Jean-Pierre Blais is the new assistant deputy minister at Public Services and Procurement Canada. Blais will serve as ADM at the receiver general and pension branch. He concluded his five-year term as CRTC chair this past June.
Mary Ann Turcke, former president of Bell Media, is the newest Chief Operating Officer of the NFL. Turcke is currently president of NFL Media and will expand her role to lead the Marketing, Communications, HR, International, and Events and Technology departments. She succeeds Tod Leiwecke who held the COO post for three seasons.
The Athletic has hired Fan 590 (CJCL-AM) Toronto contributor Richard Deitsch away from Sports Illustrated. Deitsch confirmed the news on Twitter, saying he’ll be continuing to cover sports media.
Steve Anthony’s last day on CP24 will be Mar. 29. In a Facebook post, the former MuchMusic host writes “after 9 years as a host on CP24 Breakfast, and 25 of almost 40 years waking up at around 3 a.m. to be a ‘broadcaster’, I am stepping away from being on TV and radio. Tanya Humphrey-Anthony and I have been working towards this for a while. We have a bunch of businesses and projects that we have nurturing, and are no ready to devote much more time into. So that’s the story. I can’t say you won’t SEE me around. But I can’t say where or when if you do.” Watch his announcement on CP24 here.
Michel Cormier, directeur de l’information at Radio-Canada, has announced his retirement as of July 31. Cormier took on the role in 2012. He began his career at Radio-Canada Moncton, where he was originally from, then went on to become a reporter in Montreal, and a correspondent in Ottawa and Quebec City. He was then appointed foreign correspondent, and spent 11 years in Moscow, Paris, Beijing and Afghanistan.
Sam Cooper is joining the Global News Online Investigative Team, based in Ottawa. Cooper has been an investigative reporter for Postmedia at the Vancouver Sun and The Province, since 2009.
Alex Cooke, who currently produces the Sheldon Macleod Show on News 95.7 (CJNI-FM) Halifax, is joining the Canadian Press Atlantic bureau in Halifax as a weekend reporter/editor. Her last day with Rogers Radio is Mar. 28.
Jeremy Keefe is returning to his home province as Global Halifax’s newest videojournalist. Keefe has spent the last nine years in Alberta, B.C., and New Brunswick.
Laura Mackenzie is the new head of Screen Nova Scotia, replacing the outgoing Erika Beatty. Mackenzie was formerly the lead on the Atlantic Film Festival’s Strategic Partners financing and co-production market and has been a programming consultant with the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA).
Rob Brown, who has been chief engineer at Corus RadioVancouver since Jan. 2014 and prior to that Corus Guelph and Kitchener, is moving to the Jim Pattison station cluster in Winnipeg.
Pete Potipcoe has announced he’s leaving 97.9 Rock (CKYX-FM) Fort McMurray with his last on-air shift on Apr. 13. Potipcoe hasn’t revealed where he’s landing, but says he’ll be back on-air soon somewhere in Alberta. He’d been in Fort McMurray the last four years.
Craig T. Poweris leaving mornings at 98 The Beach (CFPS-FM) Port Elgin, ON for CKBW-AM Bridgewater, NS. Power will be the new morning news anchor starting next month. He’d been with Bayshore Broadcasting since Jan. 2017.
