Originally published in the Nov. 23, 2023 edition of The Weekly Briefing
Travis Dhanraj has been named the incoming host of CBC News daily prime time program, Canada Tonight, starting in January. Dhanraj succeeds Ginella Massa, who departed CBC News Network over the summer. Most recently with CBC consumer affairs program Marketplace, Dhanraj returned to CBC in 2021 as a senior reporter in the Parliamentary Bureau, after serving as Global News’ Queen’s Park Bureau Chief. He had previously worked as a reporter for the public broadcaster in Toronto and Edmonton from 2011-14. Read more here.
Marianne Dimain has joined CBC News Network as weekend morning host, in addition to contributing to breaking news coverage on Morning Live, Monday to Wednesday. Dimain left Global Toronto in late October after 13 years with the station.
Mary Hynes has decided to retire from CBC Radio at the end of this season of Tapestry, the program she’s hosted for two decades. With Hynes’ retirement, the long-running program will culminate with a season finale airing Dec. 31. A former sports reporter for The Globe and Mail, Hynes also worked with TVO, helping launch the live, nightly news show Studio 2, serving as its co-host during the first two seasons. She later hosted Imprint, the network’s show about the world of books.
Samira Mohyeddin has announced her departure from CBC to pursue other opportunities. Mohyeddin has been a host and producer with CBC since 2016, most recently producing on The Current, and hosting and producing Gay Girl Gone, a podcast about the disappearance of infamous LGBT blogger, Girl in Damascus.
Keith Whelan is retiring from CBC News after 47 years as a cameraman. Whelan, who got his start in broadcasting working with Memorial University’s in-house educational broadcaster, first joined CBC in 1976 as a film editor in St. John’s, NL. He later freelanced as a film cameraman, formally taking a CBC staff position in 1987 in Ottawa, working on On The Road Again with Wayne Rostad. He returned to Newfoundland in the ’90s, before heading back to Toronto in 2002, covering news, sports (including numerous Olympic Games), and other events for The National, among many other programs.
Donna Guzik has revealed that CBC Radio has cut her nationally syndicated business column. Guzik had been heard on CBC Radio across the country for almost 14 years.
Josie Dye is departing the morning show on Indie88 (CIND-FM) Toronto, effective Friday, Nov. 24. Dye has been with the station the last seven years, arriving from Corus Entertainment’s 102.1 The Edge (CFNY-FM) and W Network. Dye has also been co-hosting Cynthia and Josie’s Unmentionables, alongside Cynthia Loyst for the past year.
Darryl Henry has announced his retirement after 39 years in broadcasting. He began his career in 1984 as the all-night host at CKLQ Brandon, MB, before moving on to be a part of the inaugural on air team at 97.7 HTZ-FM St. Catharines, and then CJFM and MIX 96 Montreal. Henry later joined 97.3 EZ Rock Toronto for 14 years, before signing on at 98.1 CHFI in 2010.
John Gormley is stepping away from his radio show on Rawlco Radio’s 650 CKOM Saskatoon after 25 years. His last show will air Nov. 24. Gormley plans to remain in Saskatchewan, practice labour and employment law, and travel.
Stuart McGinn has joined Newstalk 1010 (CFRB-AM) Toronto as morning news anchor. McGinn arrives from Narcity where he’d been an editor for the past year. Prior to that, he held anchoring and reporting roles with CityNews 570 (CKGL-AM) Kitchener, CityNews 680 (CFTR-AM) Toronto, and CityNews 1310 (CIWW-AM) Ottawa, among other stations.
Morgan Ryan has retired as the host of Windsor’s Country Mornings, heard on Country 95.9 (CJWF-FM) Windsor and Country 92.7 (CJSP-FM) Leamington, to focus on family. Ryan’s radio career stretches back nearly two decades, her last 11 years with Blackburn Media in the Windsor market. She has also spent time on-air in the Cayman Islands on Z99 (ZFZZ-FM).
Melissa Lamb has returned to CTV Morning Live Ottawa. She will be presenting traffic and weather as well as lifestyle stories, focused on parenting. Lamb was previously a host and weather anchor with the show for seven years, up until getting caught up in a round of layoffs in November 2017.
Thomas Seal, Bloomberg’s reporter in London, UK for the last seven years, has announced he’ll be moving to Canada in the New Year. Seal will take on the role of West Coast bureau chief for the network, based in Vancouver.
Wodek Szemberg is among those taking a package at TVO following the conclusion of recent job action. Szemberg has been a producer with the Ontario public broadcaster for nearly 46 years. Charnel Anderson, who had been a journalist with TVO since 2020; Daniel Kitts, a digital producer, among other roles, for 24 years; and Harrison Lowman, who has been a producer on The Agenda since 2017, have also announced their departures from the broadcaster.
Ryan Lehal has joined Global BC as a writer and producer. Lehal was formerly the producer of 980 CKNW Vancouver afternoon talk show, The Jas Johal Show.
Justin Young is the new Director of Brand and Audience Engagement at BC’s Knowledge Network. Young formerly served as Managing Director at Radar DDB, the social media division of full-service agency DDB Canada. He subsequently founded social media agency, Village&Co, working as a partner with organizations including the David Suzuki Foundation, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, and TransLink.
Jean-Philippe Grimard and Guillaume Corbeil-Archambault have joined Cogeco Media as Digital and Programmatic Sales Manager, within the National Sales division, and Head, Digital Marketing, respectively. Grimard was previously a National Digital Account Executive with Bell Media and prior to that held a similar role with Groupe V Media. Corbeil-Archambault arrives from an Account Manager position at Montreal digital strategy agency, Adviso.
Blue Ant Media has unveiled new leadership across the company’s yet-to-be named studio and rights business, led by Co-Presidents, Mark Bishop and Matthew Hornburg, following the company’s recent acquisition of marblemedia. Led by Hornburg, Blue Ant Media’s Unscripted Development team includes Jennifer Harkness, who has taken the development reins of Factual Entertainment from the studio’s L.A. office. From the Toronto office, Kelsey Espensen leads development for Unscripted Entertainment and Steve Gamester leads Specialist Factual Development. The studio’s Scripted Development team, under the leadership of Bishop, will see Scripted Drama & Comedy helmed by Carrie Paupst Shaughnessy, who will be focused on Scripted Production; while Melissa Williamson oversees Scripted Development. AJ Trauth leads the expanded Kids, Family and Young Adult division, based in L.A. Josh Bowen will lead the business’ animation studio in Toronto and its planned expansion. Read more here.
