Hollywood Suite is making changes to its programming department, coinciding with the retirement of Ellen Baine, the specialty broadcaster’s longtime VP of Programming. Baine has been with Hollywood Suite since its launch, after a long career in programming that started at Citytv in 1977. Baine briefly left CHUM for Super Channel and then First Choice, before returning to City in 1987. Baine’s last day will be Mar. 27. With her retirement, Sharon Stevens is promoted to Senior Director of Programming. Suzanne Marshall also returns as Programming Manager, effective Feb. 18. Marshall has served as Program Coordinator for the Canadian Film Centre’s CFC Features for the past four years. Eileen Gaudet moves from part-time to permanent Programming & VOD Coordinator. Read more here.
WildBrain has announced a number of key management appointments as the Halifax-headquartered children’s entertainment company forges ahead with its ongoing reorganization. Among the new appointments, Michael Riley becomes Chief Brands Officer (CBO); Deirdre Brennan has been named Executive Vice President, Content Partnerships; Joe Tedesco has been named Chair of WildBrain Television, with a focus on revenue relationships, business development, regulatory matters and government relations for the channels; Jianbo Wei has been appointed Managing Director, China; Daisy Wall has joined the company as Vice President, Short Form Content; and Liz Thompson has been promoted to Vice President, Marketing and Communications. Read more here.
Kristy Cameron is the new host of Newstalk 580 CFRA afternoon drive show Ottawa Now. Cameron most recently served as the show’s producer and previously hosted her own weekend talk show, The Newsfeed. She takes over the hosting role following Evan Solomon’s move to host new show Overview with Evan Solomon, which is airing across the iHeartRadio Canada newstalk network, weekdays at 12 p.m. ET.
Carlos Benevides is the new host of JACK Up the ’80s on Rogers’ JACK branded stations across the country, with the exception of Vancouver. Up until this past September, Benevides was the morning show host at 91.5 The Beat (CKBT-FM) Kitchener for the past decade, but left the station to teach in the Broadcast Radio program at Conestoga College – a role he’ll continue in, in addition to his new hosting duties. Prior to joining The Beat, Benevides hosted afternoons at 107.5 DAVE Rocks (CJDV-FM) Kitchener and did a five-year stint with 102.1 The Edge (CFNY-FM) as an announcer and assistant music director. JACK Up the ’80s was previously hosted by Kenny Jones, who is now part of the STAR 98.3 (CKSR-FM) Chilliwack morning show, in addition to hosting JACK network show Saturday Night House Party. JACK 96.9 (CJAX-FM) Vancouver’s iteration of the show will continue to be hosted by Larry Hennessey.
John Perras is the new Retail Sales Manager for boom 97.3 (CHBM-FM) and Flow 93.5 (CFXJ-FM) Toronto. Perras, who runs coaching and sales strategy business Sales Fundamentals, has also been named Stingray Radio’s corporate sales coaching trainer across its radio stations.
Blake Lough is joining the Global News Morning Weekend team in Calgary, starting Mar. 8, alongside Tracy Nagai and Gemma Lynne Stroobant. Lough has been a journalist with Global Calgary since 2018 and with the network since 2014 as former anchor of Global News at 6 and host of Focus Saskatchewan at Global Regina, and as a reporter with Global Lethbridge.
Matt Soper and Carl Brown, who previously hosted mornings together on Mountain FM (CISQ-FM) Squamish, will be paired up again on 97.7 HTZ FM (CHTZ-FM) St. Catharines, starting Feb. 18. Soper was most recently morning show host at K-Rock (CIKR-FM) Kingston, while Brown has been in sales with Rogers’ radio stations in BC’s Fraser Valley since 2015.
Manny Paiva has joined Fanshawe College as a professor, teaching Online Writing and Broadcast News On-Air to second year students. Paiva was previously the news director at CKLW and CTV Windsor, up until this past November when he was caught up in layoffs at Bell Media.
Andrew Dawson has parted ways with Rawlco Radio after nearly 12 years. Dawson had been with CJME Newstalk 980 Regina since 2008 as a news anchor and host. He’s previously anchored at both CKNW and News 1130 (CKWX-AM) Vancouver, and hosted his own talk show The Standard on OMNI TV.
Christine Clark has moved into the weekday morning traffic reporter position on 570 News (CKGL-AM) Kitchener. Clark was previously the afternoon anchor for both 570 News and Rogers’ sister station CHYM 96.7.
Bridget Yard has left CBC Saskatoon. Yard has been with the public broadcaster since 2013 as a reporter, web writer, producer and videojournalist, among other roles, in Fredericton and Bathurst, in addition to Saskatchewan. Yard is joining Humber College in a content creation and communications position.
Rudy Parachoniak has taken over the morning show host role on 107.7 Pulse FM (CISF-FM) Surrey. Parachoniak has held previous roles as Operations Manager for Corus’ CFMK-FM and CKWS-FM Kingston, and served as morning host and PD at CKRV-FM Kamloops, among other stops. Neil Morrison continues in afternoons on the station.
Jeremy Zafran, who was previously with CBC Radio Montreal up until last September, is the new afternoon news announcer on K103.7 (CKRK-FM) Kahnawake. Jim Connell, who previously held the role, is continuing with the station in a part-time reporting capacity.
Maureen McEwan and Guillaume Dumont are being hosted at the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA/ANREC) offices in Ottawa until March as they assist the 22 community stations participating in the Local Journalism Initiative being run through the Community Radio Fund of Canada. They’ll be creating training materials, facilitating the program and helping stations complete their grants. McEwan has worked for Postmedia in Alberta, CBC Radio, the National Film Board, and iPolitics, among other organizations. Dumont has worked as a journalist for Radio-Canada in Rimouski, Matane, Saskatoon, and Ottawa.
Lionel Rault is retiring from his daily afternoon show on CKUA Edmonton after 26 years. A special broadcast on Feb. 14 will mark the final episode of ‘Somethin’ Else.’ Rault will continue to host weekend evening show ‘Lionel’s Vinyls.’ He first joined CKUA in 1994, hosting shows like ‘Nine to Noon,’ ‘The Afternoon Edition,’ and ‘The R&B Revue.’ CKUA’s interim Director of Content, David Ward, will fill Rault’s afternoon slot.
Taryn Grant and Haley Ryan, both former Star Metro reporters in Halifax, have landed at CBC Nova Scotia. Grant is a 2018 University of King’s College Journalism grad, while Ryan had been with Metro Halifax and then Star Metro since 2012.
Mariam Bethlehem is joining News 1130 (CKWX-AM) Vancouver as weekend reporter. Bethlehem previously worked as an assignment producer and editorial assistant at CBC Toronto before relocating to the West Coast last year.
Gabriela Panza has joined Global Saskatoon as a community reporter. The former Global Regina intern had been working in Yellowknife since 2016 as a reporter and editor for CBC and prior to that, Vista Radio.
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