Patrick Grierson, founder and president of Canadian Broadcast Sales (CBS), will retire on May 31. He will remain on in an advisory role until May 2018. After joining Standard Broadcasting in the 1970s where he held a variety of positions, Grierson was appointed president of the Standard Broadcast Sales Radio division following the Slaight purchase of the company in 1985. In 1987, he founded United Broadcast Sales (UBS), a merger of Western Broadcast Sales (WIC) and Standard Broadcast Sales, and was president and CEO until 1993. That same year, he brought together UBS and All Canada to create CBS. Grierson was honoured by the Ontario Association of Broadcasters (OAB) with its 2015 Ontario Hall of Fame Award. Grierson’s successor will be announced in the coming months.
Bell Media has named Rob Farina head of iHeartRadio, Syndication and Strategic Initiatives, Bell Media Radio. After joining Bell seven months ago as senior advisor for the launch of iHeartRadio Canada, Farina’s role now expands to include responsibility for content syndication group Orbyt Media and implementing new strategic radio initiatives in coordination with David Corey, VP of radio programming. Farina will also continue to lead iHeartRadio Canada. Farina was formerly program director at Toronto’s 104.5 CHUM FM, then VP of programming for CHUM Radio, before joining Astral as Executive Vice-President, Content and Platforms. He moved to Los Angeles to launch Black Box, a music company that provides strategy, artist development, and digital marketing services. Farina was also former VP of programming and innovation for Rogers Media’s radio division.
Fred Mattocks, GM of media operations at CBC, has been promoted to GM, local services, CBC English Services. The appointment reflects an organizational change separating CBC’s News and Regions into two distinct organizational functions. CBC English Services EVP Heather Conway says in his new role, Mattocks will help evolve local strategy to deepen audience connection and oversee the regional expression of the CBC.
Keith Leslie has retired from the Canadian Press. After 40 years in journalism, 35 years at Canadian Press and 20 years at Queen’s Park covering Ontario politics, Leslie retired at the end of the December.
Josie Dye has resigned from her afternoon announcer position at 102.1 The Edge (CFNY-FM) Toronto. Her last show was Dec. 16. Dye hosted syndicated radio show Josie’s Top 20 and has been a host on the Corus-owned W Network, where she introduces popular W Network movie programming blocks. She formerly hosted Oh So Cosmo, which ran for six seasons on CosmoTV.
Stéphane Bellavance and Annie-Soleil Proteau have joined the morning team on Rythme FM 105.7 Montreal (CFGL-FM). Proteau and Bellavance join Jean-François Baril as part of a revamped line-up on Rythmez vos matins, following the departure of Saskia Thuot. Thuot, who had been with the morning show since Aug. 2015, is leaving to devote more time to her family. Bellavance exited CKOI-FM three years ago to focus on television.
Dave Maynard has retired from CTV Montreal after 40 years. Maynard, who was manager of operations and production, started with CTV in February 1977.
Alexandre Despatie spent the holidays as a fill-in host on CKOI-FM Montreal. The Olympic medalist piloted the show from Dec. 26 to Jan. 6 with Isabelle Ménard and Pierre Pagé, sitting in for Peter MacLeod, Kim Rusk and Philo Lirette. After retiring in 2013, Despatie, 31, hosted Breakfast Television Montreal on City for two years before getting swept up in budget cuts. Last summer, Despatie joined the Radio-Canada broadcast team during the Rio Olympics.
CTV Vancouver features reporter Dave Gerry is retiring after a 40-year television career. While still a journalism student at the University of Western Ontario, Dave started working as a reporter at CFPL-TV London. He moved between that station and CKCO-TV Kitchener several times before relocating to Vancouver in 1985, where he worked at Global TV (CKVU-TV) until 2001 as a features reporter and documentary producer, which took him from New Zealand to Newfoundland. He also hosted the show Out Of My Mind. From 2001 to 2008 Dave appeared as a host and reporter on City Vancouver’s Breakfast Television. He returned to Toronto in 2011, as a morning show host and features reporter on Global Toronto, returning to the West Coast in 2013 to join CTV Vancouver. Dave received an RTDNA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.
Jeff Holland, who joined Evanov’s Energy 106 (CHWE-FM) Winnipeg last July as morning show host has left the station for Pattison-owned Kool 101.5 FM (CKCE-FM) Calgary where he’ll host afternoon drive.
New CBC Nova Scotia meteorologist Brennan Allen is succeeding longtime Halifax weatherman Peter Coade, who retired last fall. Allen, 24, is a native of Cole Harbour, NS, and will continue to go to school full time until April, when he’ll receive his meteorology designation.
Kevin MacDonald is leaving his position as program director/afternoon drive host at Vista Radio’s 100.1 The Moose (CJCD-FM) Yellowknife for an opportunity outside the broadcasting industry. MacDonald joined the station in March 2012 after a 10-year stint with Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation in Wasaga Beach, Goderich and Owen Sound, ON. His last day on-air is tomorrow, Jan. 6.
Former CJOB Winnipeg news anchor Barry Burns has been appointed Honorary Colonel of the Canadian Forces 38 Signal Regiment. With squadrons in Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon and Thunder Bay, Honorary Lieutenant Colonels and Honorary Colonels are asked to help develop and foster relations with government and community leaders and represent the regiment at ceremonial events. Hockey Night In Canada host Ron MacLean and Global TV Edmonton news anchor Gord Steinke are also Honorary Colonels.
DHX Media Ltd. has announced the retirement of Sir Judson Graham Day from its Board of Directors. Day had been lead director for over 10 years.
Steve Kennedy is the new PD at Corus Radio’s 107.5 DAVE ROCKS (CJDV-FM) and 91.5 The BEAT (CKBT-FM) in Kitchener, moving from his PD/afternoon drive host position at The One 93.1 (CJLD-FM) Leduc. The broadcast veteran’s background includes stops in Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has announced plans to step down. Appointed by President Obama in 2013, Wheeler is set to leave the agency Jan. 20, the day Donald Trump will be sworn in as president. Conservative economists Jeffrey Eisenach and Mark Jamison have been recruited as part of the Trump transition team to focus on the FCC and telecom policy. Both are considered possible successors to head the agency.
Theresa Tova has been elected to succeed David Sparrow as the new president of ACTRA Toronto. Tova has been active in the union since 1992, when she began her long-time work of protecting children in the entertainment industry. Under her stewardship as ACTRA Toronto’s first child advocate, Ontario passed the Protecting Child Performers Act which came into force last year. Tova is also an award-winning actor, writer and singer, recognized for her Gemini-nominated role as Marge on the television series E.N.G., among other TV, film and theatre roles.
