Revolving Door

Originally published in the May 25, 2023 edition of The Weekly Briefing

Tom McGouran is returning to morning radio in Winnipeg, joining Corus Entertainment’s Peggy@99.1 as the station’s new morning show host, starting July 4. McGouran has been helming mornings in the Winnipeg market, on and off, since 1982, best known as one-half of successful morning duos “Tom and Larry” and “Tom and Joe,” alongside Larry Updike, and Joe Aiello, respectively. McGouran was most recently heard in mornings on Pattison Media’s 94.3 The Drive, accompanied by co-host Vicki Shae, until the station’s rebrand as NOW! Radio (CHNW-FM) in fall 2021. McGouran succeeds Samantha Stevens as morning show host. With Corus since 2017, Stevens is moving to a new position outside the market and the company. In addition to mornings on Peggy@99.1, she also hosts middays on boom 99.7 (CJOT-FM) Ottawa and does fill-in on Q107 (CILQ-FM) Toronto. Her last day on-air is June 29. Read more here.

“Tarzan Dan” Freeman has joined Stingray’s XL103.1 (CFXL-FM) Calgary as a fill-in host. Freeman, well-known for his run hosting YTV Hit List with Tarzan Dan throughout the ’90s, has been a free agent since December when Corus Entertainment moved to simulcast 770 CHQR on its former classic rock station Q107 (CFGQ-FM).

Tim Wieczorek is the new General Manager of My Broadcasting Corporation’s (MBC) 88.7 myFM (CKYM-FM) Napanee. Wieczorek was most recently Executive Vice President at Torres Media and Director of Operations at Rebel 101.7 (CIDG-FM) Ottawa, up until parting ways with the company last August.

James Lewis has assumed the role of News Director at CTV Toronto. Lewis has been with CTV News since 2017, most recently as Supervising Producer. Prior to joining the network, he was a producer at Global BC and a reporter/anchor at CKNW News Talk 980 Vancouver.

Stacy Voudouris has stepped into the role of News Director at CP24. Voudouris has been with Bell Media for 16 years, including 13 at CP24, most recently as Supervising Producer. Voudouris succeeds Linda Oland, who recently retired as Director of News & Programming. Ian Caldwell will continue to support the assignment desks at both CP24 and CTV News Toronto in his role as Managing Editor. 

Jeff Bollenbach has retired as General Manager of Bell Media’s radio and TV stations in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Bollenbach started his broadcasting career in radio in Cranbrook, BC, with stops in Southern Manitoba and then Edmonton, before joining CTV affiliate CFQC-TV Saskatoon in 1987. After a short stint at ITV Edmonton, he rejoined CTV Saskatchewan as a political reporter and anchor. Bollenbach moved into the News Director position at Global Regina in 1991, then CTV Winnipeg in 2002, Global Calgary in 2008 and Global Vancouver in 2012. He returned to Winnipeg and Bell Media to take up the GM position in 2015. He was recognized with a Prairie Region Lifetime Achievement Award from RTDNA Canada last year.

Nicole Dubé is leaving CTV Morning Live Winnipeg after seven years as host and anchor of the morning show and a decade with the station. Prior to joining CTV, Dubé did reporting stints with Global Winnipeg and the Sun News Network.

Noushin Ziafati has joined CTVNews.ca as a digital writer and producer. Ziafati previously worked as a reporter at The Canadian Press (CP) in Ontario, The Chronicle Herald in Halifax and Telegraph-Journal in Saint John.

Sissi De Flaviis has joined the CTV News national digital team. De Flaviis has been freelancing for the last few months after an almost two-year stint with CBC in various roles in Ottawa and Whitehorse.

Alissa Thibault has revealed that she stepped away from CTV Vancouver in early April, suffering from burnout and early onset PTSD. Thibault, who holds dual Australian-Canadian citizenship, started her career in news radio in Australia, before moving into television with Channel Nine in Sydney. She’s been working in television in Vancouver since 2017, first with CBC News Network, before joining CTV in 2019. 

Cindy Tran has joined the Edmonton Journal as a multimedia reporter. Tran arrives from The Canadian Press (CP) in Ottawa where she’s been a reporter for the last seven months. Prior to that, she was an associate producer and reporter with CBC Ottawa.

Charles Adler has announced he’s signed a deal with Dean Blundell’s Crier Media to supply three podcasts and two columns a week to the digital media network. Adler, who parted ways with the Corus Radio talk network in 2021, can also be read in the Winnipeg Free Press on Thursdays and Fridays. He additionally appears weekly on Real Talk with Ryan Jespersen.

Joy Loewen has announced her intention to step down as CEO of the National Screen Institute (NSI) in June 2024. Loewen plans to leave her position following the completion of the Winnipeg not-for-profit’s strategic plan. She’ll have served in the CEO role for almost five years with over 12 years of total service to the organization. Prior to joining NSI, Loewen held positions with Vision TV, the Women’s Television Network (WTN) and CBC Manitoba.