REVOLVING DOOR:
Antony Robart will helm an expanded early evening newscast for Global Toronto, starting Sept. 16. Robart will anchor Global News at 5, airing from 5 – 6 p.m. ET., and will join anchor/producer Tracy Tong on Global News at 6, from 6 – 6:30 p.m. ET. Miranda Anthistle will take on Robart’s former role of National Anchor on Global News Morning. Beginning Oct. 6, Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Colin D’Mello will also take on a new role as the host of provincial affairs program, Focus Ontario. Read more here.
Stephanie Massicotte has joined CBC Saskatoon as the new host of Saskatoon Morning. Massicotte arrives from CTV, where she co-hosted and anchored the local edition of CTV Morning Live for a decade. Meanwhile, Peter Mills has been named the host of CBC Saskatchewan’s afternoon radio show, formerly known as The Afternoon Edition. The show has been re-dubbed The 306, a nod to the Saskatchewan area code, promising “a focus on the Saskatchewan of today — more urban, more curious and a little bit younger.” Read more here.
Clare MacKenzie is the new permanent host of CBC New Brunswick’s evening television newscast as of Sept. 3. MacKenzie has worked with the public broadcaster off and on since 1990, including stints as a senior writer and backfill host for Canada Now, communications and community producing work, and more recently copy editing and writing based out of CBC Fredericton.
Well, that’s a wrap! After more than two decades in broadcasting, I am moving on. Feeling incredibly grateful for the opportunity to do what I have loved for so long. Thank you to all who’ve been a part of the journey, those I’ve learned from & those who’ve helped on the way! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/a41Rwx77c0
— Chris Carr (@ChrisCarrGlobal) August 28, 2024
Chris Carr, the morning news anchor at Global Saskatoon, has announced he’s moving on from broadcasting. Carr had been anchoring Global News Morning since 2019. Prior to joining Global, he was an anchor and reporter with Rawlco Radio’s stations in Saskatoon.
Kim Sullivan has delivered her final weather forecast for Global News Montreal after eight years. Sullivan has been a weather specialist and community reporter with the station since 2016. She was also seen during the late night newscasts in Toronto, New Brunswick and Halifax.
Erica Vella has parted ways with Global Toronto after a decade. Vella, who started with Global in 2014 as a Humber College intern, has joined Greater Toronto Airports Authority in Stakeholder Relations and Communications.
Todd Veinotte, host of The Todd Veinotte Show on 95.7 News Radio (CJNI-FM) Halifax, has revealed he’s scheduled for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery in early September as he continues to live with Parkinson’s. While he’s away, news director and morning anchor Dan Ahlstrand will fill in Tuesday through Friday, while retired CTV Atlantic senior anchor Steve Murphy will host on Mondays.
Pattison Media network show Rob & Friends, helmed by Rob Grant, is moving from afternoons to mornings on 101.5 Today Radio Calgary, starting Sept. 9. The station was formerly airing Crash & Mars, the highly-rated morning show that originates from Edmonton’s 102.3 NOW! Radio (CKNO-FM). As part of the lineup shuffle, Taylor Daniels moves from middays into afternoon drive.
Matt Loop has moved into afternoon drive on JACK FM (CHST-FM) London. Formerly part of the morning show, Stax and Meghan Spotswood continue in the a.m. time slot. Loop has been with the station for 12 years, the last five in mornings.
Baba Singh. host of the long-running Mid-Morning Mojo, on CKUA Edmonton, has announced his retirement. Singh previously took a step back to one day a week in 2021, heard Friday mornings from 9 a.m. – noon.
DJ Williams has joined Stingray Radio in London as a Digital Media Sales Strategist. Williams was formerly with the Corus London Revenue Development team for the last seven years, and has worked stateside in sales roles with Clear Channel, Max Media and Entercom.
Jamie Giesbrecht has re-joined Golden West Broadcasting as the new morning show announcer on The Eagle 93.5 (CJEL-FM) Winkler, MB. Giesbrecht was formerly a morning show co-host on Golden West’s Radio Southern Manitoba network, which includes CFAM 950 Altona, AM 1250 (CHSM-AM) Steinbach, and CJRB 1220 Boissevain, up until 2022 when she accepted a Director of Development role with Eden Foundation.
Jonathan Goldsbie is taking a leave from his role as News Director at Canadaland and co-host of Wag The Doug, as he embarks on a Massey College William Southam Journalism Fellowship. Goldsbie, who has been with Canadaland since 2017 and is its longest-serving staff member aside from publisher Jesse Brown, will be studying through April 2025.
Simon Ostler, who was laid off as Executive Producer at Global News Toronto eight months ago, has joined his alma mater Fanshawe College where he’s teaching podcasting and digital media part-time. Ostler has also started Simon Ostler Consulting, focusing on media relations and media consulting.
David Spodek, Bell Media’s former Senior Specialist, Regulatory Affairs for the last two decades, has launched his own broadcasting consulting business. Spodek was with Bell for more than 25 years, previously holding the title of Program Services Analyst.
Susan Alexander, a production executive at Corus Entertainment for the last 16 years, is moving on from the company. Prior to joining Corus in 2008, Alexander held a similar role with Shaw Media for almost eight years.
Andrew Addison has been promoted to Senior Vice-President, Strategic Communications and Member Engagement at the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA). He’ll lead the team responsible for the CMPA’s international activities and mentorship programs, drive new strategic partnerships, and continue to oversee communications, marketing, and member services activities. Addison has been with the CMPA since 2016 as Vice-President of Marketing and Communications. In 2019, he also took on responsibility for member services, sponsorship, and production of CMPA’s annual Prime Time conference.
Mike Henry has joined Cogeco as Chief Commercial Officer, responsible for leading the sales and marketing, digital, brand, product and community relations teams of Cogeco’s telecom business across Canada and the U.S. Henry brings 30 years of leadership experience from the financial sector, most recently as Executive Vice-President, Consumer Banking, Digital and Strategy at Home Trust. He previously held multiple executive roles at Scotiabank.
Andy James has signed with Hoss Management Group for radio imaging and TV station branding representation. Most recently on-air alongside his wife, Tamara “TJ” Joel, on The Lake (CKOV-FM) Kelowna, “Andy & TJ” launched their own voiceover business Married with Mics in 2018.
RADIO & PODCAST:
CBC/Radio-Canada is asking the commission for expedited permission to install a new antenna for CBUI-FM Stewart, BC before weather conditions deteriorate in the remote area. CBC/Radio-Canada is seeking approval to amend the broadcasting licence for CFPR Prince Rupert, BC, by adding a new FM rebroadcasting transmitter in Stewart, replacing the existing AM rebroadcasting transmitter CBKA Stewart. The proposed call sign for the new FM rebroadcasting transmitter is CBUI-FM. The public broadcaster says the AM antenna in Stewart is 50 years old and has reached the end of its useful life, with listeners in the area exposed to a high risk of signal loss. Comments are open until Sept. 16.
Bobby Bones will take the stage as host of the 2024 NAB Marconi Radio Awards, set to take place Oct. 9 during NAB Show New York. Bones will also be honored with the NAB Distinguished Service Award (DSA), the National Association of Broadcasters’ highest honour. Bones is widely known as the host of the nationally syndicated iHeartRadio program, The Bobby Bones Show. His work also extends to television, where he’s served as host of USA Network competition series Snake In The Grass, starred in National Geographic’s Breaking Bobby Bones and has been the official in-house mentor on ABC’s American Idol. Additionally, he hosts the BobbyCast podcast, which has nearly 40 million downloads to date.
LISTEN: Jeff Umbro, the founder of The Podglomerate podcast services firm, is on the Sound Off Podcast. He and Matt Cundill discuss his transition from book publicist to podcasting, insights on video’s role in podcasting, and the complexities of monetization, including the challenges of dynamic ad insertion and the need for fair CPMs.
SIGN OFFS:
Stevie Cameron, 80, on Aug. 31, from Parkinson’s. Born in Belleville, ON, Cameron’s foray into journalism began as a food writer in the late 1970s, after attending Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris. She went on to become food editor of the Toronto Star, lifestyles editor at the Ottawa Journal, and later lifestyles and travel editor at the Ottawa Citizen. She eventually transitioned into investigative and political reporting at the Citizen. By 1986, Cameron had joined The Globe and Mail as a national columnist and reporter and published her first book, Ottawa Inside Out. Her second book, On the Take: Crime, Corruption and Greed in the Mulroney Years, published in 1994, raised questions about former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s involvement in the Airbus Affair. She went on to join Maclean’s magazine as a contributing editor, was the founding editor of women’s magazine Elm Street in 1996, and penned more books, including two on serial killer Robert Pickton. Cameron also did a stint as host of CBC’s “The Fifth Estate” in the early 1990s. Her work outside of journalism included co-founding Out of the Cold, a volunteer program run out of Toronto’s St. Andrew’s Church, providing food and clothing to the homeless. Cameron was awarded the Order of Canada in 2012.
Marty Adler, 81, on Aug. 24 after a long battle with cancer. A longtime media presence on radio and television in Windsor from CKLW to CBC, Adler was equally known for his four decades as a track announcer at Windsor Raceway. Adler is perhaps best remembered for his work as a CBC sportscaster and turning games into stories, giving many high school athletes their 15 minutes of fame. He founded Great Lakes Television in 1982, a production company focused on commercials, corporate videos and a real estate channel. In 2021, Adler pursued a licence for community radio station “The Burg,” CKBG 107.9 Amherstburg, ON, which launched on July 3, 2023. His last day on-air was July 13.
Jack Milligan, 91, on Aug. 18. In addition to a long career with Edmonton Telephones (EdTel), Milligan worked as a part-time broadcast technician at several Edmonton radio stations, including CJCA and CHQT. He also oversaw the sound system build for various events in the Edmonton area, notably the 1978 Commonwealth Games.
TV & FILM:
Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana has announced that Barney, the beloved purple dinosaur, will return to television screens after a 14-year hiatus. The new Barney’s World is set in a playground, where Barney is joined by dinos Billy and Baby Bop and their three kid best friends. The new series (52 x 11 mins), co-produced by Mattel Television Studios and Nelvana, will premiere on Treehouse, Monday, Oct. 14 and be available to stream on STACKTV. The debut season features all-new original music and updated takes on Barney classics.
Todd Talbot of Love It or List It Vancouver joins Cottage Life with the debut of his new documentary series, Todd Talbot Builds: The Passive House Project (8×30’). The eight-part series is an intimate look into the highs and lows of Talbot’s construction journey as he and his wife, actor Rabecca Talbot, set out to build a net-zero, passive house A-frame on Okanagan Lake, just outside Kelowna. The Canadian broadcast premiere airs Tuesday, Oct. 8. Talbot’s passive house made headlines in summer 2023, when wildfires forced his family to evacuate and halt production of the series. Nearly all the passive house elements were completed, with the exception of the stone wool insulation and non-combustible cladding on the underbelly of the structure. When they were allowed back to the site a month later to survey the damage, the pile of insulation was the only thing not destroyed.
Firecracker Department, the community-driven creative collective supporting female and non-binary artists, has announced the winners of its 2024 Firecracker Department Awards. Allana Harkin and Robin Duke will be presented with the Blaze Award and the RedPoint Award, respectively, at the annual Firecracker Department TIFF Brunch on Saturday, Sept. 7. Harkin, an Emmy Award-winning producer, director and correspondent known for her work on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and directing work on series like the Rockie Award–nominated Nesting. The RedPoint Award, which recognizes Firecrackers over the age of 50 who continue to create impactful and inspiring art, will be awarded to legendary comedian and actress Robin Duke, a Saturday Night Live and SCTV alumna, in addition to CTV series, Shelved.
Liz Shorten, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), was among those awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal during a ceremony with B.C.’s Premier David Eby and B.C.’s Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin. Shorten was recognized for her outstanding commitment and dedication to the film, television and digital media sectors. Others from the B.C. media community recognized include Sp!ce Radio founder Shushma Datt, CKYE RED FM news director Harjinder Thind, South Asian NHL play-by-play commentator Randip Janda, journalist and TV commentator Guo Ding, and journalist Debbie Chen.
REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:
The Government of Canada has announced the appointment of new members to the Independent Advisory Board on Eligibility for Journalism Tax Measures. They include Brenda O’Farrell, a former Senior News Editor at the Montreal Gazette, who now co-owns Quebec community newspaper publisher Brenmar Media; Michael Cooke, former Editor of the Toronto Star; Ravindra Mohabeer, Journalism Chair at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University; and incoming Vice-Chairperson Margo Goodhand, former Editor-in-Chief of the Edmonton Journal and the Winnipeg Free Press.
BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:
