CCR People

Don Shafer has been appointed VP and general manager of Standard Radio's B.C. Interior Group. He was most recently VP and general manager of the Torstar Media Group and Toronto Star TV in Toronto. François de Gaspé Beaubien has resigned from the board of directors of Astral Media following an internal corporate reorganization at Telemedia Group. When Telemedia reorganized, it monetized just over 3.5 million shares it was given in Astral Media as part of consideration for the acquisition of radio stations owned by Telemedia (CCR Update, May 14/03). At Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting, Walter Levitt has been promoted to senior VP of marketing from VP of marketing, and Steve Rayment to VP of marketing, factual and lifestyle networks. In his new position, Levitt will continue to oversee consumer, trade and affiliate marketing for the company's 12 national specialty networks. Rayment will continue to be responsible for the marketing of History Television, National Geographic Channel, Food Network Canada, HGTV, Life Network and Discovery Health Channel, as well as overseeing advertising planning and buying for all the company's networks. He joined Alliance Atlantis from NetStar Communications in 2001 as director of marketing. Maria Hale has been promoted to VP of CHUM Ltd.'s flagship Toronto station Citytv. She will be responsible for the day-to-day operations, strategic planning and growth at the station. Previously, she was managing director of interactive, where she headed all new media initiatives for CHUM Television's Interactive properties. As well, Ellen Baine has been promoted to the position of VP of programming at CHUM Television. She will oversee overall programming strategies, planning and acquisitions for CHUM's local and specialty television channels. Prior to the new appointment, she was director of programming for Citytv, Star!, SexTV: The Channel, and FashionTelevisionChannel. As well, Marcia Martin has been promoted to the newly created position of VP of production at CHUM Television. In her new role, she is responsible for the original programming produced by CHUM's local TV stations. Previously, Martin was VP of production at Citytv Toronto. Brian Stevenson has been appointed director of product development at Toronto-based ExtendMedia. Most recently, he was software development manager at Amdocs Canada, and before that he was manager of gateway and OSS technology at Rogers Cable. Bernice Karn joins the Cassels Brock legal firm as a member of its information, communications and entertainment group. She specializes in information technology law and in software licensing and distribution. Gary Filmon, a former premier of Manitoba, has been elected to the 14-member board of directors of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. (MTS) for a term of a year. MTS recently launched a TV service in Winnipeg. Astral Media chair André Bureau has been named chair of the board of directors of the recently restructured Microcell Telecommunications Inc. He succeeds company founder Charles Sirois, who remains on the board. René Vocelle takes on the additional title of chief operating officer at wireless cableco Look Communications Inc. He was named senior VP of finance at the company in June 2002, and will retain that title. Elaine Ali, senior VP at CTV Stations Group, has been named as a member of the Order of Manitoba. Previously, she was both president of WTN and VP and general manager of CKY-TV, the CTV affiliate in Winnipeg. Rodger Lea joins the New Media Innovation Centre (NewMIC) as chief technology officer in charge of the centre's technology-related programs. He takes over responsibility of three research areas: rich media entertainment, wireless and broadband technologies, and the advanced and collaborative environments. Jim Murray has been chosen as the 2003 recipient of the John Drainie Award, sponsored by the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA). The award winner is chosen by a jury of previous recipients. The award will be presented during the Banff Rockie Awards show on June 9 during the Banff Television Festival. In Memory Micheline Vaillancourt, director general of regional stations and institutional affairs at Radio-Canada, died on May 13. She had breast cancer. She had a long career in the French arm of the public broadcaster, serving previously in such positions as director of programming for French radio and television in Toronto, station director in Toronto, director of national planning and development in Ottawa, and director of strategic planning in Montreal.

CCR People

Broadcast | May 23, 2003

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us