REVOLVING DOOR:
Keith Pelley is now overseeing Rogers Media as Rogers Communications completes its acquisition of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). In addition to continuing to serve as MLSE President & CEO, Pelley returns to a familiar role, having previously served as president of the media division from 2010-15. Rogers plans to create new business unit, Rogers Sports, bringing its sports, media and entertainment businesses under one operating model. Read more here.
Erin Davis is officially moving into the morning co-host position on Vancouver’s MOVE 103.5 (CHQM-FM), following Nat Hunter’s move to Toronto’s CHUM 104.5 over the summer. Davis, who has long anchored news and traffic on the show, has been filling in as co-host since Hunter’s departure in June after 22 years sitting across from longtime co-host Drew Savage – initially on Z95.3 (CKZZ-FM), before launching on MOVE predecessor QMFM in 2014. Savage and Davis will now move forward in the weekday morning time slot as Drew & Erin in the Morning. Read more here.
Jack Armstrong has returned to TSN and the Toronto Raptors broadcast booth for a 29th season. Paired with Matt Devlin, he’s expected to call all 41 regular-season Raptors games carried by TSN this season, along with pre-season and playoff coverage.
Mike Farwell has officially been named the play-by-play voice for the Kitchener Rangers on FM 98.5 (CKWR-FM) Kitchener-Waterloo. The former 570 NewsRadio (CKGL-AM) host has been working with the Rangers broadcast team for the past decade.
Marieke Walsh is joining CTV News’ Ottawa Bureau, where she’ll serve as Deputy Bureau Chief. The network says Walsh will provide additional leadership support, in addition to delivering breaking news and political coverage as a regular cross-platform contributor. She’ll also host a weekly podcast and act as a fill-in anchor. Walsh arrives from The Globe and Mail, where she’s been the senior political reporter since 2022. Read more here.
Martin MacMahon is leaving CTV News Vancouver for a role outside journalism. MacMahon previously spent a decade with News 1130 (CKWX-AM) Vancouver, prior to joining CTV in late 2023.
Kurt Black has wrapped up his time with CityNews to return to Thunder Bay. Black joined CityNews Winnipeg in 2023 as a video journalist before moving to the Vancouver bureau in the fall of 2025. Prior to CityNews, he started his career as a sports anchor at Dougall Media in Thunder Bay.
Pablo Rodriguez has joined Bell Media’s Noovo Info, CTV News Montreal, and CJAD 800 as a political analyst. The former Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister of Transport served as the MP for Honoré-Mercier from 2004-11, and again from 2015-25. At the provincial level, Rodriguez went on to lead the Quebec Liberal Party.
Simon Evans is retiring from Hollywood Suite and Anthem Entertainment. The former MuchMusic and Space producer, first joined Hollywood Suite in 2012, working across operations, traffic, VOD, scheduling, and closed captioning.
Jerad Bowes is now being heard in two separate dayparts on Rawlco Radio’s 92.9 The Grid (CKBL-FM) Saskatoon, following its acquisition from Saskatoon Media Group. Bowes, who was formerly heard on predecessor 92.9 The Bull prior to the ownership transition, will be heard on the newly-rebranded station from 1 -3 p.m. and 6 – 8 p.m.
Mike Searson is departing Corus Entertainment after more than two decades. Searson, most recently Group Vice President, Local Revenue, Client Marketing, and Creative Services, first joined the company in 1999 as an Account Manager in Vancouver.
Cory Noel has been elevated to the role of Manager of Operations and Sales for Vista Radio in Olds, AB. The longtime announcer and programmer has been with Vista since 2007. He was previously Operations and Program Director for CABK Broadcasting’s stations in Olds and Vegreville for a decade.
Anna Rak is now an Associate Producer for CBC’s Cross Country Checkup. A Master of Journalism student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), Rak previously worked with CBC as a video journalist in Sydney, NS.
Marci Ien is the new president of The George Brown College Foundation. The organization says the former CTV personality and former Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Youth will be tasked with helping strengthen connections with students, donors, alumni, industry partners and supporters.
Sasha Boersma, co-founder of Toronto’s Sticky Brain Studios, has been elected Chair of the Board of Directors of the Disability Screen Office (DSO), with Lenore MacAdam, former VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Corus Entertainment, elected Vice-Chair. Boersma succeeds Yazmine Laroche, the DSO’s inaugural Board Chair, who stepped down from the board in July.
The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) has appointed Brendan Brady, Co-founder and CEO of Accent Aigu Entertainment; Marie Clements, Founder & President of Marie Clements Media; and Carla de Jong, Head of Co-Production and International Partnerships, Sinking Ship Entertainment, to its Board of Directors. The incoming directors joined the board as CMPA undertook advocacy meetings with parliamentarians and government officials on Parliament Hill this week.
Carlyn Klebuc, General Manager, Original Programming at Bell Media; Lesley Luk, Head of Finance and Operations at Creative Destruction Lab; and Alison Simpson, former President & CEO of the Canadian Marketing Association, have joined the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) Board of Directors.
Kevin Ma has concluded his tenure as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Vancouver’s Network Media Group after just one year. Darren Battersby has been appointed Interim CFO, effective immediately. Battersby previously served as Network’s CFO from 2014 until May 2025. He joined Network’s Board of Directors in June of this year and has continued to work with the company as a consultant.
RADIO & PODCAST:
Signal Hill Insights second data release from its Audio on the Move study finds that an overwhelming majority of Canadians dislike fully AI-generated podcasts and music. Just five per cent said they like AI-generated music, while four per cent said they enjoy AI-generated podcasts. A “supermajority” said they dislike AI-generated content – 65% for music, and 68% for podcasts. Less than a third were neutral (29% for music and 28% for podcasts). Read more here.
100.1 BayFM (CKVB-FM) Cornerbrook, NL held the 36th Annual Radiothon in support of the Western Regional Hospital Foundation on Friday, Oct. 2. In just nine hours, the broadcast raised more than $344,000. With an additional $200,000 contribution from the provincial government, the total reached $544,377.95. Throughout the day, volunteers, healthcare professionals, businesses, service groups, and individuals took to the mic to share stories, make donations and help make the annual event a success. The fundraiser originally aired on CFCB for decades before making the move to BayFM in 2023.
LISTEN: Legendary CFNY DJ, programmer and Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Hall of Famer David Marsden passed away Sept. 25th at the age of 85. On this episode of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast, CFNY alumni Liz Janik, Scot Turner and Ivar Hamilton join us to talk about David Marsden and the CFNY legacy, including the station’s impact and influence, why it connected so deeply with listeners, and takeaways that could be applied to the current radio landscape.
LISTEN: Sam Bird, a comedian, content creator, podcaster and host of CBC’s Street Cents, is on the latest Sound Off Podcast. A second generation broadcaster as the son of Toronto and Montreal radio veteran Ted Bird, Sam and Matt Cundill discuss building an audience in a media world where your competition isn’t necessarily another creator or podcast, why he deliberately keeps much of his content lo-fi, why an iPhone and 10 minutes of editing can sometimes outperform expensive production, and why creators need to recognize when something is connecting and move quickly without overthinking it.
SIGN OFFS:
Clarence “Clary” Flemming, 88, on Sept. 30. A Saint Mary’s University hockey star before he launched a career in broadcasting, Flemming’s first foray into radio was at CFDR Dartmouth, NS in 1962. An announcer, then Program Director and later General Manager, he went on to CJCH Halifax, before making the move into television at ATV (now CTV Atlantic) as the station’s first sportscaster. He infamously served as host of wrestling on the network from 1971-77, interviewing legends like Andre the Giant and Killer Karl Krupp. Flemming’s voice was also well known on Sobeys commercials in the Maritimes from 1976-2003, also serving as the producer behind their classic “Star of Christmas” jingle and more recently voicing their “Grocery Gala” fundraiser in support of children’s hospitals in the region. Other work included handling track announcer duties at Sackville Downs from 1961-70, as well as the voice of the Nova Scotia International Tattoo.
Andrea Warner, 47, on Sept. 27, after a three-year battle with cancer. Warner was an associate producer and writer for CBC Music for nearly 15 years, initially joining the team in April 2012. In addition to writing for the CBC Music digital platforms, she went on to co-host weekly podcast Pop This!, alongside Lisa Christianson, which covered pop culture through a feminist lens and aired for a decade. Her writing also appeared in The Georgia Straight, Exclaim! and the Westender. Warner was also the author of four books, including: “We Oughta Know: How Four Women Ruled the ’90s and Changed Canadian Music;” “Buffy Sainte-Marie: The Authorized Biography;” “Rise Up And Sing! Power, Protest, and Activism in Music;” and “The Time of My Life: Dirty Dancing.” Alongside Susan Aglukark, she additionally co-authored “Kihiani: A Memoir of Healing.”
Lisa Dutton, 58, on Sept. 25. Dutton’s broadcasting career started in radio as a producer and host at CIQC-AM, CBC and CJAD Montreal. She went on to work at The Weather Network, before leaving broadcasting to pursue the role of Manager of Media and Public Relations at the Montreal Children’s Hospital for almost a decade. She concluded her career as Director of Media and Public Relations for the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation, where she established the Lisa Dutton Fund prior to her passing.
TV & FILM:
CPAC has launched Open Question, a new long-form interview program hosted by Marc-André Cossette. The debut episode, which premiered Oct. 3, featured retired General Wayne Eyre, former chief of the defence staff, and focused on what it will take to keep Canada safe in an increasingly dangerous world. The channel has also launched Our Information Ecosystem, an eight-part docuseries examining the transformative impact of AI on education, politics, journalism and the workforce. The first episode, Disinformation and Canada’s Diaspora Communities, examined disinformation campaigns aimed at diaspora communities.
TVO Today Live returns for a fourth season of public-engagement events with a focus on Northern Ontario. The live event series, hosted by moderator, Steve Paikin, includes events in Sudbury, North Bay, Timmins and Thunder Bay, along with a Toronto mayoral debate. Joining TVO Today Live on different stops will be The Rundown with Jeyan Jaganathan; #onpoli, Paikin and John Michael McGrath’s weekly podcast on all things politics; and Nam Kiwanuka’s (MIS)Treated podcast pm how the medical system historically and systematically fails women.
CTV and APTN Original comedy Acting Good returns for its fifth and final season on Monday, Oct. 19 with a special two-episode premiere on CTV Comedy Channel, streaming next day on Crave. Subsequent new episodes air Mondays, with Season 5 also set to air Oct. 20 on APTN and stream next day on APTN+. Filmed on location in Winnipeg and Baaskkandibewiziibing Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, 10 new half-hour episodes, brings the series to a milestone 50 episodes.
Gone to Hell, the new Canadian adult animated comedy co-created by Brian Peco and Craig Mailman, will make its BangerTV premiere Friday, Oct. 30, with all eight episodes rolling out weekly. The series is also streaming on Tubi via Animation+. Set in 2001, it follows Demon Destroyer, a world-famous rock band whose members are crushed by their own stage mascot during a live performance and sent straight to hell. The voice cast includes Paul Spence (FUBAR, Deaner 89’) as Demon Destroyer frontman Rick Fashun, Chris Locke as Dev Devilio, Derrick Beckles (Adult Swim’s Hot Package, The Eric Andre Show) as drummer Donnie, Jackie Pirico as bassist Jojo and Kevin Morgan as Derek and Deva.
Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas returns to W Network and STACKTV beginning Friday, Oct. 16 and running for over 10 consecutive weeks, featuring 34 movie premieres, one special and two returning series. According to the network, last year’s event on W Network reached over 8 million Canadians, ranking as the #1 specialty entertainment station for A25-54, F25-54 and total viewers.
Corus Entertainment’s Flavour Network is partnering with Food Banks Canada on a new, nationwide campaign to raise one million meals for people facing food insecurity. Amplified by Corus’ TV, radio, and social channels, with the support of the campaign’s official restaurant partner, Swiss Chalet, which will collect non-perishable food donations at 176 locations across the country. Festive Meals, Full Hearts runs through Dec. 31. For every $1 donated, Food Banks Canada can provide two meals to those in need.
New Metric Media is expanding its Shoresy franchise into console gaming with the Oct. 21 launch of Shoresy: Legends of the North on Xbox and PlayStation. Developed by Treewood Games, the arcade-style hockey game brings the world of the Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs to a new platform and is part of New Metric’s broader strategy to develop original comedy IP into entertainment brands that can reach audiences across multiple platforms.
The National Film Board (NFB) has been chosen to be part of the inaugural film program at the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, where 19 NFB works will be featured in continuous screenings in the museum’s two theatres. Founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the museum opened its doors last month. The NFB titles, spanning 1941 to 2009, include 15 animated films, three documentaries and Arthur Lipsett’s experimental film 21-87.
ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:
T.O. Webfest, has wrapped the 13th edition of its annual festival and conference dedicated to showcasing and celebrating short form digital series and podcasts. Its Best Series Grand Prize was awarded to dark comedy series Ayer’s Cliff. Alongside Respire Fort, produced by France’s Arthur Fanget and executive produced by Nono Berthalon, both swept the awards show with six awards each. The Defendants claimed Best Unscripted Podcast and Best Writing in a Podcast (Jane Aster Roe & Jessica Strachan). Find the full list of winners here.
REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:
Canadian Heritage spent $687,525 on government advertising in the 2025-26 fiscal year – $498,747 on digital campaigns, just $8,229 on television ads, and $68,964 on radio ads. A further $111,585 was spent on out-of-home advertising, according to newly-tabled documents. Analysis of advertising expenditures reported by other departments suggests the vast majority of government ad spending went to digital campaigns, which have been heavily favoured over traditional broadcast media in recent years. Read more here.
RTDNA Canada is holding an information and networking session on AI and YouTube for journalists on Oct. 20 in Toronto. The new initiative is an extension of RTDNA’s mandate to educate, support, and promote journalists and journalism in Canada. The deadline to register is Oct. 16.
BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:
LISTEN: Dielectric president Keith Pelletier joins Shawn Smith on this sponsored episode of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast to talk about how broadcast TV is becoming an IP-based data service, and what it takes to build the infrastructure behind it. He explains how ATSC 3.0, and Brazil’s version of it, DTV+, open new revenue streams for broadcasters, including targeted advertising, datacasting, mobile TV, advanced emergency alerting and more.
The Western Association of Broadcast Engineers (WABE) 76th Media and Entertainment Technology Conference got underway in Vancouver on Monday evening, recognizing some of the organization’s longstanding members. Among the night’s honourees was Gerry Belec, who retired as National Director of Technology and Operations for Global News, at the beginning of the year. Belec was recognized with the Retirement Award. WABE Chancellors Tessa Potter and Rob Brown received WABE Spirit Awards, while Sarah Haslip of G.S. Technical Services received the Sheila R. East Award. John-Erick M. Rempillo, Senior SNG and Transmitter Technologist for CBC, received the 2026 Excellence in Engineering Award. Read more here. More WABE coverage to come.
OP-ED: “As the radio industry gathers in Vancouver for this week’s WABE convention, I’ve been thinking about how important engineering is in a radio station—and how easily its contribution can be overlooked,” writes Paul Larsen, in his latest column. Read more here.
