REVOLVING DOOR:
Joe Gabor has been named President at Vista Radio, succeeding Bryan Edwards, who had held the role since the fall of 2019. Gabor is promoted from the position of Vice-President, Business Development. He has been with Vista since 2019, initially joining the company as Director, Western Operations. His background includes three years as Senior Manager, Product Development – CBC Sports & Olympics, a six-year stint with the NHL Network as Managing Director – Canada, and a number of turns with Bell Media, including serving as Chief of Staff to former president Kevin Crull. Read more here.
Nat Hunter and Josie Dye will helm the morning show on Toronto’s CHUM 104.5, starting July 6. The duo succeed longtime morning host Marilyn Denis, who announced earlier this year she was stepping away from the station after four decades. Her final broadcast is set for June 26. The new show sees Dye move up from afternoons on the station, where she’s been hosting drive alongside Jamar McNeil since 2024. She’ll be joined by Hunter, who recently announced her departure from Vancouver morning radio staple, The Nat & Drew Show, after 22 years, which airs on Bell Media’s MOVE 103.5 (CHQM-FM). Read more here.
Laura Lynch has announced her retirement from CBC. Lynch accepted her first job with the public broadcaster in Prince Rupert, but after less than a year resigned to go to law school, continuing to work for the CBC in Vancouver and Victoria. After being called to the bar in B.C., she moved to Ottawa, working first in the local CBC newsroom, then graduating to the Parliamentary bureau. She eventually made her way back to the west coast as a National Reporter. From there, she began a 13-year run as a foreign correspondent covering the U.S., Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, among other assignments. She wraps up her time with CBC in Vancouver, where in 2020 she co-developed and launched the program and podcast What On Earth. Her final episodes of What on Earth will air on CBC Radio on June 29 and July 1.
Azeb Wolde-Giorghis is the new anchor of Radio-Canada late night newscast, Le Téléjournal, starting Aug. 17. She succeeds Celine Galipeau, who as previously reported, is moving on from the anchor chair after 18 years to helm a new newsmagazine set to debut this fall.
Simone Gavros has been named the new co-anchor of CHCH-TV’s Morning Live. She will officially step into her new role on Monday, June 22, following the previously-announced retirement of longtime co-anchor Annette Hamm on June 19. Gavros has been with CHCH for the last three years, two as Morning Live’s dedicated reporter.
Terri Gale (Apostle) has announced her departure from CTV Your Morning Winnipeg. Gale told viewers this week that she’s stepping away from her television career after joining the morning show as weather anchor at launch in 2011. She became a certified hypnotherapist last year.
Sean Amato has announced he’s left CityNews Edmonton where he’d been an Alberta Politics Reporter since 2024. Prior to that, he spent 14 years with CTV Edmonton.
Ace & Marlon in the Morning has been cancelled on Toronto’s Flow 98.7 (CKFG-FM). Host Alicia “Ace” West and comedian Marlon Palmer had been paired together in the time slot since January 2024.
Jonathan Trudeau has announced his departure from FM93 (CJMF-FM)( Quebec City and 98.5FM (CHMP-FM) Montreal. Trudeau exits Cogeco Media after six years as a host to join strategic communications and PR firm Tact as Vice-President.
Dylan Black has joined Torres Media as the host of the morning show on The New Mix 98.5 (CITM-FM) Ottawa. The new show will air from 6 a.m. to noon weekdays. Black is best known for hosting afternoons on Ottawa’s boom 99.7 (CJOT-FM) for more than a decade, before getting caught up in layoffs at Corus Radio last June.
“Matty B” McIntyre has stepped away from his role as Content Director and afternoon host at OCEAN 98.5 (CIOC-FM) Victoria after nearly 10 years with Rogers Sports & Media and over 20 in radio. Prior to moving to Victoria in 2022, McInytre served as Content Director for KiSS 107.7 (CFRV-FM) Lethbridge and 106.5 Mountain FM (CHMN-FM) Canmore. He’s also been on-air at KiSS (CKKS-FM), Z95.3 (CKZZ-FM) and Virgin Radio (CFBT-FM) Vancouver, among other stations.
David Shortall has wrapped up a 34-year sales career with Rogers Sports & Media. Shortall started his career in St. John’s selling the Real Estate Channel and later TV Guide Channel for Cable Atlantic. He’d been with Rogers since 1992 as a St. John’s based Account Manager for the Atlantic Region.
Shawn Mullin is the new southwest Saskatchewan reporter for CBC, based in Swift Current. Mullin joins from Golden West Broadcasting where he’d been a reporter for the past two years.
Denis Holton has wrapped up his time with 730 CKNW Vancouver. Holton had been a producer with the station since the fall of 2024.
Alwin Jose has joined Corus Entertainment in Toronto as a Broadcast Technologist. He arrives from Evertz, where he’d worked as a Broadcast and Network Engineer since 2022.
Austin Di Pietro has joined Windsor community station CJAM 99.1 FM as Music Director. Di Pietro arrives from the Windsor International Film Festival where he had been Director of Operations and Special Events since 2022.
Max Collins is departing Canadaland to pursue a number of side projects. Collins has served as Director of Audio & Creative Production since 2024 and prior to that worked with both Kelly&Kelly and Vocal Fry Studios as an editor and producer.
Michael Wright is wrapping up 16 years at Humber Polytechnic and a 46-year career in television broadcasting. Starting at CKCO-TV in 1979, he worked in Toronto at HUCHM Productions, TSN and TVO, followed by 30 years of freelance technical production with companies including WhistleStop Productions, Double Black Diamond Productions, NBC Sports, Tokyo Broadcasting and VANOC. He officially retires June 26.
Steve Young has taken on the role of Coordinator of Journalism – Multimedia at Fanshawe College’s School of Arts and Language. The former CTV London news director began teaching in the faculty in January.
Bryan Segal has been appointed Head of Growth Strategy at Numeris, as the audience measurement organization continues to advance its “All-Media” vision to deliver unified, cross-platform audience insights across all audio, video, digital, and linear platforms. Based in Toronto and reporting to Chief Growth Officer Sue Haas, Segal had previously been with Comscore since 2017, working his way up from Research Analyst to Senior Vice President, Commercial – North America. Read more here.
Raj Shoan has accepted a one-year term as Executive Director of Friends of Canadian Media. Shoan, a former CRTC commissioner, took up the role on an interim basis in January, following the departure of Marla Boltman from the not-for-profit media advocacy group.
Laura Lightbown has been named Interim CEO at Creative BC. Lightbown will work closely with outgoing CEO Prem Gill, who is leaving the agency on June 26, but will continue to serve as a strategic advisor. Lightbown has most recently served as President of Vancouver’s Terra Films, in addition to leadership roles with Sparrow Media and Haddock Entertainment.
JC Mills, President and Head of Content at Cineflix Productions, is leaving the company after six years. He will continue to executive produce Cineflix’s slate of shows for The History Channel when he departs the company in late August. Piers Vellacott, Chief Commercial Officer, Content, will oversee the Cineflix’s U.S. development and production slates.
Kacim Steets Azouz is joining Montreal-based Bunbury Films as Managing Partner. Founded by Frederic Bohbot, the pair first worked together in 2016 on CBC documentary I Think You’ve Been Looking For Me and have been developing and producing together ever since. What We Inherit, directed by Steets Azouz and co-produced by both, world premiered at DOC NYC and is currently on the U.S. festival circuit.
RADIO & PODCAST:
The Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAOntario) has announced the winners of the 14th annual CMAOntario Awards, with Durham Radio’s KX 94.7 (CHKX-FM) Hamilton claiming Radio Station of the Year (Large Market). Evanov’s Hot Country 93.9 (CFWC-FM) Brantford captured the Medium Market honour, while MBC’s Country 89 (CKYY-FM) Welland was named Small Market Radio Station of the Year.
The CRTC has set a public hearing for January at which it will consider no less than nine applications seeking to operate a new radio station in Calgary, following its 2024 finding that the market has the capacity to sustain at least one additional station. Among those proposing ethnic stations are Sher-E-Punjab Radio, Akash Broadcasting, Radio Humsafar, Lossless Media, Chinook Broadcasting, ACE (Aboriginal Calgary Ethnic) Media Group, and Devotional Broadcasting Limited. The Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA), which already operates CJWE-FM Calgary, also applied for an additional licence for a Type B Native station on FM. Fraser Media Diversity Inc., meanwhile, is asking for a licence to operate an English-language community radio station. The application is being made in memory of late Black broadcaster and former CKUA Edmonton host Fil Fraser, with the proposed station to be named ApnaFM 100.3, aiming “to connect the South Asian, Afro Asiatic and emerging communities to meaningful content that would influence social change.” Read more here.
Whiteoaks Communications Group’s JOY Radio Oakville has introduced a new lineup in conjunction with its launch on HD Radio. At the centre of the change is Mornings with James Kurtis, airing live from the JOY studios. Whiteoaks says the station will feature “more uplifting music than ever before,” in addition to spiritual conversations and moments of reflection that are “more clearly woven into the lineup, bringing a greater sense of consistency from morning to night.” JOY is now available on 102.9 FM-HD3 alongside joyradio.ca, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and the MyJoyRadio app. Whiteoaks says over the last fiscal quarter, JOY Radio’s streaming hours increased by nearly 20%, as more listeners spend time with the station via digital platforms.
The Pro Bono Group’s Pro Radio Project has released new 30-second PSA, “Imperfectly Human.” Voiced by award-winning broadcaster, podcaster and bestselling author Terry O’Reilly, “Imperfectly Human” celebrates radio “as a rare human refuge in a world more and more controlled by artificiality, algorithms and unfeeling bots.” It’s available for stations to add to their spot rotations now.
The International Women’s Podcast Awards are set to descend on Toronto this fall, hosted by Tink Media. The event is attempting to expand its reach and visibility while staying true to its founding purpose of championing international women creators in audio both behind the mic and behind the scenes. Entries are now open through July 31, including new award “Moment of Artistry in Advertising.”
The Globe and Mail has launched Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything, a series that “rewinds the World Cup to eight notable moments when the game crossed into politics, culture, and the public consciousness.” The series is hosted by veteran sports writer Eoin O’Callaghan.
Canadaland has opened applications for its Canadaland Audio Journalism Fellowship. This year, the Fellowship is paying $43/hour for two journalists to join its newsroom for a four-month program beginning in fall 2026. Over the course of four months, participants get to fully realize a story they pitched, including access to resources, gear, support and mentorship, while keeping ownership over their piece.
LISTEN: Stingray Radio Senior Imaging Producer Anthony McNutt is on the Sound Off Podcast. McNutt’s episode is essentially a masterclass in remote creative work. From his home in rural Nova Scotia, he starts with morning show intros for Halifax, moves to K-Rock in Newfoundland, then shifts to promos, imaging, and voiceover sessions that stretch into the evening when Vancouver needs something turned around. And when the pressure of producing imaging for a dozen radio brands across multiple time zones becomes too much, he walks out onto his deck, casts a fishing line, and lets his mind reset.
SIGN OFFS:
Brent Taylor, 66, on May 21. Born in Lachine, Quebec, Taylor’s career as a radio host and producer began at CFAN Newcastle, NB and CFNB Fredericton, NB in the early 1980s while attending UNB. After a stint working in the family Stedman’s store in Doaktown, he went on to become an MLA from 1991-95. Taylor later worked with Atlantic Business College for nearly a decade as a System Administrator, Instructor and Network Administrator, before joining Veterans Affairs Canada as a member of the Veterans Review & Appeal board until 2017. He remained with Veterans Affairs Canada as a Team Leader up until his passing. Taylor was also a licensed private pilot, licensed amateur HAM radio operator and Vice-President of Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC).
TV & FILM:
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Heated Rivalry has set a new Canadian Screen Awards record, with the Crave hockey romance claiming 16 awards – including Best Drama Series – leading both television and overall winners, eclipsing a previous record held by Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry. This year’s awards recognized excellence across 146 film, television, and digital media categories during six award presentations, culminating in Sunday evening’s awards broadcast. CBC/APTN/Netflix comedy North of North followed Heated Rivalry with nine wins, while Crave reality series Canada’s Drag Race earned eight. In film, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie was named Best Motion Picture. Read more here and find the winners of the Broadcast News & Sports Awards here and Children’s Television and Cinematic Arts Awards here.
The Canadian Football League (CFL) has announced a new, six-year rights agreement that solidifies Bell Media as the home of Canadian football across TSN, RDS, CTV, and Crave, while sports streamer DAZN becomes the exclusive home of Saturday Night Football games in Canada. Starting in 2027, DAZN will stream 21 Saturday Night Football games per season in Canada – produced by DAZN with its own on-air team – encompassing the regular season and two playoff games. The streamer will also become the global home of the CFL with every game available to fans worldwide (excluding the U.S.). YouTube will additionally join forces with the CFL as a Premier Platform Partner. Read more here.
UPFRONTS: Rogers Sports & Media has unveiled its 2026/27 lineup of new and returning programming across its specialty channels – Bravo, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, FX, Magnolia Network, and Investigation Discovery (ID) – headlined by two new unscripted series from Bryan and Sarah Baeumler. Part of their exclusive multi-year production deal for HGTV in Canada, Baeumler Ranch (working title) follows the couple as they descend on the Prairies to transform a sprawling Rocky Mountain ranch. Sarah Baeumler By Design, meanwhile, tackles major transformations – from homeowners with once-in-a-lifetime personal milestones, to business owners on the verge of a critical launch. The Baeumlers will also host new HGTV original series Home Town Takeover Canada, with production set to begin this month. Read more here.
UPFRONTS: Rogers Sports & Media’s Citytv has announced the return of 21 series, and the addition of two new shows. New this fall is Line of Fire, a drama that follows a family of law enforcement agents as they tackle cases for the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Secret Service, and Department of Justice. Coming to Citytv in January 2027 is a remake of The Rockford Files, starring David Boreanaz as private investigator James Rockford, newly-paroled after doing time for a crime he didn’t commit. The network has also renewed Hudson & Rex, with John Reardon returning as Detective Charlie Hudson, as well as Citytv original series The Price is Right Tonight.
UPFRONTS: Corus Entertainment’s 2026/27 roster of new and returning series across its specialty networks sees Home Network greenlight Love It or List It West (8×60), bringing the long-running franchise to Calgary. Brand-new series Property Pursuit (18×60) follows designer Debra Salmoni as she helps ambitious homeowners level up, while Top Chef Canada: The Dessert Table (6×60) is a new spinoff of Top Chef Canada bringing together Canada’s best professional pastry chefs to compete. New co-production Mountain Men: Wild North (10×60) also brings the long-running franchise to Canada’s vast and unforgiving terrain. Meanwhile, Global TV’s expanded slate features four new U.S. acquisitions and the launch of two new Canadian productions, including the previously-announced Private Eyes West Coast.
Corus Entertainment is introducing a new weekday lifestyle and entertainment afternoon show, starting this fall. TMS2 will be hosted by The Morning Show entertainment reporter Morgan Hoffman. Airing weekdays at 1 p.m., the hour-long program will broadcast on Global and stream on STACKTV beginning this September. Corus says based on the success of The Morning Show, TMS2 will be powered by the stars of the network’s top programs across Global, W Network, Home Network, Flavour Network, Slice, and Showcase, featuring segments across home, fashion, food, and wellness, along with A-list celebrity interviews. The show will also serve as a conduit allowing viewers to shop Corus’ commerce platform, NextScreen, by scanning a branded QR code. Read more here.
Stingray has launched its newest channel, Stingray Hooked, in the U.S. on The Roku Channel. The channel invites audiences to take to the open water with footage of no-holds-barred fishing expeditions. Stingray Hooked further expands Stingray’s portfolio of curated video content, available to stream in the Live TV section of the Channel Guide on The Roku Channel.
The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) has opened applications for the 2026 cohort of the CBC Actors Conservatory. In tribute to the late Jay Switzer, the Jay Switzer Indigenous Creator Bursary Award will be awarded to selected Indigenous participants in the 2026 CBC Actors Conservatory. They’ll receive a $10,000 bursary, including $1,500 to support relocation expenses, helping remove barriers and empower artists to fully focus on their creative journey at the CFC.
The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and film and television producer Don Carmody have announced the CMPA Don Carmody International Co-Production Mentorship Program. Supported by a $100,000 commitment from Carmody, the program will fund one producer annually over the next 10 years to participate in a 20-week paid mentorship placement, providing hands-on, on-the-job training on international co-production projects. Born in Rhode Island and raised in Montreal, Carmody is widely recognized for bridging the Canadian and Hollywood production sectors, having brought over $2B USD in film and television production projects to Canada. The application deadline is July 10.
ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:
@musiqueplus
MusiquePlus is making a digital return through a collaboration between TikTok and Attraction et Motion Entertainment (a division of WPP Media and Remstar) to reintroduce the brand to a new generation of music lovers. Originally launched in Quebec in 1986, MusiquePlus became a flagship channel that drove the discovery of local talent. The brand will be revived exclusively on TikTok on June 11 at @MusiquePlus, promising all new content and a new generation of VJs and creators, with a focus on highlighting music, culture and entertainment “in an experience that amplifies Quebec’s creative voices.”
REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:
Canadian Heritage announced a major policy re-direction Wednesday that will “adjust the implementation” of the Online Streaming Act, while asking the CRTC to review its May 21 decision imposing further Canadian content spending requirements on foreign streamers. At the same time, Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller announced a federal investment of $600 million “to provide stability and immediate support to Canada’s audio and audiovisual sectors and to keep our culture accessible and affordable for all Canadians.” The Chair of the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) is concerned that the federal government has “sold out” to the interests of American Big Tech, while the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) said it’s encouraged to see the government take action to help ensure that the Act treats Canadian broadcasters equitably. Read more here.
FEATURE: Golden West Broadcasting CEO Elmer Hildebrand is among the private broadcast executives who isn’t happy with the CBC’s recent bureau expansion. The public broadcaster announced in January it was expanding its footprint, with plans to create 11 new local bureaus and hire 33 journalists, including three additional locations in Saskatchewan, and two each in the Yukon, Manitoba and Quebec. Among the new communities it’s hired reporters in are Swift Current and Moose Jaw, SK, cities in which Golden West operates a total of six radio stations, as well as SwiftCurrentOnline.com, and DiscoverMooseJaw.com that already carry local news and information. In an open letter sent to CBC/Radio-Canada President Marie-Philippe Bouchard, Hildebrand wrote that when funding to support hiring reporters in underserved areas was announced “the expectation was that these resources would be directed toward communities lacking meaningful local news coverage.” Read more here.
RTDNA in the U.S. has announced regional Edward R. Murrow Award winners, including four wins for 680 News Radio (CFTR-AM) Toronto, and four for CBC Toronto across both radio and television. CBC Atlantic, CTV Barrie, CTV Vancouver and Global BC also claimed multiple awards.
The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) has announced the winners of its annual Media Awards competition, recognizing outstanding journalism on nursing and health issues. Those recognized include Canadaland’s Julian Abraham for Best Podcast Episode and CTV National News’ Heather Butts, who won for Best News Report in the Television category. Award recipients will be recognized during a virtual ceremony on June 4.
A well-deserved honour 🎙️
Sportsnet’s Chris Cuthbert receives the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster 🏆 pic.twitter.com/mACVgE1JL1
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 3, 2026
Sportsnet’s Chris Cuthbert will be honored as a 2026 Hockey Hall of Fame Media Award recipient for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster. Hailing from Brampton, Cuthbert joined CBC Sports in 1984 and has been calling hockey games for over 40 years. He has worked for CBC Hockey Night in Canada, TSN, and Sportsnet earning three Gemini Awards and two Canadian Screen Awards. His broadcasting career began at Queen’s University, where he was the radio voice of the Golden Gaels in the late 1970s.
BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:
MELS has acquired Transmission Squelch Inc., a Quebec leader in wireless audio signal transmission and communications. The TVA Group-owned studios and post-production facility says the integration of Squelch’s operations into MELS will create a one-stop shop for technical services, further strengthening its “distinctive position in the industry.” Established in Quebec in 2008, Squelch has designed and coordinated wireless and communication systems for major entertainment players, including Cirque du Soleil, the JUNO Awards, Les Grands Feux Loto-Québec, and many of Quebec’s major productions. The team will remain based in Saint-Hubert and will be integrated into a new MELS division specializing in wireless audio signal transmission systems.
