REVOLVING DOOR:
The Toronto Star has made senior leadership changes in its newsroom. Grant Ellis joins the Star as Managing Editor, Digital & Multimedia. Up until this past January, Ellis was General Manager at BNN Bloomberg for the last seven years. Nicole MacIntyre joins the Star as Managing Editor, News, coming from The Globe and Mail, where she was most recently deputy National Editor. Jordan Himelfarb becomes Managing Editor, Politics. Himelfarb, most recently the Star’s Politics Editor, has been with the paper since 2013. Sarmishta Subramanian joins the Star as Executive Features Editor. A former Star features editor, she was most recently editor-at-large at Maclean’s and consulting editor at The Logic.
Bell Media has made changes across the Virgin Radio network that see former iHeartRadio Nights host Shannon Burns take over middays for the brand in Eastern Canada. Burns will be heard from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. across Virgin stations in Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Windsor and Halifax. She’ll also host the iHeartRadio Top 20 every Sunday at 10 a.m. on the network, while Myles Galloway moves into her former 7 – 11 p.m. iHeartRadio Nights time slot. The new Virgin Radio Weekender will air Sundays from 6 -10 p.m., hosted by Virgin Toronto personality/music director Dames Nellas, Virgin Radio Vancouver afternoon drive host Amy Spencer, and Virgin Radio Calgary midday host Juliette Nunes. Read more here.
Blake Lough is officially joining Dallas Flexhaug and Leslie Horton on Global News Morning Calgary, effective Sept. 8, while Meteorologist Tiffany Lizée joins as Weather Anchor. Lough has been with Global Calgary since 2018 and previously anchored Global News Morning Weekend and Global News at 11. Lizée also joined Global Calgary in 2018 and was previously Chief Meteorologist at Global Regina.
Gurdeep Alhuwalia has left CP24 after five years with the morning show and more than a decade with Bell Media. Alhuwalia started with CP24 as a reporter, anchor and host of CP24 Breakfast Weekend. After a three-year break hosting TSN Sportscentre, he returned to CP24 in 2016. Nick Dixon steps into the CP24 Breakfast anchor role.
Catherine Murray has joined conservative-leaning Canadian news channel, The News Forum, as host of “The Buck Stops Here.” Murray was with BNN Bloomberg for a decade, prior to February’s cuts at Bell Media. She’s also been hosting content on her own YouTube channel and podcast.
Temur Durrani is joining BNN Bloomberg as a national business reporter/writer, based in Toronto. Durrani has been with the Winnipeg Free Press for the last year and a half where he covered economics.
Rick Howe is officially retiring after almost 50 years in radio. Howe, 68, initially stepped away from his News 95.7 (CJNI-FM) morning talk show last May announcing that he was dealing with an undisclosed health issue. An RTDNA Lifetime Achievement Award honouree, Howe’s broadcast career began in 1972 at CKNB Campbellton, followed by stops in Newcastle, Saint John, and eventually Halifax. Howe will return to the News 95.7 studio for one last show on Friday, Sept. 3.
John Divinski has retired after 57 years in radio. Divinski started his broadcast career in 1964 at CJCS Stratford, before moving on to CKSL London; CKJD and Fox FM (CFGX-FM) Sarnia; CJSS and Variety 104 (CFLG-FM) Cornwall and most recently 98 the Beach (CFPS-FM), now 97.9 The Bruce. He spent most of his career in news, but also dabbled in management for Corus Cornwall as Operations Manager from 1997-2000. His last day with Bayshore Broadcasting was Aug. 31.
Bill Dawkins is retiring after 60+ years in radio. Once the General Sales Manager, Station Manager and a minority owner of MAGIC 106 (CIMJ-FM) and 1460 CJOY in Guelph, ON, Dawkins is retiring from his current position as Senior Account Manager. His last day with Corus is Sept. 3.
Mike Katrycz, Vice-President of News at CHCH-TV Hamilton, will be retiring at the end of September after 21 years with the station. Katrycz notably spearheaded the launch of Morning Live in 2001 and helped create all-day news programming in 2009 for CHCH and Channel Zero. He began his career at CFTR-AM (now 680 News) in 1975 as a reporter. He later made the leap to television and CFTO News (now CTV Toronto) in 1980, where he served as reporter and producer for 17 years. He joined Global Toronto in 1998 as Senior Producer of the station’s flagship evening newscast. Katrycz arrived at CHCH as News Director in 2000 and was named VP of News in 2011.
Barbara G. Bell has retired after 26 years with Golden West Radio’s stations in Saskatchewan. Bell started with the company in 1995, working with CJYM Rosetown and Mix 104 (now Country 104.9, CKVX-FM) Kindersley holding roles from office manager to traffic, production and sales assistant. She’d been in station and sales management since 2003.
Pat Gonsalves is retiring after more than 37 years with Corus. Gonsalves’ radio career started in 1977 at CHOO-AM Ajax (now KX-96) in the Creative Department. After a year as Operations Manager, he moved into sales in 1979 and found his way to CKTB and CJQR St. Catherines, and then CKMW Brampton, before landing at Q107 (CILQ-FM) Toronto in 1984. In the early years, he handled the accounts of many of TO’s rock bars like The Gasworks, Nags Head North, Larry’s Hideaway and Hotrocks. He became Retail Sales Manager in the early ‘90s before moving back into an Account Manager role.
Scott Tremaine is retiring after a 32-year career with Corus Entertainment. Tremaine has been a longtime Account Executive with the Global Maritimes sales team, serving Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Jon McComb is coming out of retirement to host a weekend morning show across the Corus Radio network. McComb, who stepped away from mornings on 980 CKNW Vancouver in Dec. 2019, will helm “The Announcers” which will see the broadcast news veteran sit down with other talk radio hosts to discuss the week’s headlines.
I’m please to be back on the radio! Starting this weekend I’ll be hosting “The Announcers” on stations across Canada. Each week I’ll sit down with 2 of Canada’s brightest and most opinionated talk radio hosts to take a deep dive into the major stories of the week.
— Jon McComb (@jonmccombVO) August 31, 2021
Paul Ferguson has been promoted to Vice President, Programming and Operations, for Starboard Communications which operates 95.5 Hits FM (CJOJ-FM) and Cool 100 (CHCQ-FM) Belleville, ON, and Inquinte.ca. Ferguson has been with the company since 2002, holding roles from on-air to his promotion to Program Director in 2010. Ferguson is a six-time winner of the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Music Director of the Year – Medium or Small Market honour.
Samantha Payne has stepped into the interim Program Manager position at Corus Radio Cornwall, filling in during Bill Halman’s parental leave. Payne arrives from Corus Hamilton where she’s the Programming Assistant, Music Director and an on-air announcer. She’ll continue her Programming Assistant role in Hamilton, while taking on her new role in Cornwall until March 2022.
Shane Michaels has returned to mornings on 93.1 “Leduc’s Best Country” (CJLD-FM) and 88.1 “Parkland’s Best Country” (CKSS-FM). Michaels is back after parting ways with Blackgold Broadcasting in March. He previously hosted afternoon drive on Capital FM (CKRA-FM) Edmonton up until station restructuring in 2018. He’s also done stints at the former EZ Rock (CFMG-FM), as well as The Bear (CFBR-FM) where he hosted under the guise of his alter ego “Sleddog.”
Paul Ouellette is the new Creative and Production Manager for Blackgold Broadcasting’s stations in Stony Plain, Leduc and Ponoka. Ouellette is a former Q99 (CIKT-FM) Grande Prairie Program Director, Music Director and Morning Host. After semi-retiring to Vancouver Island where he worked part-time for Pattison Media’s stations in Nanaimo, he’s now returned to Alberta to be closer to family.
Jeanne Armstrong is the incoming host of CBC Information Morning Fredericton. Armstrong has been with the public broadcaster since 2011, starting as an intern with CBC Ottawa before moving into producing for Ottawa Morning and All In A Day. She’s been a producer on As It Happens since 2017.
Amy (Amelia) Chabot is the new morning show co-host on Surge 105 (CKHY-FM) Halifax, alongside Jeff Brown. Chabot has been with Virgin Radio (CJCH-FM) and Move 100 (CIOO-FM) Halifax since 2015. She also did a previous hosting stint with Energy 103.5 (CKHZ-FM) Halifax.
Lauren Strapagiel is leaving BuzzFeed to join Shopify as a senior writer. Strapagiel had been with BuzzFeed since 2015, holding roles from Managing Editor, Canada to reporting from BuzzFeed’s breaking news desk.
Mickey Djuric is leaving CBC Regina to join The Canadian Press as their Saskatchewan correspondent, effective Sept. 7. Djuric moves into the role vacated by Stephanie Taylor, who is now reporting for CP on Parliament Hill.
Michelle Ireland has joined Evanov Communications as Retail Sales Manager with the Montreal & Ontario East Sales Team, effective Sept. 7. Ireland was most recently an Account Manager at Bell Media/CTV Montreal. She’s also held sales roles with Corus Radio Kitchener and Rogers Sports & Media in Toronto and London, among other markets.
Renaud Langlois has been promoted to Senior Director, Digital and Programmatic Operations at Quebecor Expertise|Media. With Quebecor since 2020, in his new role Langlois will be responsible for the entire digital advertising team, including digital programmatic and out-of-home, as well as the commercial data monetization strategy.
MELS has appointed Julie Brabant as Senior Director of Operations, Richard Cormier as VicePresident, Digital Creative Services, and Fréderic Boucher as Vice-President, Equipment Rental Operations. Brabant joins MELS after several years at TVA as Director of Technical Operations, and more than 20 years in key positions at Radio-Canada, Global and Télévision Quatre-Saisons. Cormier is promoted to VP, Digital Creative Services and will also continue to serve as Executive Producer of Virtual Production. He’s been with MELS since late 2020 and has a track record in content creation in Canada and the U.S., including Moment Factory and Buzz Image. Boucher has worked for MELS for 30 years. He was previously director of the camera rental department and now adds the lighting, grip and cabling departments to his responsibilities.
Ryerson School of Journalism has introduced 13 new contract lecturers, including eight alumni. They are Toronto Star tech reporter Navneet Alang; CBC reporter Rhiannon Johnson; freelance photographer Marta Iwanek; 105.9 The Region station manager Tina Cortese; TSN story editor Brian Hastings; CP24 anchor/reporter Shanelle Kaul; freelance media personality Winston Sih; CBC Ideas producer Naheed Mustafa; Law360 editor Vidya Kauri; Hello! Magazine reporter Russ Martin; CBC writer/editor Jane Gerster; Think Research comms manager Laura Hensley; and TSN freelancer and Burn It All Down podcast host Shireen Ahmed.
RADIO & PODCAST:
Congratulations once again to all the winners and also to all the finalists! 👏 Thank you to our partners and everyone who submitted!#radioawardsgala #radio #communityradio #awards #winner #ncraanrec pic.twitter.com/zM5kY6Pzmh
— NCRA/ANREC (@ncracanada) August 21, 2021
The Canadian Podcast Awards have announced their 2021 winners. On A Dark, Cold Night took home multiple awards, winning Outstanding Main Title Theme and Outstanding Original Music. Elamin Abdelmahmoud won Best Host In A Series with the CBC political podcast he co-hosts, Partylines, also winning Outstanding News and Current Affairs Series. The People’s Choice Award went to I Hate It But I Love It, while Ken Bole was honoured with this year’s Bob Goyetche Award, which recognizes podcasters who’ve made an impact and helped grow the community.
LISTEN: Wayne Harrett, who founded Eastern Passage, NS community radio station Seaside FM in 2002, lost a lengthy battle with cancer earlier this month. The latest episode of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast is for anyone who has been told they don’t have a voice for or a future in radio, because Harrett didn’t let that stop him from starting and growing his own station, fuelled by his sheer passion for the medium. Among the voices featured in this episode are Nova Scotia singer-songwriter Adam Baldwin, Halifax Regional Councillor and radio veteran Lisa Blackburn, MOVE 100 (CIOO-FM) Halifax personality and former Seaside FM volunteer Erin Hopkins, Wayne’s sister and Seaside FM board member Cindy Harrett, and Seaside FM afternoon drive host Noah Widmeyer.
LISTEN: On the latest Sound Off Podcast, Morgan McCarthy – host of The 715 Newsroom, a local Wisconsin online radio news source serving the Chippewa Valley area. In this episode, McCarthy talks about her not-at-all planned saunter into working in radio through her serendipitous acceptance to Emerson College, how radio became her passion, her love for the Green Bay Packers, and more. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:
SIGN OFFS:
Mike Wolowich, 79, unexpectedly on Aug. 23. Wolowich started his broadcast career in 1964 with Thunder Bay Electronics, which later became Thunder Bay Television. Starting out as a photographer, he worked his way up to producer and director working on shows like Reach For The Top, The Rick Smith Show, Rock’n ‘n Reel’n, Auction Bonanza, the annual Kinsmen Mother’s Day Cystic Fibrosis Telethon, and numerous PSAs and commercials. Wolowich was known for his eagerness to mentor young talent. He was also a member of the Lakehead Amateur Radio Club and named Amateur of the Year in 2017.
Robert Breen Murray, 79, on Aug. 14 after a brief battle with cancer. A recognizable media personality in the Ottawa Valley, Breen was the voice of sports for CKOY-CKBY for much of the 1970s and early ‘80s, from play-by-play to hosting and serving as sports director. When TSN was established in 1984, Breen was the network’s first hire in Ottawa. Murray opened Raven Street Studios in 1992, which remains one of Ottawa’s largest and most-established recording studios, welcoming artists from Avril Lavigne to Snoop Dogg through its doors. He also founded The Audio Recording Academy (TARA), a recording school focused on giving students practical studio experience.
TV & FILM:
The Montreal International Black Film Festival’s 17th edition will open on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at Imperial Theatre with Glenn Kaino and Afshin Shahidi’s Quebec premiere of With Drawn Arms. The feature documentary’s main subject is track-and-field gold medalist, Tommie Smith, who famously raised a gloved fist at the 1968 Olympic games to protest racial inequality in America.
Uninterrupted Canada, in partnership with Bell Media, are partnering to produce “SINC”: The Christine Sinclair Story, an original documentary that charts the rise of the soccer player. Airing in 2022 on TSN and Crave, production and principal photography will commence this fall. Sinclair made her debut with the senior national team at age 16 at the 2000 Algarve Cup where she scored her first international goal. Since then, she’s become one of the games most accomplished players, winning three Olympic medals, including Gold at the recent Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, becoming the world’s all-time leader in international goals scored for both men and women, and the first soccer player to win the Lou Marsh Award as Canadian Athlete of the Year.
The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) has announced the return of the CBC Actors Conservatory after a year-long hiatus due to COVID. Officially underway Sept. 7, this year’s cohort includes Blessing Adedijo, Christef Desir, Izad Etemadi, Katherine Fogler, Zara Jestadt, Janet-Rose Nguyen and Leighton Alexander Williams, who have a range of skills and experience across musical and classical theatre, film, TV, and comedy. The CBC Actors Conservatory is an immersive on-screen acting program designed to empower actors to navigate the film and TV business by exposing them to different approaches, perspectives, collaborators and materials.
ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:
MuchMusic is celebrating the brand’s digital relaunch across Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, with a collaboration with Roots on a capsule collection. The limited release features custom-designed artwork by MuchMusic’s own Sadé Powell, in collaboration with Verdah Ansari, who drew inspiration from the Canadian music scene and Much’s current lineup of VJs. Featuring kanga hoodies, t-shirts, and toques, the collection will drop on roots.com on Sept. 8.
REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:
Canadian Media Guild (CMG) has filed for conciliation in Ontario and Québec following a breakdown in talks with The Canadian Press (CP). The newswire service’s collective agreement expired in 2018, but was extended for an additional year as bargaining commenced. This is the first time the two sides have had to negotiate under provincial labour jurisdiction, with CMG saying it’s been one of the most contentious rounds of bargaining in recent memory. The union is first seeking conciliation in Québec and Ontario, where the bulk of CP’s 177 unionized employees work. CMG says it remains hopeful that CP management will return to the bargaining table “in good faith” in the coming weeks. Read more here.
CBC is debunking a recent Postmedia article, carried by Sun newspapers across the country, with the headline “Facebook Canada to lean on CBC as election fact checker.” The story quoted Blacklock’s Reporter and was picked up by other sites including Rebel News, The Post Millennial, True North and Western Standard. CBC says the story was untrue and “the latest example of something we are seeing more and more of: a group of online outlets together repeating and amplifying the same inaccurate or misleading story in order to criticize the public broadcaster, particularly its English-language service, the CBC.”
BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:
LISTEN: In this sponsored episode of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast, NewTek Sales Engineer Chris Burgos talks about IP Video Technology and how it provides every storyteller a voice through video. Burgos also touches on what’s happening in live production, what the future looks like, and how you can find out how to evolve your workflows and improve the quality of your output. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:
Vicon has won a new contract with Vancouver’s Beyond Capture, a provider of world-class motion capture and performance capture services for VFX, video games and animation. Beyond Capture, which currently owns a state-of-the-art studio on the West Coast, is expanding its presence following a recent partnership with Reservoir Creative and will be opening a new 15,000 sq. ft. performance capture facility, Beyond Montreal, in the heart of downtown Montreal in November. Beyond Capture, which is currently utilizing Vantage, Vicon’s cutting edge flagship cameras in its Vancouver-based studio, will be using 60 Vicon Vantage 16 cameras in the new Montreal facility, enabling capture at remarkable speeds across a larger volume. Among the services Beyond Montreal will offer are motion capture, performance capture, virtual production and full-body animation.
