CBC has announced changes to its documentary team as Sandra Kleinfeld, Senior Director of Documentary, retires after two decades with the public broadcaster.
Kleinfeld, who is set to retire at the end of August, has been with CBC-TV since 2006 when she joined as Executive in Charge of Production, Factual Entertainment. A former Canwest and Alliance Atlantis production executive, Kleinfeld went on to hold the title of Director of Development, Unscripted Content, before moving into her current role in 2016.
Jennifer Dettman, Executive Director of Unscripted Content for CBC, said in an internal memo that Kleinfeld “has had a profound and lasting impact” on the broadcast landscape.
“Since joining the Unscripted team two decades ago, she has been a driving force behind some of our most beloved prime-time programs, including the award-winning series Still Standing, Hello Goodbye, and the longest-running reality TV show in Canadian history, Dragons’ Den,” said Dettman. “Beyond these hits, Sandra’s legacy is defined by the hundreds of hours of programming she has commissioned and overseen and has shaped the landscape of Canadian broadcasting.”
Since 2016, Kleinfeld has overseen documentary programming, including The Nature of Things, The Passionate Eye, CBC Docs POV, CBC Short Docs, and the documentary Channel, successfully transitioning to a digital-first strategy that last year saw over 200% growth in watch time.
With her retirement, Michelle McCree will move into the role of Senior Director and Commissioning Editor of CBC Documentary. McCree has been the Executive in Charge of Production for The Passionate Eye, overseeing award-winning documentaries like Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery and Yintah, and docuseries like the upcoming Snow King: From Olympian to Narco.
Prior to joining CBC, McCree was a director, writer, and producer for networks including Discovery, Blue Ant Media and IFC Films.
Dettman said McCree and Kleinfeld will work closely together in a co-leadership capacity over the summer, with McCree officially assuming her new role on Aug. 31.
The leadership transition comes ahead of the September launch of the new CBC Docs’ FAST channel as the public broadcaster further invests in the documentary genre.
