The 2026 Canadian Radio Awards close to submissions this coming Wednesday, Oct. 28. Free to enter for sponsoring radio groups and campus and community stations, in addition to the Young Broadcaster of the Year category, we’re looking for your best radio from the past year across 16 categories, including Leadership Excellence (presented by Stats Radio), Station of the Year, Campus or Community Station of the Year (presented by the Community Radio Fund of Canada), Program Director of the Year (presented by MusicMaster), Commercial of the Year (presented by Radio Connects), Engineer of the Year, Best Podcast, and Radio’s Community Builders (presented by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters). Find a full list of categories, rules & regulations, and check out this year’s jury at CanadianRadioAwards.com.
REVOLVING DOOR:
Pamela Wallin has resigned from the Senate two years short of the mandatory 75-year retirement age. The veteran broadcaster, who is now 73, was appointed to the Upper Chamber in 2009 on the advice of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. She’s most recently been hosting her own political and current affairs podcast, No Nonsense with Pamela Wallin. Read more here.
Will Menzies is the new Network Midday Host across Corus Radio’s Hot AC stations, Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., starting Oct. 26. Menzies, the host of afternoon drive on Magic 106 (CIMJ-FM) Guelph, will now be heard across Corus Radio’s Hot AC stations in Guelph, London, Hamilton, Kingston and Cornwall. He has been with Corus since 2019, most recently serving as Music Director for 104.3 Fresh Radio Kingston (CKWS-FM), 1460 CJOY Guelph, and Magic 106.
Alicia Bell is moving from promotions to on-air at 102.1 The Edge (CFNY-FM) Toronto. Bell has been in her current role as Promotions Coordinator since 2022 and with Corus Entertainment since 2019, previously heard on-air on Kitchener’s 91.5 The Beat (CKBT-FM). She’ll be heard evenings from 6 – 10 p.m. and weekends from noon to 6 p.m., starting Oct. 26.
Meherzeen Daruwal has joined Corus Entertainment’s in-house media agency as On-Air Promotions Coordinator. Daruwal has been working with Corus since last year as a Promotions Assistant and street team member for Q107 (CILQ-FM), 102.1 The Edge (CFNY-FM) and 640 (CFIQ-AM) Toronto.
Virginia Lynn is the new weekend announcer on Corus Entertainment’s Rock 101 (CFMI-FM) Vancouver. She was most recently on-air at Pattison Media’s Chilliwack stations.
Jennifer Williams, CBC News’ Senior Marketing Advisor, is leaving the public broadcaster after 15 years. Williams first joined CBC in 2011 as a Senior Content Producer and moved into marketing in 2015.
Mike Cormack has joined CBC Sports as Senior Producer, Digital. Cormack, who has held senior digital roles with Sportsnet, The Athletic and Torstar, had most recently been Head of Content at NorthStar Gaming.
Mark Dickie has joined the OTT Product Team at CBC/Radio-Canada as Senior Product Manager, focused on Live Experience ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in L.A. Dickie has most recently served as Director of Digital Solutions for ParticipACTION for the last five years and previously held a similar role at the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).
Kylee Winn has joined CBC/Radio-Canada as the Senior Specialist for Social Media Strategy for CBC Entertainment. Winn was most recently a Digital Creator & Content Specialist supporting Rogers Sports & Media’s music brands, until getting caught up in layoffs in July. She’s also a contributor to Broadcast Dialogue.
Terry Schintz has joined CBC Vancouver as a casual news reader. Schintz was formerly the morning anchor and Managing Editor at Rogers Sports & Media’s 1130 NewsRadio (CKWX-AM), up until the station’s closure in July. Prior to that, he had a more than two-decade career with Corus Entertainment as a news manager and anchor.
Alex Manley has started a new role at CBC Montreal as a Digital Lineup Editor. An editor, writer and translator, Manley most recently served as a Senior Editor at lifestyle site, AskMen.
Sam Bajaj has joined 640 (CFIQ-AM) Toronto as a Content Producer. Bajaj is a recent Durham College Broadcasting graduate.
Joe McCue has joined Bell Media in Vancouver as a Multimedia Journalist. McCue is a recent BCIT Broadcast Journalism grad.
Rahamat Ali, Chief Broadcast Engineer at Toronto’s CHIN Radio, is retiring after more than 30 years. Rahamat will remain connected to CHIN, providing consulting support and assisting with special technical projects. With Ali’s retirement, Paul Bury returns to CHIN after beginning his career with the station in 2000, progressing from operations into broadcast engineering. He left in 2019 to become Head of Engineering & IT at Evanov Communications. Read more here.
Sarah Fulford is leaving her Editor-in-Chief role at Maclean’s magazine to join The Globe and Mail as Editorial Director of new startup “The Intelligence Unit.” The multi-platform journalism initiative, focused on Canada’s most pressing long-term challenges and opportunities, will undertake a limited number of major projects each year. The unit’s newly-appointed editor is Mark Medley.
Michal Stein has wrapped up her time as a producer on The Globe and Mail’s daily podcast, The Decibel. Stein had been with The Decibel for the past two years and prior to that, spent three years as a freelance producer with the publication.
Erin Clark has rejoined Corus Entertainment as Director, Labour Relations. Clark formerly served as an HR advisor for the company’s radio and TV stations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba from 2014-17.
Stephanie Gosine has joined Warner Bros. Discovery as Senior Business Analyst, OTT & Tech, contracted through LTM. Gosine has formerly held roles with CBC, Blue Ant Media, Corus Entertainment, and Stingray.
Natalie Grossi has departed the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television after seven years to join Touchwood PR as Senior Director. Touchwood PR has also welcomed the Academy as a new client.
RADIO & PODCAST:
The Walrus has announced it’s launching its own podcast network this spring, with an eye to closing the gap between indie creators and major media outlets that produce podcasts. The Walrus Podcast Network will include a new flagship show from the media organization, in addition to a slate of “carefully selected” independent podcasts “that align with The Walrus’s effort to spark conversation on matters vital to Canada.” The publication is inviting podcast creators to submit to be part of the network by Nov. 30. Read more here.
Sick Media has announced the launch of a new sports show for the Vancouver market hosted by former Sportsnet Radio host and TV analyst Satiar Shah. Starting Monday, Oct. 26, The Sat Shah Show will stream live at 4 p.m. PT weekdays, in addition to Vancouver Canucks post-game coverage. The Vancouver sports personality was among those caught up in the closure of Sportsnet 650 (CISL-AM) in July after nine years with the network. Read more here.
Illegal Curve Hockey, one of Winnipeg’s most established independent sports media properties, has joined the Sick Media network. Illegal Curve is now delivering a daily live show at 3 p.m. CT on YouTube with episodes available afterward on major podcast platforms, covering Winnipeg sports and national headlines with a strong emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. It’s also hosting a live post-game show after every Jets game.
Paul Cross has launched the No Embargo Podcast, alongside communications veteran Trevor Campbell. Media literacy, narrative strategy, and how news stories are developed and reported promise to be central themes of the podcast. Among the topics tackled so far are fear marketing and the siphoning of NHL play-by-play from free access on conventional TV to paywall.
The Signal Awards have announced their 2026 winners, with Canadian honourees including New Metric Media, which came away with three Gold medals – two for The Cult Queen of Canada (produced for CBC’s Uncover) and one for The Town Show. Sonar Network’s How to Fall Asleep Fast, featuring Boris Kurtzman and Amanda Cupido, also won Gold, while The Jann Arden Podcast picked up a Bronze award for Best Live Podcast Recording.
Pod the North hosted its inaugural Pod the North Pitch Contest live at the recent PodSummit conference in Calgary. Five shortlisted Canadian podcast creators took the stage to pitch their shows in front of an industry panel and live audience for a share of $10,000 in funding aimed at bridging the funding gap for indie podcasts. The $7,500 Grand Prize Winner was pop-culture series, Late Night Scrolling, hosted and produced by Liz Duff, featuring late-night style interviews with a distinct Canadian perspective. The $2,500 Runner-Up Winner was The Warblers, produced by Birds Canada, an environmental and conservation podcast sharing stories, birding tips, and ecology insights.
Stingray has launched two new co-branded apps rolling out to drivers of Ford and Lincoln vehicles in Canada and the U.S. The apps feature an audio catalogue that includes over 100 curated ad-free music channels, over 100,000 local and international radio stations, and a podcast library that includes over four million podcasts. Read more here. Stingray has also announced that its audio entertainment app, Stingray Music+, is now available for automakers to select via HARMAN Ready Link Marketplace.
SiriusXM’s second annual Canadian Commute study shows that audio continues to play an important role for commuters, particularly among younger Canadians. Among audio listeners aged 18–34, half (50%) said audio improves their mood, while nearly a third (32%) have looked forward to their drive because of something they planned to listen to. Overall, 73% of those surveyed said their drive would be worse without audio. Read more here.
LISTEN: Former Acadia Broadcasting President Chris Pearson is the 2026 recipient of the OAB Hall of Fame Award, recognizing a career reflecting broadcast excellence. Pearson, who also happens to serve as the current President of the Ontario Association of Broadcasters, joins Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast to reflect on his four decades in radio, his advocacy work on behalf of the industry, current regulatory challenges, and more.
LISTEN: Richard Stroobant is on the latest Sound Off Podcast. In 2006, Stroobant made the move from radio production to teaching at SAIT, where he’s spent the last 20 years helping launch broadcasting careers. He and Matt Cundill talk about the importance of finding a good mentor, how broadcasting schools have had to adapt to an industry that’s changed dramatically, and why today’s graduates need skills that extend well beyond radio.
SIGN OFFS:
James Smith, 60, suddenly on Sept. 24, of a heart attack. Smith began his career in broadcasting as a board op at 630 CJET and 101.1 CHEQ-FM in his hometown of Smiths Falls, under the ownership of CHEZ-FM Inc. He moved into full-time advertising sales in the early ‘90s and continued in that role following Rogers acquisition of the stations in 1999. He moved to Kingston in 2001 to start a four-year stint in sales with CHUM stations, CFLY 98.3 and 1380 CKLC. After leaving radio briefly to work at RBC in Ottawa, he returned to broadcasting in 2007 as the first employee of Perth FM Radio Inc.’s Lake 88.1 CHLK in Perth. Smith worked as General Sales Manager and Promotions Director at Lake 88 for more than 16 years, establishing the station in the Ottawa Valley and contributing to the “Mountain of Food” drives and healthcare radiothons. He continued as GSM after the station was sold and re-branded by My Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) in 2023. He’d also recently taken over GSM duties at MBC’s newest property, in a full circle moment, returning to CJET-FM (92.3 Wow FM) Smiths Falls.
TV & FILM:
Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) has announced its 2026 special award honourees, including director and UBC film professor Rachel Talalay and retired lighting technician and industry advocate Brian Baker. Talalay is being recognized with the DGC Lifetime Achievement Award, while Baker will receive this year’s DGC Honorary Life Member Award. Clara George will receive this year’s DGC Impact Award, recognizing a DGC Member for outstanding service and leadership to the production community at large. Read more here.
CTV/CKCO-TV Kitchener cameraman Dave Pettitt remains in hospital after being seriously injured while filming a three-vehicle crash near Shakespeare, ON. CTV reported that the driver drove through an Ontario Provincial Police road closed barricade and hit Pettitt. Pettitt, 65, who has been a cameraman with the station since 1985, reportedly suffered multiple fractures.
The Canada Media Fund (CMF), in collaboration with ACTRA and l’Union des artistes (UDA), have released the results of their research project aimed at better understanding the realities of on-screen performers in Canada. Shifting the Lens found that most earn less than $20,000 annually from on-screen work, and many rely on outside income to sustain their careers. Nearly seven in 10 have worked in the industry for more than a decade, yet long careers do not necessarily translate into substantially higher earnings.
CNN has expanded its All Access subscription streaming service to Canada and the UK. Canadian and UK subscribers can now stream a selection of live channels from CNN’s roster of international and U.S. programming, exclusive video-on-demand content, and CNN Original Series and CNN Films from the network’s content library. Read more here.
Corus Entertainment has unveiled a new STACKTV app that offers Canadian viewers expanded ways to stream Corus content. The new app is set to replace the current Global TV app, which will be phased out. It promises more content and improved functionality, allowing viewers with a free account to stream Global TV series at no charge seven days after their broadcast premieres. Read more here.
CBC has unveiled the six celebrities who’ll be in the hot seat in Season 2 of award-winning unscripted series The Assembly (6×30), which features a cast of autistic and neurodivergent interviewers. They include actor Hudson Williams (Heated Rivalry), three-time Olympic gold medalist Marie-Philip Poulin, actor Jay Baruchel (This Is the End), Miss Universe Canada Ashley Callingbull (North of North), singer-songwriter Lights and actor Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover). Season 2 premieres on CBC Gem and CBC TV beginning Sunday, Nov. 1, with extended “Producer’s Cuts” to stream on Gem the same day.
CBC, ABC and Screen Australia, in association with Radio-Canada, have announced production is underway on a second season of animated preschool series It’s Andrew!. Since its June launch, the series has already clocked up more than 20 million viewing minutes on ABC iview, with more Season 1 episodes still to come next year. The series follows Andrew, a young rhino adopted by a unicorn family, who lives high above the clouds in the magical world of Hornsby Downs.
Crave Original Project Runway Canada is set to return on Friday, Nov. 20, with new episodes streaming on subsequent Fridays. Filmed at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and produced in collaboration with TMU’s School of Fashion, Canadian supermodel Coco Rocha returns as host, joined by judges Jeanne Beker and designer Spencer Badu. Aurora James, Vice Chair of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, also returns as a mentor.
Crave Original format, Temptations Under the Sun, is set to return with 10 new episodes in 2027. The romantic reality series, set in Panama, features 17 new singles ready to put their dating skills to the test. The series is an English adaptation of hit French-language Noovo and Crave series, Occupation Double, currently in its 20th season.
TELUS Optik TV premiered Vancouver filmmaker Kate Green’s Menopause: Coming in Hot, a TELUS Original documentary, this week. Following screenings at the Whistler, Victoria and Oakville film festivals, the doc examines how menopause affects relationships, workplaces and everyday life. Filmed in Vancouver, Victoria and Toronto, it was made with a cast and crew comprised of 90% women.
ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:
Media Technology Monitor (MTM) says newcomers to Canada (those who’ve arrived within the past five years) are more likely to engage with AI tools, use social media, and stream vertical video. According to the 2026 MTM Newcomers release, nine in 10 newcomers watch short-form vertical video across platforms like YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, Snapchat Spotlight, and TikTok. Newcomers are nearly 50% more likely to watch short-form video than Canadian-born respondents (89% vs. 60%), twice as likely to use YouTube Shorts and five times as likely to use Snapchat Spotlight. Read more here.
REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) gathered on Parliament Hill Tuesday evening to celebrate the organization’s 100th anniversary. CAB marked the occasion with the release of Broadcasting in Canada 2026, a report affirming that the private broadcasting sector is facing an existential economic reckoning. Prepared by Communications Management Inc. (CMI), it illustrates the massive reallocation of capital away from Canadian media over the past two decades. Read more here.
Rogers and Corus Entertainment have agreed to a new distribution deal that ends a long-running carriage dispute. Corus wrote a letter to the CRTC last month stating it wished to withdraw its 2024 applications alleging Rogers was giving itself undue preference by seeking to remove or repackage some of its channels, including Home and Flavour, which replaced HGTV and Food Network after the cable giant scooped the rights to Warner Bros. Discovery content from both Corus and Bell. Read more in our sister publication, CARTT.ca (paywalled).
BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:
It is now a little over two weeks since we held the 76th WABE Media and Entertainment Technology Conference in Vancouver. We’ve all gone back to our respective desks across the country and have been digesting what we learned and saw at this year’s conference.
WABE would like to thank the following organizations who sponsored this year’s event:
Applied Electronics | Arista Networks | Pippin Technical Service | Grundy Telecom Integration | GS Broadcast Technical Services | Nautel | Appear | Burli | Deltech Communications Group | Hammond Manufacturing | Sennheiser | Technostrobe | WideOrbit | Audio-Technica | Broadcast Services International | DEMA | ERP Engineering | MusicMaster | RVA Lighting and Masts
Without the support of our sponsors, WABE would not be able to continue hosting our events and providing spaces within Western Canada for the media and entertainment technology industries to gather, and learn together.
Those who are new to WABE are often surprised to learn that WABE is a completely volunteer driven organization. Without our group of dedicated volunteers we would not be able to put on our annual conference, or any other event that we host throughout the year. This year’s conference committee has put in countless hours over the past few months to make this conference a success. And it was an honour to work with this group of professionals from our industry including our executive:
Alex Loewen, Daniel Oong, Howard Chen, Chris Larke, Mitch Bunda, Andrew Maxwell, Tessa Potter, Rob Brown, Amrita Rai, Motoki Yamasaki, Cheryl Bruley, Shilpa Sharma, Sandro Licastro, Robby Robu, Scott Cahoon, Aarav Kataria, and Liam Jeffs.
We were thrilled with this year’s attendance which saw over 300 people through our doors to take part in sessions, or attend the exhibit hall. Our exhibit hall had 41 vendors in 48 booths showcasing the latest in technology, with experts on hand to answer your questions. We had a record number of free exhibit hall pass registrations this year to come visit the vendors which was great to see. Read more here.
The Western Association of Broadcast Engineers (WABE) Media and Entertainment Technology Conference heard that while historically many commercial radio programmers believed to win the ratings war, you had to be the loudest station on the dial, that outdated belief is actively alienating radio audiences as connected dashboards and digital streaming reshape the listening experience. Paul Kriegler, Senior Director of Audio Processing at Telos Alliance, told attendees that in a digital era defined by connected dashboards, software normalization, and high-fidelity streaming, the traditional “loudness war” is a complete myth that sacrifices listener retention. Read more here.
CCBE (Central Canada Broadcast Engineers) celebrates its 75th anniversary, Oct. 28-29, at the Toronto Delta Airport Hotel & Conference Centre in Etobicoke as the event co-locates with the Ontario Association of Broadcasters (OAB) for a second year. This year, CCBE expands into a bigger space with room for more vendors, more papers, and a joint round table with CCBE and OAB delegates to discuss education, retention, and growth. Among other 75th anniversary highlights, MediaThèque: The Museum of Broadcast Technology will have vintage broadcast tech on display. CCBE will also host the SBE Chapter 100 (Canada) annual meeting. The vendor floor will be open to the public on Wednesday Oct. 28 from 3-6 p.m. ET.
Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio (MIW) and the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF) have opened applications for the 2026 LAUNCH Mentorship Program to women pursuing careers in broadcast engineering, audio production and technical operations. Eligibility has expanded this year to include women working for broadcast technology partners and vendors, Launched in 2023, LAUNCH pairs a rising female professional with an experienced industry leader for one-on-one mentorship, technical guidance and professional development.
