Revolving Door

Originally published in the Nov. 21, 2024 edition of The Weekly Briefing

Bob McKeown will retire from CBC’s The Fifth Estate after 31 years as the face of the investigative program, and more than five decades in journalism. His final turn as host of the show will culminate in a 50th anniversary special looking back at the award-winning program’s investigations over the decades, set to air Friday, Nov. 29 on CBC and CBC Gem. McKeown started his broadcast career in 1971 as a freelance sports commentator in his hometown of Ottawa after graduating from Yale University, while also playing as a league all-star for the Ottawa Rough Riders. After retiring from football, he delved into journalism full-time, hosting on both CBC radio and TV in Ottawa and Montreal. He joined The Fifth Estate in 1981. McKeown headed stateside in 1990, working for CBS News in New York for news magazine shows, Street Stories, America Tonight and 48 Hours, as well as The CBS Evening News, and went on to spend eight years as an NBC correspondent for Dateline. McKeown returned to The Fifth Estate in 2002 as a two-time Emmy winner. Read more here.

Paul Dunphy, the weather anchor for Global Calgary’s Global News at 5 and Global News Hour at 6, is retiring after 39 years with the station. His last broadcast will air on Dec. 23. A broadcaster for 49 years, Dunphy started in radio in 1974 at CFAC-AM and CHFM-FM as a DJ and commercial announcer/producer, before joining Global Calgary in 1985. He received an RTDNA Canada Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021.

Rogers Sports & Media has made a round of job cuts spanning multiple markets. More than two dozen staff are impacted across the company’s radio and podcasting divisions, including managerial and administrative positions at some stations. Among the markets impacted is Vancouver where JACK FM National Music Curator Terry Chan has been released after almost 35 years with the company. Alex Carr has also been released by SONIC 104.9 (CKKS-FM) Vancouver, as has Jeff McKnight, the Imaging Producer behind its SONiC branded stations in Edmonton and Vancouver, STAR 95.9 (CHFM-FM) Calgary, and its Adult Contemporary network. Meghan Spotswood, part of JACK Mornings for the past five and a half years on JACK 102.3 (CHST-FM) London, ON, has announced her departure from the company. On the podcasting side, Jordan Heath-Rawlings, who hosted and executive produced the Frequency Podcast Network’s daily news pod, The Big Story, has parted ways with the company, in addition to Audience Development Specialist Mary Jubran, producers Joseph Fish and Robyn Simon, showrunner Stefanie Phillips, and sound designer Mat Keselman. Read more here.

Zenga McCurdy, who was heard on the 96.3 CRUZ FM (CFWD-FM) Saskatoon morning show, as well as on Harvard Media’s stations in Edmonton and Yorkton, is among those departing the company after a series of “strategic staff adjustments” to offset escalating operational costs. Impacting just under 10% of the company’s total staff count – between job cuts and attrition – the staffing changes affect every market Harvard Media operates in, including Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton, Fort McMurray and Red Deer. Read more here.

Rob Breakenridge, the longtime afternoon host at QR (CHQR-AM) Calgary, is among those confirming their departures from Corus Entertainment as the company made numerous cuts in its radio news division on Wednesday across stations in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, and Vancouver, as well as some smaller markets. “We can confirm that, as part of programming refresh across our AM portfolio, we have made some difficult but necessary changes to our radio teams in various markets across Canada to ensure a sustainable future for Corus,” a Corus spokesperson told Broadcast Dialogue. “As a result, certain roles have been impacted but others have been added or changed.” The 640 (CFIQ-AM) Toronto newsroom was especially hard hit losing four staff members. Read more here.

Nicole Savage and Graeme Gordon have been released from Pattison Media’s 93.7 JR Country (CJJR-FM). Savage co-hosted afternoons with Docc Andrews for five years, prior to the duo moving to mornings in May 2022. Gordon had been with the station since 2016 and paired in afternoons with Dana Thompson since the fall of 2022. Thompson continues in the 1 – 7 p.m. time slot solo.

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“Tarzan Dan” Freeman is back on the airwaves after taking a hiatus from his network midday show on Bell Media’s BOUNCE Radio to undergo cancer treatment. Freeman had been on leave since mid-May after a multiple myeloma diagnosis.

AJ Leite has moved over from middays on Evanov Communications’ Energy 106 (CHWE-FM) Winnipeg – a position he had held since 2020 – to replace Adam West on middays on sister station HOT 100.5 (CFJL-FM). West, who took on additional duties earlier this year when he was upped from PD to Content & Operations Manager, is now running operations for all three Evanov Winnipeg stations. Macie Hall, who was most recently heard on Pattison Media’s former 94.3 NOW! Radio (CHNW-FM) in the market, is the new Energy 106 midday host. 

Matt Barron has joined Stingray St. John’s, NL as a part-time remote host. Barron, who left KiSS 102.3 (CKY-FM) Winnipeg over the summer to move his family to his home province, had previously been in the Winnipeg market since 2016.

Joceylyn Laidlaw has announced she won’t be returning to CTV Calgary. Laidlaw, who hasn’t been on-air since Dec. 2022 following a cancer diagnosis, has revealed she was part of restructuring earlier this year at Bell Media. Originally from Vancouver, Laidlaw had been with CTV Calgary since 2003, anchoring and producing the noon and 5 p.m. newscasts.

Nick Murray has joined The Canadian Press (CP) in Ottawa. Murray previously spent nearly a decade with CBC News in Iqaluit, before joining the public broadcaster’s Parliamentary Bureau.

Moira Wyton has left CBC Vancouver to join The Globe and Mail as an Audience Editor. Wyton had been a reporter with CBC for the last year following three years as The Tyee’s health reporter.

Johnny Mah, Supervisor, Marketing & Community for Global BC, has parted ways with Corus Entertainment as part of organizational changes that see Rhonda Halarewich upped to Senior Brand Manager, Global News. Mah had worked with Corus since 2015, starting out as a Promotions Coordinator for 980 CKNW. He was recently the recipient of the 2024 CKNW Kids’ Fund Gina Steeves Award, recognizing his work on behalf of the fund.