Revolving Door

Rod Black is leaving TSN after three decades with the network and a 40-year career in sports media. Hailing from Winnipeg, Black started his career at CKY-TV, the local CTV affiliate where he hosted Winnipeg Jets broadcasts and CKY Sports Sunday, among other programming. A five-time Gemini Award nominee, Black’s extensive resume includes play-by-play for the CFL on TSN, as well as hosting golf, the NBA on TSN, international hockey, and figure skating. Black also did a turn as a co-host on Canada AM. Read more here.

Paul Hambleton, Director of CBC’s Journalistic Standards and Practices, will move on from CBC News early in the new year. Hambleton has been with the public broadcaster for almost 30 years and in his current role since Jan. 2019. Over that time, he’s held positions from Managing Editor of CBC Newfoundland to Executive Producer, National Newsgathering. Hambleton faced controversy earlier this year after calls for his removal following his response to a tweet about Don Cherry from then-CBC Manitoba employee Ahmar Khan. 

Treena Wood is stepping down from her role as News Director for CBC British Columbia. Wood has been with the public broadcaster since Jan. 2018. She previously served as National Format Director, News, for Rogers Radio and was News Director at News 1130 (CKWX-AM) Vancouver.

Norm Edwards has retired from AM 740 Zoomer Radio (CFZM-AM) Toronto. Edwards, the station’s longest serving on-air host, had his final shift as co-host of The Afternoon Express on Friday, Oct. 15. Edwards has been in broadcasting for over 45 years, 21 of those at Zoomer Radio. 

Amy Aust is sliding into the afternoon drive position at Central Ontario Broadcasting’s 107.5 Kool FM (CKMB-FM) Barrie. Aust, who was part of Bell Media layoffs in February at Pure Country 106 (CICX-FM) Orillia, has most recently been hosting middays on Corus station 95.1 The Peak (CKCB-FM) Collingwood, in addition to hosting weekends on Fresh Radio 93.1 (CHAY-FM) Barrie.

Ben McCully has been picked up by Central Ontario Broadcasting’s Rock 95 (CFJB-FM) Barrie, where he’ll be filling in on afternoon drive for Randy Richards, who is on medical leave. McCully parted ways with 97.7 Max FM (CHGB-FM) Collingwood in April, where he’d been hosting the morning show for the last five years.

Stuart Walker has been released from Acadia Broadcasting’s 89.5 The Lake (CJRL-FM) Kenora, ON after two and a half years as a reporter with the station. Walker is also the broadcast manager for the U18 AAA Kenora Thistles. 

Devon Banfield has signed on as the new Executive Producer of the The Brandon Gonez Show. A 2020 Seneca College Multimedia Broadcasting grad, Banfield has previously worked as an anchor and reporter with 660 News (CFFR-AM) Calgary.

Tamara Khandaker is leaving her role as host of The Globe & Mail weekday podcast, The Decibel. The former producer of CBC Podcasts’ Party Lines and past host of Global News’ daily pod Wait There’s More, has been with The Globe for the past eight months. The Decibel launched in May.

Rebecca Zamon has joined The Globe and Mail as Manager of its Audience Growth team. Zamon held a similar role with HuffPost Canada up until this past March when the publication’s Canadian operation was shuttered.

Brandon Grosvenor has been appointed as Torstar’s new Chief Revenue Officer, responsible for advertising sales revenue across the organization. Prior to joining Torstar in 2015 as a consultant and interim EVP, Advertising, Grosvenor held executive sales and marketing roles with Microsoft, Postmedia, Sun Media, CanWest and Yellow Pages.

Fiona Gilfillan will be the new Executive Director of Telecommunications at the CRTC, effective Nov. 15. Gilfillan has most recently served as Assistant Deputy Minister at Innovation, Science, and Economic Development/Innovation Canada (ISED), responsible for the management of spectrum, ICT and telecom security, and equipment standards and certification. She did a prior stint with the CRTC as Associate Executive Director of Telecommunications in 2006-07. She succeeds Ian Baggley, who has acted in the role on an interim basis since Chris Seidl’s departure in July.

François Gratton, Executive Vice-president, TELUS, and Group President, TELUS Health and TELUS Agriculture, will leave his current role to assume the roles of non-executive Chair of the Board of Directors of TELUS Health and TELUS Agriculture at the end of the year. Gratton has has been with TELUS for 20 years, holding senior leadership roles including President, TELUS Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces.

Sarah Simpson-Yellowquill has been promoted at the National Screen Institute (NSI) from Indigenous program coordinator to program manager. In her new role, she’ll now manage CBC New Indigenous Voices and co-manage the inaugural TikTok Accelerator for Indigenous Creators. For the past three years, Simpson-Yellowquil has worked alongside former program manager Kaya Wheeler, who is now Outreach and Program Coordinator with the Indigenous Screen Office.

Kirstine Stewart has joined the Board of Directors of regulated sports betting and media company, Rivalry Corp., along with Stephen Rigby, the former President and CEO of Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. Stewart, a former CBC and Twitter executive, was most recently Head of the Future of Media at the World Economic Forum (WEF), where she worked with the CEOs and Chairs of companies like Bytedance, Facebook, NBCU and Google. She is currently the CRO of digital rights tech company, Pex, which is backed by Tencent, among other investors.