CCR People

Erica Benson broadens her role in becoming VP of programming for Alliance Atlantis Communications’ Life Network and Discovery Health Channel. She was most recently VP of programming for Discovery Health. She joined Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting in September 2000 as director of original production for Showcase. Berni Wood will soon be named as the executive producer of the International New Media Festival to be held in Prince Edward Island this fall. Wood left her position as director of film, television and new media for Prince Edward Island to take on the position of regional VP of the Canadian Television Fund (CTF), a position that was later axed (CCR, July 18/02; June 21/02; April 12/02). Elizabeth McDonald, the president and CEO of the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA), is resigning to pursue other interests. She will be stepping down as of August 31. She has been with the CFTPA since 1995. Prior to joining the CFTPA, she worked at the Canadian Cable Television Association, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and the CBC. She is also currently the secretary of the board for the Canadian Retransmission Collective and sits on the board of governors for the Banff Television Foundation. A search for a replacement will begin in June after the Banff Television Festival. Stephanie Gabrièle has been appointed director of development in the programming department at TQS. Also, Katia Villeneuve has been promoted to director of national sales. Ross Porter, a broadcaster and authority on jazz music, joins CanWest Global Communications Corp. as VP of programming at COOL TV and COOL 99.1 FM. COOL TV is a new Category 2 digital specialty channel that CanWest says it will launch later in 2003, and COOL 99.1 is the company’s new jazz radio station in Winnipeg. He will oversee the programming strategy, format, and content of the two yet-to-launch broadcasting services. Porter has worked at the CBC, including producing the late-night jazz radio show After Hours. Michèle Parent has been named director-general of administration and finance at Télé-Québec. She comes to Télé-Québec from TV5 and before that worked at the Société de développement des enterprises culturelles (SODEC). As well, Alain Rouleau has been named to the position of director of new media at the provincial educational broadcaster. Previously, he worked at Quebecor Inc., including lauching the Cyberpresse.ca and La Presse-Gesca web sites. Andrew Reddick, formerly of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, has joined the National Research Council of Canada’s Institute of Information Technology. He has also been appointed adjunct professor in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John NB. Arden Ryshpan moves to the Directors Guild of Canada as its new manager of national directors’ affairs. He is an on- location production liaison officer with the Syndicat des techniciennes et technicians du cinema et de la vidéo du Québec (STCVQ) and Quebec branch of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA). He will move from Montreal to Toronto to take up the position on July 1. Lorraine Pope has been appointed general sales manager at CTV Inc.-affiliate television station, Newfoundland Broadcasting Company (NTV). She is currently program manager for NTV, where she manages the everyday operations of the programming department, and is in charge of acquisitions. In her new position, she will also manage local and national sales for OZ FM. The announcement was made by parent company Stirling Communications International, a private multimedia company that owns NTV, OZ FM, The Newfoundland Herald, Stirling Press, and various Internet properties. Pope is also on the board of directors of the Atlantic Association of Broadcasters. At CHUM Ltd., Laura Aylon-Regu has been promoted to publicist at Bravo! She was formerly communications coordinator. As well, Alison Salinas has been promoted to publicist at Space from communications coordinator at the specialty channel. Leaving the board of directors of IMAX Corp. are W. Townsend Ziebold and Ellis Jones, executives at Wasserstein & Co. LLP. Also, Wasserstein designee Edmund King has informed the company that he would not stand for re-election on June 4. As well, Neil Braun was nominated to replace departing Trevor Eyton, who was designated for election to the board by Wasserstein in 1999. The changes come as Wasserstein, formerly the company’s largest shareholder, transferred its funds to limited partner. Clarification Bernice Karn was recently admitted to the partnership of Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. She has been with the firm for some time. CCR incorrectly stated in its last issue that she had recently joined the firm (CCR, May 23/03).

CCR People

News | 06/05/2003 4:00 am EDT

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