Revolving Door

Originally published in the Aug. 17, 2023 edition of The Weekly Briefing

Larry Gifford, National Director of Talk Radio for Corus Entertainment, is among those caught up in a reorganization of the company’s audio division. With Corus since 2016, Gifford – an alum of 710 ESPN Los Angeles, 97.3 KIRO FM Seattle, and the Fox Sports Radio Network, among other stations – has been leading programming efforts across Corus Radio’s AM stations. Among others impacted, Jeff Storey, Director of Business Operations & Program Director at Corus’ Hamilton radio properties, is a casualty of restructuring. He had been with the company just shy of 30 years. Read more here.

Bill Kelly has hosted his final show on AM 900 CHML Hamilton and CFPL London, also caught up last week’s restructuring in Corus’ audio division. With CHML for the last 17 years, the talk radio veteran had most recently been hosting the 9 a.m. – noon show, which since 2021 had been simulcast in both Hamilton and London. His more than four-decade career also included 13 seasons as a stadium announcer for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, in addition to holding a city council seat in Hamilton from 1997-2006. Read more here.

Andrea Bain is joining CTV’s The Social full-time as co-host Elaine “Lainey” Lui gets set to depart the daytime talk show at the end of Season 10 this week. Bain, the author of Single Girl Problems and host of the eOne podcast of the same name, has filled in as a guest host several times over the past year. A former host of The Goods on CBC, HGTV’s Live Here Buy This, and Revamped and Three Takes on Slice, Bain has also anchored and reported for both Global and CTV News. Lui has been with The Social since its debut in September 2013. She’ll now devote more time to her role as a senior correspondent for CTV’s etalk and continue to helm her long-running blog, LaineyGossip.com, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. Read more here.

Marc Antoine Godin has joined Radio-Canada as a beat reporter covering the Montreal Canadiens. Godin was previously a Montreal-based reporter with The Athletic and prior that spent nearly 12 years as a Canadiens beat writer for La Presse.

Srushti Gangdev has joined CityNews 1130 (CKWX-AM) Vancouver as an anchor and reporter. Gangdev was released from the Burnaby Beacon and Overstory Media Group (OMG) almost two years to the day of the news outlet’s launch in May. Prior to joining OMG, she was an anchor and reporter at 980 CKNW Vancouver.

Christine Clark moves into the morning co-anchor role on CityNews 570 (CKGL-AM) Kitchener. Clark has been with the station for a decade, most recently as morning traffic reporter. Former morning anchor Lisa Drew retired from the station earlier this month after 33 years.

Marke Driesschen, who has been absent from the CTV Morning Live Vancouver weather desk since undergoing heart valve replacement surgery in May, has announced he’s ready to return to work. He’s set to come back on Sept. 5.  

Nancy Chapelle, Executive Director of the Bell Fund, has announced she’s retiring after almost nine years. Prior to joining Bell in 2015, Chapelle was Managing Director of Content and Programming at TVO for 11 years.

Jenna Winterburn is rejoining KiSS 91.7 (CHBN-FM) Edmonton in swing. Winterburn, who was most recently on-air in middays at Harvard Media’s Play 107 (CKPW-FM) stations up until restructuring earlier this year, previously helmed weekends on KiSS from 2018-20.

Geneviève Pettersen has signed on as a contributor to Luc Ferrandez’s Without Reserve on Cogeco’s 98.5 FM (CHMP-FM) Montreal. Petterson also contributes to Bell Media’s Noovo Info as a columnist. 

Mike Richards has hosted his last show at Sauga 960 (CKNT-AM) Mississauga. The former TSN 1050 (CHUM-AM) and Sportsnet 590 The Fan (CJCL-AM) host’s Raw Mike Richards Show had been heard on Sauga 960 for the last four and a half years. Richards will be hosting a morning show for the Game+ network, which is owned by Leonard Asper’s Anthem Sports & Entertainment.

Scotty Mars, who recently announced his departure from Acadia Broadcasting’s Surge 105 (CKHY-FM) Halifax, is joining JACK 92.9 (CFLT-FM) Halifax as Content Director. Mars takes over from Earle Mader, who announced his retirement earlier this year, after 11 years in the role.

Corné Van Hoepen has been promoted to Senior Editor of News at Yahoo! Canada. Van Hoepen previously worked with Global Toronto in several digital roles before leaving to pursue freelance journalism work in Lebanon.