Joe Natale is officially out as President and CEO of Rogers Communications Inc. (RCI) as former Chief Financial Officer Tony Staffieri moves into the position on a temporary basis for now. In a release issued late Tuesday, RCI indicated its board has begun a search to identify a permanent CEO “who will continue to drive our future growth including our integration with the Shaw team once the deal closes next year.” Staffieri will be a candidate for the role as the company’s $26 billion acquisition of Shaw continues to move forward. Prior to a late September board meeting that culminated in Staffieri’s resignation, he was RCI’s CFO for nine years, also overseeing corporate strategy and Rogers Bank. Read more here.
Mike Bendixen, longtime Program Director at Newstalk 1010 (CFRB-AM) is among those caught up in a new round of layoffs at Bell Media. Bendixen, who also held the role of National Format Director, News & Talk Programming, started his career with CFRB in 1998, and had been in his current role for the last 12 years. He’ll reportedly be replaced by TSN 1050 (CHUM-AM) Program Director Jeff MacDonald, who will do double duty for both stations going forward. This round of cuts has also hit production and creative, including Greg MacDonald, Regional Creative and Production Director for Bell Media Southwest Ontario, who had been with Bell since 2014. Longtime production manager Jeff Kirkwood and Hamilton-based writer Damon Papadopoulos were also part of the layoffs. Read more here.
Britt Jones has joined 101.5 Today Radio (CKCE-FM) Calgary as evening and weekend host. Jones returns to radio after a year-long absence following his release from the 104.9 Virgin Radio (CFMG-FM) Edmonton morning show to make way for the syndicated Brooke & Jeffrey In The Morning. Jones previously worked with Harvard Broadcasting’s X100.7 (CKEX-FM) Red Deer and 104.9 The Wolf (CFWF-FM) Regina.
Emily Agard is joining Sportsnet as a host and associate producer. For the last seven years, Agard has held various roles with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), including hosting for the Leafs Nation Network and acting as a live event tailgate host for the Toronto Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Toronto FC.
Amrit Gill is moving on from her news producing role for OMNI TV, but is continuing her work with Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition. Gill had been with OMNI Vancouver since 2017 and a reporter and social media coordinator for HNIC Punjabi since 2015.
Brian Platt is joining Bloomberg’s Ottawa bureau. He leaves the National Post where he’s been a Parliament Hill reporter for the last four and a half years. Prior to joining NP in 2017, he was a digital editor with the Ottawa Citizen.
Farah Nasser has confirmed she’s stepped away from Global News to focus on “some important family health issues.” Nasser, who has been with Global since 2015, has most recently been anchoring Global National on Friday evenings and serving as fill-in anchor, in addition to her regular duties with Global Toronto anchoring Global News at 5:30 & 6.
Lane Fraser is taking a sabbatical from CTV Morning Live Calgary, set to return in 2022. Fraser has been with CTV Calgary since 2005 and a live on-location host for the morning show since 2014.
Jennifer Hsiung is joining CP24 Breakfast as co-anchor, alongside Nick Dixon. Hsiung has been with the station for the past year. She previously anchored for CGTN in Beijing.
Allan April has moved on from CTV Atlantic. April, who had been with CTV for the past six and a half years as a video journalist and reporter, among other roles, has joined St. Mary’s University Huskies Athletics & Recreation as a Communications Officer.
Aaron Penman is joining 94.3 NOW! Radio (CHNW-FM) Winnipeg as the Commercial and Imaging Producer. Penman was most recently the morning show producer for The Real Wakeup with Vinnie & Randi out of Real Country 95.5 (CKGY-FM) Red Deer. He’s previously worked for Pattison Media in both Medicine Hat and Edmonton.
Jessica Dionne Dimonte has joined the promotions department at 94.5 Virgin Radio (CFBT-FM) Vancouver. Dimonte left CHOM Montreal at the end of October where she’d been the promotions manager for the past seven years as her and recently-retired spouse Terry Dimonte relocate to the West Coast.
Eli Morris is the new Executive Director of Women in Film & Television Vancouver (WIFT-V). Originally from Sydney, Australia, Morris immigrated to B.C. in 2016 after winning Best Picture at the No Small Stories Film Festival for their short film Carded.
Kimberly Bryant has been promoted to the newly-created position of Director of Client Services at Coleman Insights. Her promotion from Field Coordinator will see Bryant actively support the media research firm’s consultant team on projects and serve as a central point of contact for company clients. Bryant started with Coleman Insights as a part-time Research Assistant in 2004 and was promoted to Field Coordinator in 2018.
