Originally published in the May 23, 2024 edition of The Weekly Briefing
Brian DePoe has joined JAZZ.FM91 (CJRT-FM) Toronto as its new Program Director, among other changes at the not-for-profit station. DePoe was most recently General Sales Manager at Central Ontario Broadcasting. Also joining JAZZ.FM91 as General Sales Manager is Warren Locke, who was formerly a Senior Account Manager for the past two decades at Rogers Sports & Media. Jonsaba Jabbi joins as Digital Content Specialist. Jabbi has been running her own communications consultancy, with an arts and culture focus, for the last 12 years.
Ronny Guenther, Nicole Klassen and Pam Fedak are all moving on from Golden West Broadcasting’s stations in Winkler, MB. Guenther has been host of The Eagle 93.5 (CJEL-FM) morning show for the past decade, while Klassen was his counterpart on Country 88 (CKMW-FM) mornings. Fedak has been with the company for 25 years and most recently acted as the local morning news anchor, in addition to handling national news for the network. All are leaving to pursue opportunities outside the broadcast industry.
Sean Amato has joined CityNews as a national reporter, based at the Alberta Legislature. Amato recently left CTV Edmonton, where he’d been a journalist for the past 14 years.
Kelly Geraldine Malone is moving with The Canadian Press (CP) from working as a Saskatoon-based National reporter with the Prairies bureau to take on the role of Washington correspondent. Malone, who has previously worked with CBC News in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan, has been with CP since 2018.
Juan “JC” Acosta has been named Head of Mediapro Studio for the U.S. & Canada. Acosta was most recently President of Paramount’s Int’l Networks and Streaming for Southern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, & Africa, as well as President of its Global Studios Division, VIS, where he oversaw international operations across the UK, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Israel, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. With new headquarters in L.A. and offices in Miami and New York, Mediapro says it will expand the development, production and distribution of English-language content including Scripted Series, Non-Scripted Reality and Entertainment Shows, Documentaries, and Feature Films.
Neishaw Ali, the President of SPIN VFX, is the new Board Chair of the Canadian Film Centre (CFC). She replaces longtime Chair Christina Jennings, President and Chairman of Shaftesbury, who has served CFC for over 17 years, 10 as Chair. Jennings will remain on the board until October. Joining the CFC Board of Directors is Academy Award-winning director Guillermo del Toro who will be officially appointed in October at the annual AGM. Also recently joining the board are writer, producer, entrepreneur and investor Mark Sakamoto, EVP for Think Research, and financial services leader Duane Green, former President and CEO of Franklin Templeton Canada.
