Originally published in the Feb. 12, 2026 edition of The Weekly Briefing
There will never be another Buck Martinez 💙🐐 pic.twitter.com/I23IU7fVLE
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 6, 2026
Buck Martinez has announced his retirement after calling more than 4,000 Toronto Blue Jays games. Martinez, 77, has been battling undisclosed health issues over the past year. He returned to the Blue Jays broadcast booth in early August of last year after taking three months off, starting in May, and then postponing a previously-scheduled return in June. The former MLB catcher’s broadcasting career began in 1982 when he covered the American League Championship Series, the World Series and the All-Star Game for the Telemedia Radio Network, while still playing for the Jays. He started as a colour analyst for the team in 1987, which led to a job with TSN, moving on to work with ESPN from 1992 to 2000. Following a one-year stint as manager of the Blue Jays, he returned to ESPN as an analyst, eventually making his way back to the Blue Jays broadcast booth full-time in 2010. Read more here.
Catherine Tait is joining not-for-profit New Public, which is behind the privacy-focused, community web app Roundabout, as the organization’s first-ever Expert-in-Residence. The former President & CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada is also currently serving as an advisor to Toronto-headquartered Gander Social.
Kate Porter is the new Senior Producer of News at CBC Ottawa. Porter has been with the public broadcaster for more than two decades, primarily as a municipal affairs reporter.
Liz West has joined CP24 as an anchor. West arrives from ZoomerRadio, where she’d been a host since 2022. Prior to that, she hosted daily current affairs program “Square Off” on CHCH-TV, and had runs as an anchor, reporter and producer with Citytv, Star! And CTV.
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Melanie Ng has surfaced as the midday host on CityNews 24/7 Alberta. Ng left the same position at CityNews Toronto late last year as her family relocated to Calgary. She first joined CityNews in 2010 as a field reporter.
Susan Knight is retiring from radio after 35 years as a host on stations across Ontario, Alberta and B.C. Knight has most recently served as promotions director and swing host at Pattison Media’s The Zone (CJZN-FM) and 100.3 the Q (CKKQ-FM) Victoria. She’ll continue her voiceover work, while pursuing a new career as a licensed real estate appraiser.
David Beers is stepping back as Editor-in-Chief of The Tyee. The not-for-profit publication’s co-founder, alongside Michelle Hoar in 2003, Beers previously stepped away from the role in 2014 before resuming the post again in 2002.
Mark Swierszcz has joined Substack as Head of Partnerships in Canada. Swierszcz arrives from Google Canada, where he’s held the title of Creative Effectiveness Lead for the last six years. He’s also held roles with Youtube, Bell Media (including serving as Director of Digital for MuchMusic, MTV and E!), and Universal Music Canada.
