REVOLVING DOOR:
Canadian country star Jason McCoy has joined KICX 106 (CICX-FM) Orillia as an on-air host. The award-winning performer was born in Barrie and now lives in Minesing, ON. Jason started as a guest on the Jack Latimer and Carey Moran show on Monday.
Fiona Conway is out as executive director of programming for CBC News. Conway joined CBC in 2012 after 14 years as executive director of ABC News, including serving as the senior producer on World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. She was previously executive director at CTV News for nearly 18 years. CBC News GM and editor-in-chief Jennifer Mcguire says Conway is leaving to pursue a “personal passion” and that her timing coincides with the redevelopment of The National. In the interim, all programs will report to McGuire through Paul Hambleton, the managing editor of radio and television news.
Lily Jamali has joined Bloomberg TV Canada as the host of the new daily business news program Bloomberg Markets: Canada. The hour-long show debuted Monday. Prior to joining Bloomberg, Jamali covered the tech industry and the U.S. West Coast as a San Francisco-based financial journalist for Reuters TV.
Kristen Jade is headed to 101.5 Kool FM (CKCE-FM) Calgary after four years at Vancouver’s JRfm (CJJR-FM) and The Peak (CKPK-FM). Jade will co-host afternoons with Jeff Holland beginning Feb. 2.
Rob Arnold is leaving his account executive role with Bell Media Regina to head up business development at Regina’s Hillman AV. Since 2002, Arnold has worked as a creative writer and creative director at OK Radio Group, Fort McMurray; Rawlco Radio, Regina; Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, Nanaimo; Astral Media (Kelowna and Regina); and the Look Agency in Regina.
Ken Engelhart has joined StrategyCorp as a senior advisor. Ken comes to StrategyCorp after a 25-year career at Rogers Communications, where he most recently led its regulatory affairs practice as senior vice-president. Prior to Rogers, Ken was general counsel and director of regulatory affairs for the Canadian Business Telecommunications Alliance. He’s also a past board member and chair of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association.
Donnie Campbell has moved his show Celtic Serenade, which he hosted on CJCB-AM Sydney, NS for more than 40 years, across town to The Coast 89.7 (CKOA-FM) Glace Bay, NS. Campbell ended his Sunday evening show on CJCB Dec. 25 and aired his first show on The Coast Jan. 1. The show is now simulcast throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Newfoundland on Bell FibeTV channel 773.
Canadian Olympian Roseline Filion is retiring from diving at age 29 to pursue a career in broadcasting. Filion tells BT Montreal she’s always been interested in television. The Laval, QC, athlete and her diving partner Meaghan Benfeito won a bronze medal at Rio 2016 and bronze at London 2012.
Futuri Media has created three new leadership roles. Sophie Fry has been named Dir./TopLine. Jason Robinaugh has been promoted to product manager, Mobile, LDR and Takeover. Clint Marsh has been named product manager, Post and Futuri Streaming. All three are based in Cleveland, OH and will report to CEO Daniel Anstandig.
Ines de La Cuetara is joining the Global National team as Washington correspondent. de La Cuetara has been covering U.S. politics for ABC News since 2015. Previously, she was Global News Montreal’s first video-journalist in 2014 and has also worked in production for CNN’s Paris Bureau and ABC’s World News Tonight.
Andy Walsh has set a date to retire after more than 65 years in broadcasting. Walsh, 85, has been the voice of weekend news on News 1130 (CKWX-AM) Vancouver for nearly 20 years and will read his last newscast on Feb. 13. Walsh started in radio in 1951 after dropping out of high school to work for an advertising company in his hometown of Montreal. While working there, he had the opportunity to meet radio and television personalities and became interested in the idea of becoming a broadcaster. His first radio job was at small 50-watt station CKSF-AM in Cornwall, ON. Born Andy Woloshen, it was there that it was suggested his name was too difficult to pronounce and he became Andy ‘Walsh’ on air. Walsh went on to CJIC-AM in Sault Ste Marie and CFRA-AM in Ottawa before he was offered a position at Montreal’s number one station CJAD-AM in 1954. He stayed there for 15 years before applying at CHQM-FM Vancouver where he was news director until 1993. Known for his warm, yet authoritative delivery, Walsh was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the RTDNA in 2004 and in 2012 was inducted into the Canadian News Hall of Fame.