CCR People

Michelle Marion has been named to the newly created position of director of Canadian independent production for Astral Television Networks’ The Movie Network and Moviepix. She has previously worked in communications and strategic planning at Astral. Corus Entertainment Inc has made more personnel changes as a result of ongoing management restructuring, upping Susan Ross to VP and general manager of Children’s Television from general manager of Treehouse. She will oversee existing channels YTV and Treehouse, and be responsible for the development and launch of Corus’ new children’s digital channels, including Discovery Kids. Also given expanded responsibilities was Bryan Ellis, who becomes Group VP for Corus Television. He will be responsible for adult-targeted channels, such as Country Music Television, and Corus’ two new Category 1 digital channels, Land and Sea, and the Canadian Documentary Channel, as well as Digital Adventure, and DMX commercial and residential businesses. Also, Brian Bolli was appointed general manager of Country Music Television, replacing Vicki Dalzeil, who is relocating to Vancouver. Bolli was previously VP of sales and marketing at Country Music Television. Pim van der Toorn has been appointed head of documentaries at Barna-Alper Productions. Van der Toorn was the production manager on CBC’s Canada: A People’s History. Diane Beaudry was named president and CFO of Metaforia Entertainment Inc, a company that creates virtual worlds for the entertainment sector. The first Metaforia Center in North America opened in Montreal last December. Andre Barro leaves Montreal-based Pixcom, where he was VP of international affairs and executive producer, to join Cineflix Productions as executive producer and VP. Caroline Godin joins Ellis Releasing, an affiliate of independent television producer and distributor Ellis Entertainment, as manager of program sales. She will be responsible for managing domestic and international program licensing. TVA International president and CEO Pierre Lampron was elected to the Banff Television Foundation’s board of directors. He joins board members Loren Mawhinney, VP of Canadian production at Global Television Network; Andrew Cochran, chair and CEO of Cochran Entertainment Inc; Anne Marie La Traverse, executive VP of television production at Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc; Huguette Marcotte of Conseils Huguette Marcotte and Associés Inc; Derek Mazur, president of Credo Entertainment Corp; William Mustos, VP of dramatic programming at CTV Inc; Richard Paradis, president of the Canadian Association of Film Distributors and Exporters; Patricia Phillips, president of Great North Productions Inc.; Harold Redekopp, VP of CBC Television; Mickey Rogers, partner and head of releasing at Forefront Entertainment Group; Christine Shipton, executive VP of television at Landscape Entertainment; Jay Switzer, president of Chum Television; and Arthur Weinthal, of Crescent Road Productions Ltd. John Fretz was named supervising producer of animation at Montreal-based Cinar Entertainment. Previously, he was production manager of English Production at the National Film Board, and has worked for more than 25 years as production manager and first assistant director on feature films and television series. Michael Zahra has been appointed general manager of Toronto-based Yahoo! Canada with the departure of former general manager Mark Rubinstein, who took on the position of president and COO at Alliance Atlantis Communications. Rogers Communications Inc VP of human resources Don Burt has been named to the board of the Office for Partnerships for Advanced Skills (OPAS). OPAS is a six-year partnership of all Ontario universities and companies that facilitates continued learning for those in the workforce. W. Kym Wittal becomes chief technology officer at SaskTel. The 18-year Sasktel veteran worked on SaskTel’s broadband fibre optic network, and was an on-site consultant for the English Channel Tunnel. Katherine Pettipas of Winnipeg has been appointed to a three-year term on the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board. She has served on the Native Heritage Advisory Committee for the Manitoba Heritage Council.

CCR People

News | 03/29/2001 5:00 am EST

To keep reading, get a free trial.

Already a Subscriber?

Reuse & Permissions

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us