Industry advocate Khanna shifts gears with move to CHUM as VP interactive

Roma Khanna, a key advocate for interactivity in the Canadian television industry and on behalf of the independent new media production sector, has been named VP of interactive at CHUM Television, the latest in a series of appointments at the conventional and specialty TV/radio broadcaster in the wake of Jay Switzer’s promotion to president and CEO of CHUM Ltd. Since last November, when the Waters family ceded greater management control of the company to Switzer, he has shaken up the management ranks with a new operating committee and several promotions, notably of women, within the company. In her new role, Khanna will work with newly promoted Ellen Baine, VP of programming for CHUM Television; Marcia Martin, VP of production; and Maria Hale, VP of Citytv Toronto, all of whom were appointed this spring and summer. Khanna will replace Hale as head of interactive at the company, with responsibility for the daily oversight of both strategic and operational new media initiatives. She begins with the company on August 11. She comes to CHUM from SNAP Media Corp. where she was executive VP. The decision to move, she tells Canadian NEW MEDIA, was an "emotional and difficult" one but one she took for reasons of personal growth. "It’s something that came at an interesting time. They approached me. I wasn’t thinking of this specifically, but I was thinking of what I needed to learn and how I needed to grow and what kinds of things I needed to do with my life - just looking for more challenges creatively and on the business level," she says. "While I was thinking of all this stuff - and, frankly, thinking about how to work it all into SNAP - this phone call came out of the blue. At first I thought, ‘no way.’ But then I thought, ‘no, wait. This could be good.’ It’s a great company, a great management team. I certainly have a lot to learn from them and I’ve always wanted to know if I had it in me to be a corporate executive." She adds: "If it was any other company, it wouldn’t have happened. It’s only because it’s CHUM. I see them as being the most progressive and the most open-minded and the most exciting in terms of their approach to business and in terms of culture." Khanna, who has pushed interactive boundaries during her tenure at SNAP, says working within the larger corporate entity will prove the greatest challenge as she sets about making her mark by boosting interactive content adoption at the broadcaster. "It’s an evolution of what they’ve been doing. They’ve already implemented Wink. They’ve already implemented wireless…it’s just taking that to the next level and looking at the best technologies, the best approaches to business. My heart is in content, so is there an opportunity to do more integrated, innovative content? If there is, I’d really like to do that. "My strong belief is that interactive content has a place in the future of broadcast. That’s my perspective coming from the producer side and something I want to integrate into their business." Khanna says that since news of her move became known, she’s been frustrated that some industry peers have interpreted the shift as a sign of trouble at SNAP. "A really important thing for me to communicate…is that what I’m doing is about me learning and me trying new challenges. I’m not leaving SNAP because of anything at SNAP. SNAP is alive and well and strong." She adds: "I came into SNAP to do a job and that was raise its profile in the television industry. I’ve done that job and it was time for me to find the next challenge." Khanna says she doesn’t know yet how some of her responsibilities outside of SNAP will change. She is, for example, a prominent member of the board of the Canadian Film and Television Production Association - a role that may change as she jumps the fence to the broadcast side. "They’ve let the fox into the henhouse," she says. "I don’t know how my role will change. Time will tell. But, certainly, my view is not going to change. I think independent production is the heart and soul of creativity in terms of film, television and new media. I think small- and medium-sized enterprises are vital to keeping the space vibrant, exciting, new and cutting-edge. I suspect I’ll always support that."

Industry advocate Khanna shifts gears with move to CHUM as VP interactive

Broadcast | July 24, 2003

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