REVOLVING DOOR:
Scott Roberts, is among those impacted by Corus Entertainment’s move to centralize production for its Global News stations in Calgary and Edmonton. Roberts had been with the station since the fall of 2022 when he succeeded the retiring Gord Steinke as co-anchor of Global News Hours at 6. A total of 43 unionized positions are impacted, with an estimated 28 set to be eliminated in Alberta, two in B.C., five in Winnipeg, two in Saskatoon, three in the Maritimes, and three in Ontario.
Layne Mitchell has parted ways with Rogers Sports & Media’s SONiC 102.9 (CHDI-FM) Edmonton. Mitchell joined the station in 2006 and was afternoon host for much of that time.
Allister Aalders has joined CBC/Radio-Canada in Saskatchewan as a meteorologist and weather reporter. Aalders was most recently a freelance meteorologist for Rogers Sports & Media’s 95.7 NewsRadio (CJNI-FM) Halifax, 680 NewsRadio (CFTR-AM) Toronto and 570 NewsRadio (CKGL-AM) Kitchener.
Rhea Santos has left her anchoring role at OMNI Filipino to join CityNews 24/7. Before coming to Canada, Santos co-anchored the morning show on the GMA Network in the Philippines, among other current affairs programs.
Bev Lamb has hosted his final episode of “Touchstone” on CKDU Halifax. Lamb began hosting the folk music program 41 years ago in 1985.
Susan Reade, Director of Sales for Stingray Radio in Edmonton, Calgary and Kamloops, is set to retire at the end of October. Reade’s broadcasting journey began in 1985 as “Janet from Another Planet,” co-hosting the morning show on 630 CHED Edmonton. From there, she discovered a talent for sales that led to leadership roles with Rawlco, Standard, Rogers, Astral and Bell Media. She joined Stingray in 2018 as GM/GSM in Edmonton, before moving into the role of Director of Sales for Edmonton and Calgary in 2023, adding Kamloops in 2026. Read more here.
Evan Degenhardt has accepted a new role with Vista Radio as Director of Operations – Alberta. Based in Lloydminster, Degenhardt has been with the company for 12 years, most recently as General Manager and Content Manager for the Lloydminster/Bonnyville cluster.
Shannon Galea has re-joined Bell Media as an Account Executive, Local Multi-Platform. Galea, who arrives from National Accounts at Rogers Sports & Media, was previously a National Account Executive with Bell Media for 12 years, until joining ALLVISION Digital Out-of-Home in 2023.
Jim Coe has parted ways with community station Seaside FM (CFEP-FM) Eastern Passage, NS. The station’s Manager of Advertising Sales for the past 24 years, Coe also hosted “A Seaside Friday Night.”
Steve Adams has been promoted to Promotions Director at Bell Media Winnipeg. Adams, a long-time fixture on-air in the Winnipeg market, has been the Promotions Manager for 103.1 Virgin Radio (CKMM-FM) and BOUNCE 99.9 (CFWM-FM) since 2023. He’ll now also oversee CTV Winnipeg promotions, taking over from Diane Kashton who recently retired.
Steve Ladurantaye is now Editor-in-Chief of Vanguard Magazine Canada, covering defence, security, and aerospace. CBC’s former Managing Editor of Journalism and programming from 2016-18, Ladurantaye was most recently SVP of Content at California-headquartered homebuilding platform, Zonda.
Kelly-Ann Jones has been promoted to Director, Audience Research at the Canada Media Fund (CMF). In the newly-created role, she’ll lead strategy behind CMF audience research for television and interactive digital media and manage the calculation of broadcaster envelopes, reporting to Richard Koo, VP of Analytics and Strategic Insights. Jones has been with CMF since 2007 when she joined the agency as a research analyst.
Diane Rankin has been promoted to EVP and General Manager, Content and Rights – Kids, Family & YA, as part of a series of new leadership appointments aligning Blue Ant Studios and Blue Ant Rights & Streaming under a coordinated commercial strategy. Nikki Andrews has been named to the new role of VP, Sales and Acquisitions – Kids, Family & YA, while Vienna Downes is promoted to VP and General Manager, Consumer Products. Additionally, Grace DeLorme takes on a new role as Coordinator, Kids Sales, Consumer Products & Brand Marketing. Richard Goldsmith, EVP, Kids & Family Sales and Brands, is exiting Blue Ant to pursue new opportunities. Read more here.
Beth Illey has returned to Amazon MGM Studios as Senior Creative Executive, International Originals, Canada. Illey previously worked with the studio from 2022-24 as a Senior Development Executive, before leaving to take up the role of VP of International Sales Development at Lark Productions.
Leandra St-Louis has joined Lionsgate Canada as Senior Manager, Contracts. St. Louis departs WildBrain after 13 years, most recently holding the title of Supervisor, Business Affairs.
Alan Kachar has left TikTok Canada to join SpaceXAI as a Client Partner. Kachar had been with TikTok since 2022, most recently as Brand Partnerships Manager.
Scott Montgomery has joined On Screen Manitoba as Strategic Lead, Sector and Industry Development. A BAFTA and Canadian Screen Award-winning writer and producer, Montgomery will work with industry, government, and other community partners on partnerships, workforce development and creator support.
David Fuller will rejoin TELUS as Executive Vice President and Group President, TELUS Communications as the company makes executive leadership changes. Navin Arora will assume the role of EVP and Group President, Global Platform Businesses, with oversight of TELUS Health, TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods, and TELUS Digital Solutions. The changes see Zainul Mawji, Executive Vice President, TELUS Consumer Solutions, exit the company Sept. 1.
RADIO & PODCAST:
The Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC) is floating an ambitious campaign to establish a centralized advertising agency to funnel federal and national advertising revenue back into the country’s independent, campus, and Indigenous radio sectors. The new initiative is part of an expanded $30-million funding push ahead of the next federal budget. Read more here.
Pure Country National Midday Host Shannon Ella, Edmonton’s 840 CFCW, and digital country music news outlet Front Porch Music, are among those heading into the Canadian Country Music Association’s 2026 CCMA Awards with multiple nominations. Read more here.
Shania Twain is getting her own dedicated pop-up channel on SiriusXM ahead of Friday’s launch of Little Miss Twain, her seventh studio album. Celebrating her legendary career and the music that shaped her journey, Little Miss Twain Radio will feature “country classics to crossover pop hits” alongside collaborations, songs by artists who have inspired her and personal stories behind the music. Read more here.
CFNY: The Spirit of Radio, the documentary about the iconic Toronto station that covers the years 1977 through the early ‘90s, has been picked up by PBS. According to a post by Alan Cross – .who executive produced the doc alongside Barbara Hall, Chantal Jackson, Ivar Hamilton, and Scot Turner – the American public broadcaster has picked up the 90-minute extended version, which differs from the 60-minute version that aired on TVO earlier this year.
LISTEN: Lynda Steele is on the Sound Off Podcast, tracing her four-decade journey across TV, radio, and now podcasting. Among other topics, Steele unpacks declining trust in media, political polarization, and how Trump-era “fake news” rhetoric bled into Canada. She also discusses her current podcast Change My Mind, co-hosted with broadcaster Melanie Nagy, where she leans into curiosity, vulnerability, and open-minded conversations that can genuinely shift perspectives.
SIGN OFFS:
Israel Cinman, on July 15, after suffering a stroke in January. Cinman started his career with CBC in 1979 as a reporter, editor, writer and field producer in Montreal and Toronto, including working on The World at Six and Canada at Five. He went on to become senior producer of World Report and the Senior International Assignment Producer for Radio News and CBC Newsworld. He also produced documentaries for CBC News across radio and television. After four decades with CBC, he retired in 2018, with his last assignment overseeing morning coverage across radio and CBC News Network as the early assignment editor. Read more here.
Don Duguid, 90, on July 15. A three-time winner of the Canadian Brier and two-time World Curling champion, Duguid made his foray into broadcasting in 1972 after retiring from competition for good. He was teamed with fellow curling enthusiast Don Chevrier on CBC’s “Curling Classic,” a Saturday afternoon program that ran until 1981. He was also a commentator for major Canadian and international curling events, covering the 1992 and 1998 Olympic Games with CBC, and the 2002 and 2006 Games for NBC. A pioneer in the space, Duguid was the first to mic curlers during live broadcasts. He was an inductee of the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame, World Curling Hall of Fame, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. He was made a member of the Order of Manitoba in 2014.
TV & FILM:
Bell Media says 75% of Canada’s population tuned in to its FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcasts across TSN, RDS, CTV, Noovo and Crave. According to preliminary data from Numeris, a total of 30.5 million unique Canadian viewers watched live tournament coverage across Bell Media’s networks, attracting an average audience of 1.6 million viewers per game across 104 matches. Read more here.
Bell Media has announced a first-look development agreement with television producer Jeff Frost, and his production company, Bristol Circle Entertainment, to create original content for CTV and Crave. The first-time partnership focuses on developing premium scripted series for audiences in Canada and around the world. In addition to Apple TV series PLURIBUS, the company has numerous projects in development.
CBC has announced broadcast and streaming details for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, taking place in Glasgow, Scotland, July 23 – Aug. 2. The Opening Ceremony, hosted by CBC Sports’ Andi Petrillo and Paralympic cycling medallist Nathan Clement, kicks off more than 1,200 hours of coverage. In addition to Clement, Petrillo will be joined daily in-studio by special analysts: Donovan Bailey; Perdita Felicien; Brittany MacLean Campbell; and Kate Van Buskirk. Play-by-play and analysis will include Rob Snoek and Byron MacDonald handling swimming and Mark Lee and Michael Smith on the call for athletics. Devin Heroux and Paralympic medallist Marissa Papaconstantinou will be on the ground in Glasgow, handling athlete interviews.
Woodbine Entertainment is partnering with Citytv and CBC to bring the Toronto track’s marquee racing events to television and streaming platforms. Citytv is set to broadcast upcoming events, The King’s Plate – Canada’s most prestigious horse race – on Aug. 15, and Woodbine Mile, while CBC will stream other marquee Woodbine races via CBC Gem and the CBC Sports YouTube channel, in addition to several international races. Read more here.
CBC and Lark Productions have announced that Season 4 of Allegiance (10×60) is currently shooting in-studio and on-location throughout B.C.’s Lower Mainland. Returning cast members include Supinder Wraich, Enrico Colantoni, Stephen Lobo, Adolyn H. Dar, Samer Salem, David Cubitt, Melanie Papalia and Carmen Moore. Nikolijne Troubetzkoy (Sight Unseen, Killjoys) joins Penny Gummerson (Cardinal, Trickster) to serve as co-showrunners for Season 4.
OUTtv and OUTflix will debut Season 2 of workplace comedy The Dressing Room on Aug. 4. Notable guest stars include Eric McCormack (Will & Grace), Andrea Bang (Kim’s Convenience), Marianas Trench frontman Josh Ramsay and a cameo from Laura Bell Bundy, who played the original ‘Elle’ in Broadway’s “Legally Blonde.” Nat Boltt (Riverdale) and Milo Shandel (Mr. Young) are new directors this season.
Alabastar Productions is premiering new Bell Fibe TV series Fish Out of Water on July 23, celebrating the people, places, and unexpected talents of Newfoundland and Labrador. The five-episode unscripted series, filmed in Ochre Pit Cove and surrounding areas, features everyday tradespeople and professionals who are pulled from their own field and dropped into an entirely different one. Hosted by former CBC reporter Ife Alaba-Gwasira, the series is directed by Lisa Porter, producer of Hudson & Rex.
Paper Route Studios, a new Toronto-based production company has officially launched, founded by industry veterans Dave Harris, Corey Russell, Jamie MacKay and Blair Vermette. Working across Canada and the U.S., Paper Route Studios will develop and produce premium documentaries and series, commercials, branded storytelling, and original film and television projects for the North American and international markets.
Just For Laughs has announced a new partnership between its New Faces: Writers program and Semi-Formal Productions, the prodco led by Academy Award-winning director, writer, and producer Michael Showalter and producer Jordana Mollick. Now in its second year, the program selects four emerging writers to debut original half-hour comedy pilots through staged readings during the Just For Laughs Montreal Festival, with JFL continuing to develop and take the projects to market. Semi-Formal is working alongside JFL programmers to help evaluate nearly 300 submissions.
ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:
Village Media is making a major push into the U.S. that will see the Sault Ste. Marie-headquartered digital publisher establish newsrooms in 15 communities across three states. Its U.S. expansion is being funded with the help of a $5 million investment from social investor, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The initiative will focus on three clusters of communities, starting with Wisconsin. Pennsylvania and Illinois are tentatively targeted as the other two states. Read more here.
Media Technology Monitor (MTM) finds that Gen Z leads short-form video viewing generationally, with those aged 18-28, the most engaged generation, while Younger Boomers (aged 61-70) have experienced notable growth in adoption. In contrast, Seniors (aged 81+) are the only generation to report a decline in viewing. MTM says while TikTok commands significant cultural attention, YouTube Shorts attracts the largest audience in Canada, particularly among anglophone users and men. Instagram Reels also maintains a strong presence, especially among women.
REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:
CBC/Radio-Canada is planning a significant international expansion that will see CBC News and Radio-Canada Info place journalists in five new regions, including re-opening its bureaus in Beijing, Jerusalem, and Mexico City, and establishing a presence in Los Angeles, as well as a new location in Europe to be determined. Read more here.
The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) has launched the CJF Emerging News Voices Program, aimed at helping emerging Canadian content creators establish independent digital news platforms. The Google News Initiative-supported, six-month program will provide up to 20 participants with intensive training, mentorship and support from coaches at Google News Initiative, YouTube and Blue Engine Collaborative, as well as guest experts from Canadian digital-first publishers. Read more here.
Rogers Communications delivered a massive boost to its sports and media segment in the second quarter of 2026, driven by the consolidation of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), a revenue boom from the Toronto Blue Jays, and a bump in subscribers. The telecom giant reported a 53% surge in total media revenue to $1.2 billion, up from $0.8 billion in the same period last year. Read more here.
Cogeco has released operating results for the third quarter of fiscal 2026 ended May 31. Revenue decreased by 4.5% to $724.2 million, with revenue from media activities down 1.3%, due to continued challenges in the traditional radio advertising market. Canadian telco revenue increased by 0.5%, mainly from the cumulative effect of high-speed internet service additions over the past year, offset by a decline in video and wireline phone service subscribers.
BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:
SOCAN, representing Canadian songwriters, composers and music publishers, has recognized Ottawa-headquartered rights management tech company, Musical AI, as an approved technology partner for attribution services to support music creators and rights holders. SOCAN will work with Musical AI to explore ways the company can support its efforts to provide attribution from AI outputs for the purpose of compensating songwriters, composers and music publishers.
