Bell has made changes to its executive team as Mirko Bibic assumes the role of company president and CEO, following the retirement of George Cope. Blaik Kirby becomes Group President, Mobility, Residential and Small Business. He was previously President of Bell Mobility. Claire Gillies is promoted to President, Bell Mobility. She was previously Senior Vice President, Retail. Karine Moses is promoted to Vice Chair, Québec, succeeding the retiring Martine Turcotte. She’ll also continue in her role as President, Bell Media Québec. John Watson becomes Group President, Customer Experience, continuing to lead all customer service and support operations in the execution of Bell’s Champion Customer Experience imperative. He was previously Executive Vice President, Customer Operations. Read more here.
Suzane Landry has been appointed Vice-President, French-Language Content Development and Programming for Bell Media. Reporting to Karine Moses, President, Bell Media Québec, Landry will be responsible for the leadership, strategy, and execution of all programming planning, original production, and acquisitions for Bell Media’s French-language non-sports content. Landry started her career nearly 30 years ago as a reporter and transitioned into production. For the last 13 years she’s been director of channels and programming for Groupe TVA.
Hannah Sung is joining Western University’s Faculty of Information & Media Studies (FIMS) where she’ll be teaching Podcasting and Perspective: How Audio Storytelling Can Tackle Complex Social Issues. Sung left TVO in September where she was manager of Digital Video and Podcast to pursue independent projects, including consulting on a new podcast for The Globe and Mail.
Catherine Lathem has departed CTV Ottawa, joining Terry Marcotte, Michael O’Byrne, and Joanne Schnurr, among the high-profile station departures at the end 2019. Lathem had been with the station for 18 years.
Peter Langille has retired from AM800 (CKLW-AM) Windsor after more than 20 years as an anchor and reporter with the station. The Humber College grad did stints in Toronto, Parry Sound and Sarnia prior to joining CKLW in 1998.
Terry Shepherd retired Dec. 31 after 49 years in broadcasting, most recently as Cariboo General Manager at Vista Radio. As President and Managing Director of Cariboo Central Interior Radio, Shepherd managed the sale of that company to Vista in 2005 and then moved on to become General Manager for Astral Media and later Bell Media in the BC Peace Region. Shepherd, who is retiring to Williams Lake, will remain on contract with Vista for the transition and special projects.
Pat St. John, President of RB Communications, has announced his retirement from 91.7 GIANT FM (CIXL-FM) and COUNTRY 89 (CKYY-FM) Welland, ON. His departure is planned for the end of February/March, following the pending sale of the stations. St. John’s career started at CHAM Hamilton in 1970 under the on-air pseudonym of Paul Allen. After working his way up from overnights to the afternoon drive slot, he joined 1050 CHUM Toronto and a few years later accepted a transfer to CJCH Halifax for his first programming opportunity. He then moved within CHUM to CFRW Winnipeg. Stops as PD at CFUN Vancouver, CHYM/CKGL Kitchener, 590 CKEY Toronto followed, and later Vice-President positions at Bluewater Broadcasting’s stations in Sarnia, Chatham and Leamington, Maritime Broadcasting in Halifax, and Power Broadcasting in Ontario. In 1997, he joined Conestoga College as Chair of Media Studies. He was lured back into radio in 2004 becoming a minority shareholder in CHOW-FM, which became 91.7 GIANT FM and later COUNTRY 89. Read more here.
Ryan Simpson is leaving Golden West Radio’s cluster in Portage La Prairie, MB after three decades. Simpson has been with the station since he was 18, starting on the evening shift and helping out with Portage Terriers games. He eventually worked his way up to program director for CFRY, Mix 96 (CJPG-FM) and Country 93 (CHPO-FM).
Alexandra Szacka is retiring from CBC/Radio-Canada after 29 years with the public broadcaster. Szacka has been a foreign correspondent for CBC News in both the English and French divisions with posts in New York City, Moscow and Paris, among other destinations. Szacka is working on a book, among other projects.
Catherine Verdon-Diamond is replacing Frank Cavallaro as the regular weather host on CBC Montreal’s supper hour TV newscast and radio drive home show. After 40 years in broadcasting, Cavallaro plans to start wintering in Florida. He’ll continue to fill-in. He’s been with CBC since early 2008, shortly after he was caught up in layoffs at CTV where he worked for 17 years. Verdon-Diamond returns to TV after her layoff in September in conjunction with the cancellation of Breakfast Television Montreal.
Terry Reith is joining CBC’s Ideas where he’ll be producing radio documentaries. A longtime staple at CBC Edmonton, Reith was most recently producing for CBC Network News in Alberta. He’s previously worked as a consumer writer for CBC.ca, and medical reporter for CBC-TV.
Victoria Rogers will assume the role of Retail Sales Manager for Evanov Radio Group’s Z103.5 and Proud FM Toronto. Ky Joseph takes over as General Sales Manager for both stations in addition to her role as VP of Sales and will be mentoring Rogers until she is ready to take over the management reigns herself, potentially next fiscal. Rogers has more than 15 years of experience working in the media industry with broadcasters including CHUM Television, YESTV, NewCap, Rogers, and Corus.
Miranda Anthistle is joining the Global Toronto news team as a Digital Broadcast Journalist. Anthistle was most recently at Bell Media where she worked at both CTV Toronto and CP24 over the past four years. Prior to that, she was the evening co-anchor and a reporter with CHCH Hamilton.
Nicole Stillger has left Global Saskatoon to join Global Edmonton. Stillger has been a multimedia reporter with Global since Oct. 2017.
Diana Weeks has left CHCH Hamilton to join AM900 CHML as senior anchor and multimedia journalist. Weeks had been a reporter and videographer with CHCH since 2016.
Elise von Scheel is joining CBC Calgary until the end of the year. von Scheel has been a reporter and producer with CBC Ottawa since 2017 and stationed with the Parliamentary Bureau for the last two years.
Kaila Jefferd-Moore has left CBC North to join Yellowknife-based NWT Recreation & Parks Association. The Inuvik journalist and former editor-in-chief of The Dalhousie Gazette had been with the public broadcaster since May.
Shruti Shekar is joining Yahoo Finance as a telecom reporter. Shekar has been Mobile Syrup’s senior technology and telecom reporter for the last year. She previously worked for The Hill Times.
Elizabeth Hunter has left Rogers Communications after 13 and a half years. Hunter started with the company in 2006 as Manager, Community Relations, going on to hold roles including Manager, Public Affairs, and Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility. For the past year, she’d been Senior Manager, Communications.
Adam Steinberg has joined CTV Toronto as a writer. Steinberg arrives from 680 News (CFTR-AM) Toronto where he’d been an anchor and editor for the past two years.
Benson Cook has left CJAD 800 Montreal to join Global Montreal. Cook had been a reporter and anchor with CJAD since 2016.
Nancy “Nan” Stapleton has retired after 25 years at Country 101.1 (CKBY-FM) Ottawa. Stapleton will continue to host the station’s weekend Country Classics show.
Darryl Spring has parted ways with Rebel 101.7 (CIDG-FM) Ottawa. Spring had been the station’s PD, music director and drive host since Aug. 2017. Spring has previously hosted and done programming stints at Q92 (CJQQ-FM) Timmins, 102.1 The Edge (CFNY-FM) Toronto, Y108 (CJXY-FM) Hamilton, and K-Rock 105.7 (CIKR-FM) Kingston.
Kenny Jones has joined Star FM (CKSR-FM) Chilliwack, BC as one half of Lisa & Kenny in the Morning. Jones has previously worked as a weekend announcer at Star FM, in addition to stints at JACK 96.9 (CJAX-FM) Vancouver, KiSS Radio (CKKS-FM) Vancouver, and Country 101.1 (CKBY-FM) Ottawa. He replaces Scott Riley, who is retiring after 40 years in radio – 34 of those on-air in the Fraser Valley.
Christine Bentley and Kate Wheeler are handing over the reins of their What She Said Radio show to Candace Sampson, starting Jan. 11. Heard Saturdays on 105.9 The Region (CFMS-FM) Markham, ON, the show is also available as a podcast. Sampson is a social influencer and blogger behind Life in Pleasantville.
Chris Overholt, president and CEO of OverActive Media, has been named to the board of the Global Esports Federation (GEF), the first-ever global governing body for esports. The federation’s mandate is to cultivate collaboration, and strengthen, develop and grow the interface between the traditional esports and sport-based (active) esport communities. Overholt will use his background in traditional sport and Olympic experience as he chairs the federation’s Digital, Technology and Innovation Commission.
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