REVOLVING DOOR:
Barb Williams has announced her retirement from CBC/Radio-Canada where she’s served as Executive Vice-President of English Services since 2019. Williams will continue working with the public broadcaster through the New Year to ensure a smooth transition for her successor. With a long track record of executive roles, Williams previously retired from Corus Entertainment in late 2018 where she held the title of Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer (COO). Read more here.
Marc Wert has joined motorsports and automotive destination channel REV TV as its first General Sales Manager (GSM) in the company’s five-year history. Wert brings over 20 years of leadership experience in national media sales and omnichannel advertising, including 16 years with Bell Media, holding senior roles with Orbyt Media and ending his tenure there as Senior Manager, National Accounts. Wert will work to expand REV TV’s relationships with Canadian agencies, while also deepening the channel’s partnership with the NASCAR Canada Series.
Tracy Lamoureux has been named General Sales Manager for the Okanagan group of Vista Radio stations in B.C. as part of internal management changes. Now based in Kelowna, she formerly held the title of Regional Cluster Manager for Vista’s Ontario South group of stations. Scott Armstrong, formerly GM of Lethbridge stations, 94.1 CJOC and 98.1 The Ranch (CKBD-FM), is returning to Ontario to serve as Regional Cluster Manager for Ontario Mid-North, based in Timmins.
Graeme Reaper is now being heard weekdays in the midday time slot from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on both CJAY 92 Calgary and The Bear (CFBR-FM) Edmonton. Reaper, who has been with CJAY 92 since 1992 and long heard in afternoon drive, replaces Ashleigh Darrach, who joined Whiteoaks Communications’ 97.7 HTZ-FM St. Catharines in July to host middays and serve as Music Director for both HTZ-FM and Legend 102.9 FM (CKLH-FM). As previously reported, Tyler and Lynch move into afternoons on CJAY 92.
Kurt Flesher is the new morning show co-host on Pattison Media’s 99.3 Rewind Radio (CKDV-FM) Prince George, alongside Jen Grier. Flesher has formerly worked in programming and on-air at Vista Radio’s 94.3 The Goat (CIRX-FM) and Country 97 (CJCI-FM) in the market. He replaces Cody Malbeuf, who has been promoted to Program and Promotions Director for both 99.3 Rewind Radio and 101.3 The River (CKKN-FM). Meanwhile, Vilma Portillo is set to return to the morning show on 101.3 The River on Oct. 20, following mat leave.
Evelyn Macko is making her return to radio, reading afternoon news on My Broadcasting Corporation’s Niagara stations, New Country 89.1 (CKYY-FM) and 91.7 Giant FM (CIXL-FM). The alum of 680 News (CFTR-AM), Q107 (CILQ-FM), and 640 (CFIQ-AM), among other stations, was caught up in layoffs at Newstalk 1010 (CFRB-AM) Toronto in 2014. She was most recently heard on 97.7 MAX FM (CHGB-FM) Collingwood prior to the pandemic.
Tim Weekes is leaving CBC Vancouver after more than three decades, with his last day on Friday, Oct. 3. Weekes joined CBC doing contract and casual work in current affairs and news in 1991 after working as a reporter for Broadcast News and The Canadian Press in Vancouver. He joined CBC full-time in 2001 as an assignment editor, later switching to full-time reporting for TV. Since 2020, he’s been primarily reading and writing news.
Corey Callaghan is moving on from Global News Winnipeg after seven years as a Digital Broadcast Journalist and fill-in anchor and producer, assigned to Global News Morning. He’ll be staying with the network, moving into the role of Provincial Executive Producer in Saskatchewan, based in Regina.
Tina Ouellette has joined the National Film Board (NFB) as Executive Producer of the NFB’s Western Documentary Unit. Ouellette joins NFB following 24 years at Vancouver animation and design studio, Global Mechanic, where she served as Executive Producer from 2006 to 2025. Chris Brodie will be stepping into Ouellette’s role at Global Mechanic.
The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) has appointed five new members to its Board of Directors: Erin Haskett, President and Executive Producer of Lark Productions; Wendy Noss, President of the Motion Picture Association-Canada; Tara Parker, Partner, Goodmans Entertainment Law Group; Blake Tohana, CFO of 9 Story Media Group; and Austin Wong, VP of Business and Legal Affairs for New Metric Media.
Ryan Balaski and Laurie Lee Boulet have joined the Board of Directors of The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and MusiCounts for 2025-26. Balaski is Senior Vice-President of Music for Live Nation Canada, while Boutet is the Founder of Wednesday Management, manager of The Beaches, among other acts. She was named Billboard Canada’s Manager of the Year for 2025
RADIO & PODCAST:
Northern Native Broadcasting hosted a 12-hour radiothon on Friday, believed to be a first-of-its-kind in B.C. Radio For Recovery aired on CFNR-FM Terrace and Journey 103.6 FM (CJNY-FM) Vancouver, with a goal to spread awareness and raise funds for drug and alcohol recovery amongst First Nations people. Partnering with The Shayne William Robinson Fund, held in trust by Together We Can, which supports Northern B.C. First Nations members living a high-risk lifestyle due to addiction, who are ineligible for existing treatment funding, and the First Nations Health Foundation (FNHF), the event’s timing coincided with National Recovery Month. Read more here.
TVO Today podcast, (MIS)Treated, uncovers the realities of women’s health in Canada, challenging assumptions and uncovering the real-world consequences of inequity in healthcare through powerful stories from women across Canada. Hosted by Nam Kiwanuka, (MIS)Treated guests include author and podcast host Amber Mac, gender justice advocate Farrah Khan, and experts like gynecologist and McMaster University professor, Dr. Mathew Leonardi. The series was born out of Kiwanuka’s own experience navigating the healthcare system which led her to recognize a broader crisis affecting women across the country.
Teri Hart is launching new podcast, The Hart of it All, on Oct. 7. After losing her father, the former The Movie Network and CityNews host and entertainment reporter is creating the podcast to initiate honest conversations about supporting the seniors in our lives, exploring the realities of caregiving. Guests range from parenting expert Alyson Schafer to broadcaster and writer Pay Chen on her caregiving journey while living in another province, in addition to Dr. Brian Goldman, host of CBC’s White Coat, Black Art on dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Left of Dial Media has launched its first podcast, Tubby, from iconoclastic filmmaker and noted curmudgeon Alan Zweig. Known for his honest, funny, and deep explorations of insecurity, obsession, and loneliness, Zweig now turns to the subject that has preoccupied him most but remained unspoken—his weight. Equal parts personal journey and probing conversation, each episode of Tubby brings listeners deep inside the mind of its host, inviting them to sit in on intimate conversations with guests like podcasters Alex Goldman (Hyperfixed) and Ronald Young Jr. (Weight for It), author Kimberly Dark (Fat, Pretty and Soon to be Old), and Washington Post style writer Shane O’Neill. New episodes drop every second Thursday.
LISTEN: Paul Jacobs is on the Sound Off Podcast with the same advice he had in 2019 when he came on this show and said, “Stop Selling Radio.” In 2025, it’s stop selling radio and start selling solutions. With revenue trending flat to down, Jacobs says radio must innovate or risk falling further behind digital platforms that promise instant results and granular analytics. He and Matt Cundill explore how radio’s real strength lies in local content, strong communities, and brand reach.
SIGN OFFS:
Gary McLaren, 92, on Sept. 23. McLaren began working at CKCO, now CTV Kitchener, in 1957. McLaren anchored the station’s 6 p.m. newscast for many years, also serving as news director and assignment editor. He additionally produced and hosted weekend current affairs program, Sunday AM, a program considered ahead of its time. He retired in 1994. Watch CTV Kitchener’s tribute to McLaren here.
TV & FILM:
Media Technology Monitor (MTM) has released two new reports suggesting that Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) services are hitting their stride amongst both Canadian youth and adults. MTM says with SVOD platforms reaching “a new level of maturity,” over four in five anglophone households and seven in 10 francophone households subscribe to at least one SVOD service. According to MTM data, while there has been some stabilization in penetration in recent years, there was an uptick in subscribers this spring. Netflix remains the most popular service. Read more here.
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has released Built Different, its annual report for the 2024–25 fiscal year. CMF’s investments in Canada’s screen industry fueled $1.8B in industry activity, contributing to nearly 20,000 full-time equivalent direct jobs on Canadian sets, in TV writers’ rooms, and in video game and immersive entertainment studios. Nearly $364M was committed to 1,278 projects in 2024-25, representing a 4.1% drop in funding and 14.6% decrease in projects supported. $6.2M was allocated to 81 initiatives to create opportunities for creators and drive industry growth in Canada’s regions, Indigenous, and underrepresented communities.
NFB has released an overview of its key results from the 2024–25 fiscal year, highlighted by the creation of 39 original works, including seven co-productions generating 93 awards. Forty-one per cent of works were directed by emerging filmmakers, with $37.5 million going to production spending. Fifteen projects were supported by the Filmmaker Assistance Program (FAP) or the Aide au cinéma indépendant du Canada (ACIC) program. In general, NFB says its works attracted growing audiences, with 31 million views in Canada and 57.3 million worldwide. Forty-eight per cent of projects were directed by women, with 25% of production spending allocated to works by Indigenous filmmakers and 36% directed by filmmakers who identify as Black or People of Colour.
Rogers Sports & Media and Sarah and Bryan Baeumler have entered into an exclusive production deal for HGTV in Canada, beginning in 2027. Under the exclusive agreement, the Baeumlers will spearhead the creation and production of new original unscripted series to air exclusively on the network.
TSN has announced its broadcast schedule for the Toronto Raptors’ 2025-26 regular season, delivering 41 games, as well as pre-season action beginning with the Raptors taking on Canadian star Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets live from Vancouver in the 2025 NBA Canada Series presented by Bell on Monday, Oct. 6. Regular season coverage begins Friday, Oct. 24 as the Raptors host former NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Bell Media’s Crave has announced a four-episode order for All Heart: Canada Women’s Rugby and the Quest for Rugby World Cup Glory (working title). Produced by Boat Rocker Studios, the Crave Original docuseries will offer unprecedented, behind-the-scenes access to the Canadian women’s team, and their journey through Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. It’s set to stream on Crave in 2026.
Thunderbird Entertainment’s Atomic Cartoons will be developing and intends to produce Surf’s Up: The Series, a new animated series based on the Academy Award-nominated film Surf’s Up from Sony Pictures Animation. The series will be written by Lienne Sawatsky, Dan Williams, and John Hazlett, who are also the trio behind popular animated children’s series’ The Guava Juice Show. All three writers will also serve as series’ showrunners, which is being developed as an 11-minute animated comedy for kids ages six to nine.
T+E’s Creep Week and Halloweekend programming blocks return Oct. 10-19, during the channel’s nationwide free preview. Creep Week’s 10-night fright lineup kicks off with T+E original Destination Haunted: Leap Castle, a documentary that follows paranormal investigators Corine Carey, Leanne Sallenback, and Kelly Ireland as they explore one of Ireland’s most haunted castles. Also premiering is one-hour doc Ghost Lands, debuting Oct. 17, exploring real-life spiritual encounters as shared by Indigenous Peoples, offering insight into their cultural perspectives on the supernatural.
Hollywood Suite’s Shocktober programming lineup includes a new installment of Cinema A to Z: Ghosts, airing Oct. 7. It features film experts like Rue Morgue editor and Faculty of Horror co-host Andrea Subissatti, TIFF’s Midnight Madness mastermind Peter Kuplowsky, and Fantasia International Film Festival programmer Carolyn Mauricette. Also joining the lineup is Kourtney Roy’s Kryptic, a Canadian body-horror that follows a woman’s (Chloe Pirrie) search for a missing cryptozoologist, set to premiere Oct. 28. Additional Shocktober channel premieres include classics like Danny Boyle zombie-horror 28 Days Later (2003), a new restoration of David Cronenberg’s Scanners (1981), and John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars (2001).
Love Nature has announced production on Life on the Edge (3 x 60), a look at the resilience of wildlife on North America’s northern coast – a region rapidly transforming under climate change. The three-part natural history series is produced by award-winning UK production companies Passion Planet with Vancouver-based River Road Films in collaboration with PBS, ARTE France, and CBC.
Crave has unveiled the cast of upcoming original comedy series, I Kill The Bear, created, written by, and starring Jared Keeso (Letterkenny, Shoresy). Production on the six-episode, half-hour, series is underway in Sudbury and set to premiere on Crave in 2026. The comedy, about a family of bear wranglers for film sets, sees Keeso joined onscreen by an ensemble cast including Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger, Adrian Holmes (19-2, Bel-Air), Mixed Martial Arts star Georges St-Pierre, Jonathan Torrens (Trailer Park Boys), Sarah-Maude Beauchesne (Bellefleur), Kristin Kreuk (Smallville), Dylan Playfair (Letterkenny), Eliana Jones (Shoresy), Frederick Roy (Shoresy) and Megha Sandhu (Painkiller).
Crave has announced that its Standard With Ads tier is now available via Prime Video. Prime Video customers can subscribe directly through their account for $11.99/month. Kevin Cluett, SVP, Distribution, Out of Home & Direct to Consumer, Bell Media, says the introduction of additional Crave plans on Prime Video offers more choice, while giving advertisers further opportunities to reach Crave audiences.
ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:
TikTok has enlisted Luminate to understand the relationship between engagement on its platform and an artist’s off-platform music streaming performance, highlighting the short-form video app’s burgeoning impact as a music discovery driver. Using a random sample of almost 700 global artists, Luminate distilled the relationship between the artists’ daily TikTok engagement metrics (Views, Likes and Creations) and their daily on-demand music streaming consumption over the course of three quarters. It also assessed the association between 2024 weekly Billboard Global 200 chart song rankings and the TikTok virality of those songs to uncover potential impact. The findings indicate 84% of songs that entered the Billboard Global 200 in 2024 went viral on TikTok first. Artists whose TikTok engagement is significantly related to their music streaming volumes see an average of 11% weekly streaming growth, compared with just 3% growth among artists whose streaming is less related to TikTok activity. The research also found that TikTok users spend 48% more time streaming music audio than the average U.S. music listener.
REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:
Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) President Kevin Desjardins told the CRTC’s The Path Forward hearing that “there has never been a more urgent moment than now for the commission to revise and adjust the regulatory regime for commercial radio in Canada. Simply put, the status quo will not do.” The CAB argued that the current regulatory burden, particularly “artificially high exhibition requirements” for Canadian content, is crippling the industry. One of the association’s central proposals is a reduction in Canadian content quotas from the current 35% to historical levels of 25%. It’s also calling for a new, simplified Canadian content definition, moving away from the complex “MAPL” system (Music, Artist, Performance, Lyrics) to a more straightforward “CA” model (Composer or Artist), crediting a song as Canadian if either the composer or artist is Canadian, regardless of where the song was written or recorded.
Meanwhile, Apple Music positioned its streaming service as having fostered Canadian and Indigenous musical talent for two decades without regulatory mandates, while the Canadian Association of Aboriginal Broadcasters (CAAB) made their case for a mandatory five per cent quota of Indigenous music on commercial radio, on top of existing Canadian content requirements. Read more coverage on our sister publication, CARTT.ca (paywalled).
RTDNA Canada has handed out its Regional Awards of Excellence, including its Lifetime Achievement honours. In the Central Region, this year’s Lifetime Achievement honourees were David Brunet – CTV National News; Peter Camp – CTV News Channel; and Catherine McDonald – Global Toronto. Find the full list of Central Region winners here and West Region winners here. Recognized in the East Region were Bruce Frisko – CTV Atlantic; and Jean Laroche – CBC Nova Scotia. Find the East Region winners here. Prairie Region winners included Lifetime Achievement honourees Gareth Dillistone – CTV Regina; Ronda McKendy-Brown – Global Calgary; and Kelly Moore – CJOB Winnipeg.
BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:
The Western Association of Broadcast Engineers (WABE) kicked off the organization’s 75th anniversary convention in Calgary earlier this week, paying tribute to SAIT BXST (Broadcast Systems Technology) instructors. The program, responsible for training hundreds of broadcast technicians now working across radio, TV, film, and manufacturing, fell to provincial budget cuts in 2020 after celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019. In an impassioned tribute during Monday evening’s WABE Awards presentation, which was held alongside a SAIT BXST reunion, program graduate and Cisco Senior Solutions Engineer Chris Lapp told the audience that his time at SAIT was the foundation for everything he’s done since. BXST instructors in attendance, including Eugene Blanchard, Jonathan Hutchinson, Karl Grollmuss, Lubos Kuzma, Bill Kilgallon, and Garry Shepherd, were honoured with the R.W. Lamb Award, WABE’s highest honour.
Other WABE Award honourees, included Heather Best, who was recognized with the Sheila R. East Award, recognizing a woman whose outstanding level of professionalism, perseverance, and dedication has greatly benefitted the broadcast industry. Best is Engagement Manager at Calgary-based IT consulting firm, Diversified. Golden West Broadcasting’s Tom Wiebe, who is based in Steinbach, MB, and Carey Downs, Technical Manager at Pattison Media Medicine Hat, were both presented with the Excellence in Engineering Award. Read more here.
More WABE coverage to come.
