Originally published in the July 16, 2026 edition of The Weekly Briefing
Rogers Sports & Media is cutting 230 positions encompassing 80 staff at six radio stations that abruptly went off the air last Tuesday, including 1130 NewsRadio (CKWX-AM) and Sportsnet 650 (CISL-AM) in Vancouver; 660 NewsRadio (CFFR-AM) and Sportsnet 960 AM The Fan (CFAC-AM) Calgary; NewsRadio 95.7 (CJNI-FM) Halifax; and 570 NewsRadio (CKGL-AM) Kitchener. Overall, about half of the positions impacted are corporate and support roles across sales, marketing, and programming, in addition to production and some on-air roles on the television side.
Griff and Caroline, who had hosted the JACK 92.9 (CFLT-FM) Halifax morning show for the past 13 years, were also among last week’s cuts, alongside 98.5 The Ocean (CIOC-FM) Victoria morning duo, AJ & Mira. Read more here.
Corus Entertainment is undertaking another round of layoffs that will see the company part ways with an unknown number of Global News and Corus Radio personalities. Corus said the changes will be reflected on-air in the coming weeks. Among the talent scrubbed from their station websites are Ed Garcia, afternoon host at Winnipeg’s Power 97 (CJKR-FM); and 103.1 Fresh Radio (CFHK-FM) London morning show, The Morning Rush with Mark LeBel and co-host Taylor Tsakoniatis. Read more here.
Paul Kaye has been named Pattison Media’s next president as Rod Schween gets set to retire after 14 years at the helm. Schween will remain in the president’s role through the end of the year to support the transition, as Kaye begins onboarding, starting Aug. 31. Read more here.
Tom Gazzola is the new morning show host on Stingray’s Sports 1140 AM (CKJR-AM) Edmonton. Gazzola steps into the role vacated by the retiring Kevin Karius, who’d been the station’s morning show host since its launch in 2023. Gazzola announced his departure from Edmonton Sports Talk in early June. Read more here.
Darren McCaffrey is now a Breaking News Host on CBC News Network. McCaffrey was most recently an anchor with Sky News, based in London, UK, presenting the network’s flagship Business Live program, in addition to hosting Politics Hub.
Jen Barr has left CBC’s Washington Bureau for a new position in Toronto. Barr had served as CBC News’ Senior Producer, U.S. Bureaus for the last year and a half.
Daniel Jardine has left CBC after a decade. Jardine first joined the public broadcaster in Toronto in 2016. He was hired to shoot news at CBC Halifax in 2022 and more recently had been working as a video producer with the bureau.
Philip Croucher has left Global News in Halifax after five years and more than 25 in journalism. Croucher is joining the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change as a Communications Advisor. He’d been the Newsroom Manager at Global for Halifax and New Brunswick since 2021.
Noah Rishaug has joined CTV Edmonton as a reporter. Rishaug arrives from Global Edmonton, where he’s worked off and on since early 2025, most recently as a sports reporter. He previously was a VJ with CTV Saskatoon.
Gary Robson retired from CTV Winnipeg on July 3 after 55 years in broadcasting. Robson began his 39-year run with the station as a camera operator at the formerly branded CKY-TV, before leaving to work with CBC Manitoba. He eventually returned to CTV Winnipeg, holding various positions behind-the-scenes, including film editor, technical director, and director for Kinsmen Bingo.
Keira Stephens has joined APTN National News as a reporter in Winnipeg. A recent graduate of the Assiniboine College Media and Communications program in Brandon, Stephens recently wrapped up a news internship with the station.
Jannie-Karina Gagné has joined Cogeco’s CKOI as Program Director. She was previously with Bell Media for six years as the Content Producer for Rouge FM’s La Gang Du Matin.
Dan Wylie, Director of Programming at Blackburn Media in London, ON, has parted ways with the company. Wylie had been with Blackburn for the last 13 years.
Lana Gay is now being heard in middays on Toronto’s Indie88 (CIND-FM), from 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Adam Ricard moves from middays into Gay’s former afternoon drive time slot from 2:30 – 7 p.m. weekdays.
Dylan Fiessel has taken over as the new morning show host for Golden West Broadcasting’s Country 106.7 (CHWY-FM) Weyburn, SK. A graduate of Western Academy Broadcasting College, he previously hosted the morning show on Golden West’s AM 1190 (CFSL-AM) and Magic 103.5 (CKRC-FM) in the market.
Ella Mack has joined the lineup at CFAJ Classic 1220 AM St. Catharines/Niagara. The host of Drive Smart Living, weekdays from 3 – 6 p.m., the media personality recently returned to her hometown of Niagara after living in Australia for several years.
Amanda Wawryk has started a new position as a Senior Communications Advisor at BC Ferries. Wawryk, a former anchor at 1130 NewsRadio (CKWX-AM) for 15 years, had most recently served as Director of Editorial with ZoomerMedia where she was caught up in layoffs in April.
Alexandra Thibault has been appointed Bell Media’s new Senior Head of Agency, a newly-created role aimed at strengthening the company’s relationships with agencies. Thibault arrives from UM Worldwide, where she most recently held the title of Senior Director, Connections Planning.
Sharath Cherian is the new CEO of Vancouver-based digital music promotion platform Play MPE and Destiny Media Technologies. Cherian is a music industry entrepreneur and tech executive best known for founding HipHopDX, prior to its acquisition by Warner Music Group in 2020. L.A.-based Cherian joins Play MPE after serving in an advisory capacity with the company since early 2025.
Ken Katigbak has joined CBC as Executive in Charge of Production for Unscripted Content. Katigbak arrives from Insight Productions, where he’s been the Senior Producer of The Amazing Race Canada for the last five years. He also spent 15 years with Bell Media as a line producer and editor with MUCH and Senior Producer with the CTV Specials Unit.
Shaun Alperin has left Prime Video Canada to join NBCUniversal’s Peacock as VP, Acquisitions. Alperin had served as Head of Content for Prime Video Canada since early 2024 and had been with the streamer since 2020.
Stephanie Demers has been tapped as French Regional Director for Telefilm. Demers arrives from Montreal distribution studio, h264, where she was a Partner and served as Co-president.
Scott Marchand has been named Head of Quality Assurance and Support & Sustain at Nautel. A 29-year veteran of the company, Marchand had previously been leading Support & Sustain activities through his role as Production Engineering Manager.
Matt McGowan, VP of Business Solutions at Bell Media, has been appointed Chair of the thinkTV board of directors. CBC Chief Revenue Officer Hisham Ghostine continues in the Vice-Chair position. Payal Gabrani-Bahl, SVP Consumer & Small Business, Bell Media; Christopher Mercer, SVP Media Solutions & Sales, Corus Entertainment; and Mike Searson, Group VP, Corus, also join the board.
Peter Kent has been appointed to the Community Broadcasters Foundation of Canada Board of Directors. The retired journalist, who had a long career with Global, CBC and NBC, among other outlets, also served 14 years as the Member of Parliament for Thornhill.
The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) Board of Directors has welcomed new members: Jon Thompson, Ricochet; Mandeep Pujara, Prime Asia TV; and consultant Linton Garner. They’ll serve alongside returning directors Jason Markusoff, CBC News; Thomas Chabot, Quartier Libre; Nathalie Sturgeon, CHCO-TV; Brent Jolly, National NewsMedia Council, and Zane Schwartz, Investigative Journalism Foundation.
