN OFFS:
Mike Walker, 37, on Oct. 4, after a long battle with brain cancer. After graduating from the BCIT Broadcast Journalism program, Walker began his broadcast career in his hometown of Victoria at CHEK News in 2010, holding roles from sports and news anchor to camera operator, editor and writer, earning the nickname “Pipes.” He went on to co-found video production company, Roll.Focus.Productions in 2015, alongside his wife Amanda Eyolfson (who he met at BCIT), honing his skills directing and producing both promotional and broadcast projects. In addition to his work with CHEK, he also served as a colour commentator for the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League from 2011-15, heard on Pattison Media’s The Zone @ 91.3 (CJZN-FM). First diagnosed with brain cancer in his early twenties, he was given a terminal diagnosis last year.
Jim Hogan, 85, on Sept 30. Born in Bathurst, NB, Hogan was a mining executive for over 30 years, before venturing into film and television as a producer. He went on to create over 52 hours of documentary programming, including serving as executive producer on long-running Discovery Channel series Frontiers of Construction, for which he earned a Gemini Award nomination for Best Science, Technology, Nature, Environment or Adventure Documentary Program in 2001.
TV & FILM:
TSN, RDS, and the Montreal Canadiens have reached a landmark, long-term partnership that will see Bell Media remain home to the NHL team’s regional broadcasts for years to come. Under the new agreement, Montreal Canadiens matchups continue to be available to subscribers in the team’s designated broadcast region on TSN, RDS, and streaming live through the network’s digital platforms, featuring 50 games on TSN and 45 on RDS.
CBC Sports will provide live broadcast coverage of the gold medal games from both the 2026 U SPORTS Men’s and Women’s Hockey Championships on Sunday, March 22 on CBC TV and CBC Gem. For the first time, university hockey’s national champions will be crowned live on CBC TV, with the entire men’s and women’s hockey championships broadcast on CBC Sports digital platforms, including CBC Gem, cbcsports.ca and CBC Sports’ YouTube channel. They’ll also be covered in French by Radio-Canada Sports digital platform, ICI Tou.tv, while TVA Sports provides French-language coverage of both gold medal games.
Billy Talent has officially released their Amazon Music Original cover of legendary Rush anthem, “Limelight.” Available to stream now, the track will be featured throughout Prime Monday Night Hockey’s 2025-26 season broadcast, exclusively on Prime Video in Canada. Listen to the song here.
Just For Laughs and Stingray are joining forces in a strategic partnership to develop and expand Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) channels featuring comedy content across global markets with an emphasis on audio entertainment. The collaboration brings together Just For Laughs’ library of comedy programming — including stand-up specials, and festival performances — with Stingray’s expertise in channel creation, advertising sales, and global distribution.
Bruce Hills Entertainment, Counterfeit Pictures and Hemmings Films start production Friday on Stand Up For Canada starring Rick Mercer, a new one-hour comedy special to premiere on CBC and CBC Gem. Set to film in front of a live audience in Saint John, NB on Oct. 17, the special will capture one night on Mercer’s coast-to-coast comedy tour, joined by Canadian comedians Sophie Buddle, Mayce Galoni and Julie Kim.
Diamond Plus Media President Patricia Bebia and Nigerian filmmaker Omoni Oboli have unveiled NicaPro and the Future Reel Network, two initiatives uniting the “Nollywood” film industry with Canadian creative and technical expertise. The filmmakers say the NicaPro platform will produce six feature films over three years, “blending African creativity with Canadian artistry,” while the accompanying Future Reel Network will focus on mentorship, training, and collaboration for women in film across both nations.
Crave’s new hockey romance series, Heated Rivalry, debuts with two episodes on Friday, Nov. 28. Created by Canadian writer-director-producer Jacob Tierney (Letterkenny, Shoresy) and based on the best-selling book series Game Changers by Rachel Reid, the six-episode, one-hour romantic drama tells the story of two rival hockey players and a secret fling, culminating in a powerful love story. Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie star, with new episodes dropping subsequent Fridays until the finale Dec. 26.
Blue Ant Rights, the distribution arm of Blue Ant Studios, has announced a wave of international sales for Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy. The ITN Productions doc has been acquired by more than a dozen leading platforms, including Quebecor Content for French Canada.
Whistler Film Festival (WFF) has announced Canadian media personality George Stroumboulopoulos as Festival Ambassador for its 25th anniversary edition, Dec. 3-7. The festival says Stroumboulopoulos represents its “enduring values: a champion for Canadian voices, a bridge across generations and communities, and a storyteller who makes space for dialogue that matters.”
REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:
RTDNA Canada has announced the finalists for its Best Canadian Local News Awards, recognizing excellence in digital and broadcast journalism. This year’s Audio category finalists are led by local CBC bureaus, with multiple nods to CBC Edmonton, CBC Yukon, CBC British Columbia, CBC Newfoundland & Labrador, CBC Toronto and CBC Montreal. Rogers Sports & Media’s 660 NewsRadio (CFFR-AM) Calgary and 1130 NewsRadio (CKWX-AM) Vancouver also picked up two nominations apiece. CBC British Columbia has a leading four nominations amongst the Digital finalists, with CTV Atlantic, CTV Vancouver and Toronto publication The Green Line up for Overall Excellence in Digital. CTV Vancouver leads Multiplatform nominations with three. In the Video category, CTV Atlantic earned five nominations, with CBC Edmonton, CBC British Columbia, CBC Montreal, CBC North, CTV Vancouver, CTV Calgary, and Global BC also earning multiple nods. Winners will be announced at the RTDNA’s National Awards Gala in Toronto on Nov. 1. Find the full list of finalists here.
The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) has launched a new $10,000 award in partnership with the AI Safety Foundation that recognizes journalism critically examining the safety implications of artificial intelligence. Named for 2024 Nobel Prize winner and University of Toronto Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton – whose work on artificial neural networks has earned him the moniker of “the godfather of AI” – the new CJF Hinton Award for Excellence in AI Safety Reporting recognizes journalism that not only identifies AI challenges, but explores ways to mitigate its risks, advancing public conversation on how AI technology can be developed and applied responsibly. Read more here.
Bell has made an important advancement in its strategic partnership with Cohere, providing the first group of team members with access to its secure agentic AI platform North, just nine weeks after the partnership was first announced. Bell says the North platform will be introduced to all Bell management team members in early 2026, “enabling them to build AI agents and leverage automation to optimize day-to-day work and drive stronger operational outcomes across the business.” North is already connected to some of Bell’s enterprise systems as part of the initial launch with plans to fully integrate across the business, supporting the company’s “AI transformation focus to improve customer experience, increase productivity, empower front-line employees and improve revenue,” with more than 100 specific use cases already identified.
Ericsson has signed a USD $3 billion partnership agreement with Export Development Canada (EDC) to expand investment in Canadian research and development, deepen domestic supply chains, and accelerate next-generation technologies including 5G, Cloud RAN, AI, and quantum innovation. The three-year partnership will enable Ericsson to expand its Canadian-led innovation and global projects with the support of financial and insurance solutions from EDC.
OP-ED: “With the release of the latest report of the Progress Monitoring Committee of the Mass Casualty Commission on Oct. 9, I come back to a question I have been asking for more than five years: Who’s going to investigate why the entire Nova Scotia news industry apparently missed a Tweet that might have led to getting a critical story on the air?” writes Paul Cross in an OP-ED for Broadcast Dialogue. Read more here.
BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:
The Western Association of Broadcasters (WABE) heard at the organization’s recent gathering in Calgary that the transition to a “strategy-first” approach to artificial intelligence (AI) in broadcasting hinges on understanding cloud economics and system interoperability, not just generative capabilities. Guillaume Aubuchon, Vice-President of Product Management at Avid, delivered a presentation on the “Strategy, Risk and Real-world Impact” of AI, arguing that the true benefit lies in deep-seated operational efficiencies. He cautioned against blindly adopting every new AI feature promoted by big tech, emphasizing that AI should be implemented prescriptively to solve specific business problems. Read more here.
WABE honoured the past and unveiled the future of regional media conferences in Canada. The WABE organization would like to thank the following businesses for sponsoring our Media & Entertainment Technology Conference this year in Calgary:
Applied Electronics · GPA · Pippen Technical Service · Telos Alliance ·Super HiFi · LG Business Canada ·Matrix Video ·Burli · RCS Software · Broadcast Systems International · Grundy Telecom · WideOrbit · Deltech Communications · SFM · Broadcast Technical Services · RVA Lighting & Mast · Dialight· Avid · SFM
Sponsorship continues to be a major way we help fund events, rent spaces, provide food, and maintain a place for us all to come together. This year’s vision was to take what we’ve learned about the value of regional conferences and just invite more friends for our 75th, and bring people together for the SAIT Broadcast System Technology alumni for a reunion on Monday night as well as many organizations across the industry from APPA to AMPIA to SMPTE, SBE and NCRA who can benefit from connections and technology partners accessible for free in our Tech Exhibit Hall.
With over 375 in attendance over the course of the three days, and the beginning of the vision to have a cross-sector broadcast, live production, AV, post-production, film techie show (which some called the “mini NAB of the North”), we believe that with the support of sponsors & business and the volunteers in our community it is possible to sustain and grow this event to support, connect and innovate right here in Canada.
Our volunteer group, who came from almost every kind of background working behind the scenes in tech, is one that I am immensely proud to serve beside, including the executive:
Cameron Thomson (President) · Rob Brown (Vice President) · Daniel Oong (Secretary) · Treasurer · Host Chairs: Ken Gould (Diversified), Cheryl Bruley (Applied), Program Chairs: Chris Lee (Retired), Jim McTighe (Bell Media), Todd Fletcher (CBC), Sessions Chairs: Darren Kronlund (CTV), Tammy Byrka (CTV), Matt Jakuszko (Rogers Media), Social Media Chair: Amrita Rai (Dome Productions), Exhibit Chair: Alan English (Matrix Video), WABE Historian: Randy Opperman (Rogers Media), SAIT Reunion: Chris Lapp (Cisco), Special Projects: Dale Coutts (retired), Content Stragegist & Video Producer: Shilpa Sharma (Ascendant Financial Inc.), Runners: Bedford Gould (recent graduate) & Liam Jeffs (SAIT).
With over 60 vendors participating this year in our Exhibit Hall (not counting the sales staff who attended from other brands and manufacturers), the buzz is still being felt with the question of where we go next. If you attended this year, please fill out our survey. Let us know how we did and where you want to go next. Read more from outgoing WABE President Tessa Potter here.
