Pablo Rodriguez is the new Minister of Canadian Heritage. The Montreal MP succeeds Melanie Joly who takes over as the minister responsible for tourism, official languages and la francophonie. Rodriguez was previously chief government whip and has been an MP off and on since 2004. His background is largely in international development and humanitarian causes.
Joanne Levy is the new CRTC commissioner for Manitoba/Saskatchewan. Levy has 40 years of experience in communications, film and TV production, and strategy as the former head of Convergent Content at Buffalo Gal Pictures and director of programming for APTN. She’s also served as the board chair for On Screen Manitoba, is a former member of the production committee for the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB), and has served on the board of Women in Communications and Technology (WCT).
Tom Mulcair is joining CJAD 800 Montréal as a political analyst beginning Aug. 28. The former federal NDP leader and Quebec cabinet minister will contribute his thoughts on both Canadian and Québec provincial politics twice daily at 7:35 a.m. ET on The Andrew Carter Morning Show and at 5:05 p.m. ET on The Aaron Rand Show. Beginning this fall, he’ll also make regular appearances on CTV News Channel’s Power Play.
Jamar McNeil has joined Roger and Marilyn as a new co-host on the CHUM-FM Toronto morning show. The former child actor just came off a 10-year run at B96 (WBBM-FM) Chicago, following on-air stints at Hot 99.5 Washington, DC, 96.5 KISS (WAKS-FM) Cleveland, Y100 (WHYI-FM) Miami and Hot 95.7 (KKHH-FM) Houston.
Dave Wheeler, who was fired by 92.1 CITI FM Winnipeg after on-air comments about the transgender community, has launched a morning weekday podcast less than a week after his dismissal by Rogers. Wheeler’s wife and former Maxim model Candace is co-host of Wheeler in the Morning with Dave and Candace Rae, broadcast from a home studio in the couple’s basement.
Jennifer Hollett, former MuchMusic VJ and current head of news at Twitter Canada, is running for Toronto city council. Hollett is running in the newly-drawn Ward 21, encompassing St. Lawrence, Moss Park, Corktown, the Distillery District, and Canary District. Hollett, who holds a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard, ran unsuccessfully for the NDP in University-Rosedale in the 2015 federal election.
Kerri Spooner has joined Vista Radio as director of Eastern Operations. Spooner started her radio career in 1994 as a sales rep at CJSD-FM Thunder Bay before moving into the telecom sector with AT&T Canada in 1997 and eventually becoming regional VP of Sales for Bell Aliant. Since 2015, Spooner has been Ontario North district manager for Shoppers Home Health Care. She’ll be based out of North Bay.
Boyd Kozak has retired from QX104 (CFQX-FM) Winnipeg. Kozak started his career right out of high school in 1959 at CFSL-AM Weyburn, SK, quickly moving on to CHAB Radio & TV in Moose Jaw, CFQC-AM Saskatoon and then CKRC-AM Winnipeg where he landed in 1963. He joined CFQX-FM in 1995 as news and community relations director. Listen to Kozak talk about his love of the business and his relationship with listeners over the years here.
Andy Cole has joined TSN 1040 (CKST-AM) doing sports updates and board opping. Cole was previously a swing announcer at Radio NL (CHNL-AM) Kamloops.
Chris McCloy is leaving his production director gig at X92.9 (CFEX-FM) Calgary after 12 years to move into the voiceover industry full-time. McCloy’s 20-year career has included stops at CFOX-FM Vancouver, 104.9 XFM (CKKS-FM) Vancouver, JACK 96.9 (CJAX-FM) Vancouver, and JACK 96.9 (CJAQ-FM) Calgary. His last day at X92.9 is July 27.
CityNews stations in Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal have unveiled their talent lineups ahead of the Sept. 3 launch of CityNews at Six and CityNews Tonight at 11 p.m. local time, seven days a week:
Ashley Burr joins City Vancouver as a VJ, in addition to Isabelle Raghem, who comes aboard from CHEK-TV Victoria. David Zura, who was most recently with the now defunct Roundhouse Radio (CIRH-FM), is also a new hire joining Travis Prasad and Tom Walsh, who have been the station since 2017. Kyle Donaldson, who had been interim supervising producer of Breakfast Television, rounds out the team. Tamara Slobogean steps into Donaldson’s role on the morning show.
The CityNews Calgary team includes Kristen Fong, who previously worked as a producer at Global News Radio; Jonathan Muma, Kendra Fowler and Crystal Laderas who all hail from Rogers’ sister station 660 News (CFFR-AM); Michael Lumsden, who has been a reporter for Breakfast Television Calgary since 2017; and Brittany Rosen, who joins CityNews from CTV Regina.
CityNews Montreal’s team features former CBC producer Akil Alleyne; Andrew Brennan, who recently joined Breakfast Television Montreal and has been anchoring and reporting for CJAD 800; Emily Campbell, an experienced VJ who also most recently reported for CJAD 800; and Giordano Cescutti who has previous experience with MAtv and CJLO 1690 AM.
Tara Jean Stevens has announced she’s leaving Breakfast Television Vancouver to focus on her family. Stevens joined the show in June 2017. Her last day will be Aug. 3. Watch her announcement here.
Adrienne South has moved on from Global Maritimes to join CTV London. South had been Global News’ Fredericton-based VJ the last two and a half years.
Matt Llewellyn has left CBC Toronto to join the media relations team at Metrolinx. Llewellyn had been with CBC News since 2011 as both a newsreader and contributor to afternoon radio show CBC Here and Now.
Wayne Schrand has joined Bitcentral and will spearhead the company’s outreach to Canada as senior director of sales. With corporate headquarters in California and Latin America, Bitcentral specializes in media production software and control room automation solutions. Schrand was previously a senior account manager at Belden Inc.
Monique Scotti, who has been a national online reporter with Global News since 2015, is leaving for a communications role with Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI). Scotti is based in Ottawa.
Sue Deyell has joined Gord Gillies as co-host of The Morning News on 770 CHQR-AM Calgary. Deyell was most recently with Rogers’ stations KiSS 95.9 (CHFM-FM) and 660 News (CFFR-AM).
Lauren McNabb is joining Global News Radio 680 CJOB Winnipeg, starting Aug. 22. She’ll co-host the weekday morning show, alongside Greg Mackling and Brett Megarry. McNabb has been reporting for Global News since 2000 as a correspondent for Global National, including two years in the Middle East. For the last four years, she’s been based in Winnipeg.
Helena Skrinjar is the latest hire at Bell Media Prince Rupert where she’ll be reporting for CFTK-TV Terrace, EZ Rock (CFTK-FM) Prince Rupert and CJFW-FM Terrace. Skrinjar previously worked for Vista Radio in Toronto.
Murray Brookshaw has been appointed to the role of VP of Content for Vista Radio. Brookshaw, who has been with the company since 2015, will continue to oversee all of Vista’s programming elements including branding, formats, research, news and talent development. He will also lead the digital group.
Andrew Persaud is Vista Radio’s new director of western operations. Persaud has been with Vista since Nov. 2014 and was previously director of local sales, based out of Surrey, BC. Prior to Vista, he spent 14 years in various sales and sales management roles with Rogers in Calgary and Kitchener. All managers in BC, Alberta and Yukon will report directly to Persaud.
John Gisby is the new managing director of DHX Media’s Wildbrain digital kids’ network and UK-based studio. Gisby has previously held senior executive roles with VOD platforms and broadcasters including Vevo, the BBC and Channel 4, Yahoo!Europe, and Swedish streaming service Magine TV.
