Global Edmonton station manager Tim Spelliscy is retiring after 42 years in news. Spelliscy began his career in 1975 at CFGP-FM Grande Prairie, later working at CJME-AM Regina before a stint at CFRN-TV Edmonton. In 1979, he joined ITV, now Global Edmonton, as a reporter and served as the host of Oilers on ITV hockey telecasts in the 1980s. Spelliscy went on to become news director, vice-president and general manager, leading the station under five different owners.
Paul Kaye has been promoted to VP, product & talent development, Rogers Radio, with a focus on supporting Rogers Media radio and digital teams. Paul joined Rogers in May 2016 as national format director, CHR (Contemporary Hit Radio), national talent coach, and PD for KiSS 92.5 (CKIS-FM) Toronto. Meanwhile, Dave Cadeau has been appointed national format director, Sports, expanding his current role as PD for Sportsnet 590 The FAN (CJCL-AM) Toronto. Cadeau will now also oversee the entire sports format, including the soon-to-be launched Sportsnet 650 (CISL-AM) Vancouver. Cadeau joined Rogers in 2011.
Dirk Woessner, president of Rogers’ consumer division, encompassing cable, Internet and wireless business, will leave the company in November. As of January, Woessner will be CEO of Deutsche Telekom AG’s German operations. Meanwhile, Dean Prevost has been named head of Rogers’ enterprise services division. Prevost, a former president of MTS Allstream, takes up his new role Sept. 12.
Ian Scott is the new chairperson and Caroline J. Simard, new vice-chair of Broadcasting at the CRTC. Scott was most recently executive director of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Telesat Canada and is a past VP of Federal Government Relations for Telus. Caroline Simard is currently Legal Counsel within the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, a position she has held since 2007, where she has worked on the Telecommunications Act and the Radiocommunication Act. From 2004 to 2007, Simard was also Senior Telecommunications Expert with the International Telecommunication Union in Geneva, the UN-specialized agency for information and communications technologies. Both will serve five-year terms, starting in September. In addition, Christianne M. Laizner has been appointed to serve as interim vice-chair of Telecommunications, for a term of up to one year. Laizner, whose appointment is effective as of July 17, joined the CRTC in 2010 as General Counsel, Telecommunications, and since 2013 has held the position of Senior General Counsel and executive director of the CRTC Legal Sector.
Pierre Morrissette, founder and CEO of Pelmorex Corp. (formerly Pelmorex Media), becomes executive chairman effective Sept. 5, while Sam Sebastian, former Google VP and managing director of Canadian Operations, joins The Weather Network parent as president and CEO. Evolving beyond weather and media, the company is morphing into a data driven business and has created the Pelmorex Weather Networks Division and the Pelmorex Data Solutions Division. The company says the name change to Pelmorex Corp. is more inclusive of its evolution beyond media.
Corus Entertainment has announced the departure of SVP of women and lifestyle content John MacDonald; SVP of brands and marketing Susan Schaefer and Amy Sutton, director of programming, women and family. Daniel Eves has been named SVP of specialty networks. Eves was previously SVP, kids and general entertainment content.
Super Channel has promoted Donald McDonald as president and CEO. McDonald joined Super Channel in 2009 as a financial consultant. In May 2012, he took on the role of executive director of finance and administration before being appointed as COO in September 2016, leading the company through a restructuring process.
Laurie Brown is stepping away from hosting CBC Radio 2’s late night music program The Signal, after a decade. Brown says she’s leaving to pursue new creative ventures. Brown will embark on a farewell tour kicking off in Vancouver on Aug. 15, that will be recorded and featured in her final show on Sept. 2. CBC says details on a new late night show will be announced later this summer.
Kenny Yum has been appointed chief of staff at CBC News, with the role expanded to include strategy and business development. Yum was most recently at Huffington Post Canada – AOL Canada, where he was the founding managing editor of the HuffPost’s first international edition in 2011. From 2009-11, Yum was editor of globeandmail.com and was a previous managing editor of digital for The National Post.
Bob Irving is recovering from heart surgery. The last time the legendary 680 CJOB-AM Winnipeg broadcaster, 67, missed calling a Winnipeg Blue Bombers game was in 2008 when he also underwent a heart-related procedure. CJOB sports director Kelly Moore has been filling in.
CBC Vancouver Early Edition host Rick Cluff is recovering from heart surgery. A Twitter post from the Early Edition account says the host is taking the summer off to recover.
Rick Campanelli, Erin Cebula and Natasha Gargiulo are all leaving Entertainment Tonight Canada, as the show makes changes heading into Season 13. After 12 years as co-host, Campanelli will depart when his contract comes to a close at the end of August. Following 12 years as West Coast reporter, Vancouver-based Cebula is moving on to produce and host lifestyle and entertainment content, while 12-year Montreal correspondent Gargiulo will also continue to host and produce for TV and radio, and expand her lifestyle retreats for women.
Scott Rintoul and Andrew Walker have been named anchors of Sportsnet 650 (CISL-AM) Vancouver’s afternoon drive show, launching Sept. 4. Rintoul has been a fixture in Vancouver sports broadcasting for the past 16 years, reporting for Sportsnet, writing at Sports Page, hosting at TSN 1040 (CKST-AM), and doing play-by-play for the BC Lions from 2014 to 2017. Walker comes to Vancouver with 15 years of broadcasting experience, including hosting at Sportsnet 960 The FAN (CFAC-AM) Calgary and Sportsnet 590 The FAN (CJCL-AM) Toronto.
John Streit has joined CityTV Vancouver’s Breakfast Television as senior writer/researcher. Streit had been and anchor and editor with the News 1130 (CKWX-AM) Vancouver evening show since 2000.
Shannon “Brooksy” Brooksbank has moved to KiSS 92.5 (CKIS-FM) Toronto to host weeknights. For the past year, she’d been doing weekend announcing at Virgin Montreal (CJFM-FM).
Chris Duffy, swing announcer/news for Evanov Radio Group’s Eastern Ontario stations and a digital media professor at Algonquin College, has moved to Highlands, North Carolina where he’s now morning show host and operations manager at WHLC-FM 104.5. Duffy had been in both positions since 2014 with previous stints at CKDJ-FM Ottawa, 92.3 JACK-FM (CJET-FM) Smith Falls and 1310 News (CIWW-AM) Ottawa.
Matt Mitchell retired Wednesday after 28 years as host of The Matt Mitchell Show on CJBQ-AM Belleville, ON. While in college studying to become a minister, Mitchell applied to a local radio station to make extra cash, working in Edmonton and Kingston before landing at CJBQ in 1989. Weekend host Brian Decaire will take over the morning show on an interim basis.
Paul Larsen, president of Clear Sky Radio, has joined Castanet Media as director of broadcast as the company pursues acquisition of Kelowna’s 103.9 Juice FM from Vista Radio. Larsen’s new role is independent from his ownership in Clear Sky Radio.
James “Gruff” Gushnowski has been doing vacation relief at CISN Country 103.9 (CISN-FM) Edmonton since July 8. Gruff was previously hosting mornings at 88.1 The One (CKSS-FM) Stony Plain.
Doug Cameron signed off for the final time on July 7 at Jewel 92 (CKPC-FM) Brantford. He retires after a radio career spanning over five decades.
Andree Lau is the new editor-in-chief of Huff Post Canada. Lau has been with Huffington Post since 2012, most recently as managing editor, News. She’s also a former CBC News television and web reporter, with stints in the Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver bureaus.
Ken Peron has joined APTN Winnipeg as manager of broadcast technology. Peron was previously the longtime operations manager at CTV Winnipeg and Corus Entertainment Winnipeg/Moffat Communications.
Tyler Magz (Magnaye) has taken over afternoon drive on 103.1 Virgin Radio Winnipeg (CKMM-FM). Magz has been with the station since 2015, starting out on the street team. He replaces Toby Johnston, who as Broadcast Dialogue reported last month, has returned to his home province of Alberta to host afternoons on The Bear (CFBR-FM) Edmonton.
Cue Digital Media has expanded its sales teams with several senior appointments. Rajan Sharma is now national sales director of News, Business and Finance. Jason Lord and Chnida Walsh come aboard as national sales executives for Sports. Shelley Wilson is appointed to Cue’s Women’s Group and Caitlin Wakefield joins the Entertainment Sales team.
