Bell Media has appointed former Disney+ exec Jerrell Jimerson to the newly-created role of Senior Vice President and Head of Product & Experience, leading the company’s product vision, strategy and design efforts across digital, direct-to-consumer entertainment, sports and news products, including Crave, CTV News, TSN, TSN+, Noovo, RDS, and iHeartRadio. Jimerson has been working in product marketing in the digital space since the late 1980s. He joined iHeartRadio as SVP, Digital in 2012, and later served as Chief Product Officer (CPO) and EVP, Product & Design for Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Star and Star+ from 2018-23. Since leaving Disney, he’s been running his own advisory firm, MediaTech Insights. Read more here.

Ann MacKeigan has announced the launch of new media consulting venture, CompassMedia, as she departs CBC after more than 30 years. MacKeigan had most recently held the title of Executive Producer, Talent Development, transitioning late last year from her previous role as Executive Producer of q with Tom Power, and Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud. With CBC since 1988, she previously served as Director, Content Development and Production, Radio and Audio.

Blair Bartrem has launched BlairChecks, a new talent coaching venture focused on elevating on-air performance and content strategy. His initial partnership is with Toronto’s Indie88 (CIND-FM). Bartrem was most recently Executive Producer of the Pooja & Gurdeep Show at 98.1 CHFI, where he helped guide the duo’s transition from television to radio. 

Damian Rickards (aka Mr. D) has moved on from Jump! Radio (CKQB-FM) Ottawa after 11 years of hosting evenings. Rickards says it’s not a complete farewell as he will continue to help out behind-the-scenes and may occasionally fill-in on-air. He has yet to reveal his next move.

Shirley McQueen has announced she’ll be filling in as a national host on Bell Media’s Bounce Radio network. McQueen, who is also heard on Vista Radio’s ICON Radio on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast, is arguably best known for her 13-year run on Toronto’s Q107 (CILQ-FM). She’s also been on-air at Rock 101 (CFMI-FM) Vancouver and CRUZ FM (CKEA-FM) Edmonton.

Ryan Williams has joined Whiteoaks Communications’ Legend 102.9 (CKLH-FM) Hamilton as the new morning show producer for Sunni & Hayes. Williams was previously a board operator and producer with 610 CKTB and 97.7 HTZ FM (CHTZ-FM) St. Catharines.

Rodrigo Mazon has been named Head of Canada and Latin America for Paramount. Based in L.A., Mazon will oversee strategy, initiatives and programming for Paramount’s streaming offerings, including Paramount+ and Pluto TV, in those territories. He previously held roles with Netflix as VP of Content, and more recently was Chief Content Officer, Streaming for TelevisaUnivision.

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Rogers Sports & Media has made changes at JACK FM (CJAX-FM) Vancouver that see the Drex on JACK morning show come to an end and Assistant Content Director Corbet Rutzer depart the company. Drex took the helm of the morning show in December 2020, following a three-year run as the host of Corus Radio late night network show, The Shift with Drex. He was accompanied on JACK FM by his former The Shift producer Bob Addison, who went by the moniker “No Fun Bobby,” and Lena Schulman, who was formerly heard on Byrnes Communciations’ stations in Niagara Falls. Read more here.

Brent Williamson is joining Global Edmonton as News Director and Station Manager, starting Monday, April 22. Williamson, who most recently served as Regional News Director and Station Manager for Global Manitoba and Saskatchewan, has been with the organization since the mid-’90s when he started as a cameraman with Global Winnipeg. He went on to work as a producer and then served as News Director for Global Regina for six years, before returning to Winnipeg as Station Manager and News Director. Read more here.

Melissa Duggan has left CityNews Toronto after 11 years. Duggan joined the station as an associate producer on Breakfast Television in 2013. Since, she’s held roles including anchoring and reporting with a focus on international news.

Sijia Liu is joining CP24 Toronto as a reporter and anchor. Liu arrives from CTV Kitchener where she’s been an anchor and reporter for the last 10 months. Prior to that, she held the same role with CTV Windsor. Her last day at CTV will be April 26.

Shirley McQueen is joining Vista Radio’s 91.7 ICON Radio (CKAY-FM) Sechelt, BC. The former host of afternoon drive on 95.7 CRUZ FM (CKEA-FM) Edmonton, McQueen has also been heard on Q107 (CILQ-FM) Toronto, JACK FM (CKCK-FM) Regina, and Rock 101 (CFMI-FM) Vancouver, among other stations.

Pete Quinn has parted ways with Rogers Communications in Halifax after a round of cuts in March. Quinn had been a Network Technician for the last two years. Prior to that, he was a Broadcast Engineer with Stingray/Newcap, based in Halifax, for a decade.

Lina Khalifeh has been hired as Philanthropy and Partnerships Manager at Pink Triangle Press (PTP). Khalifeh is the founder of SheFighter, the first self-defense program for women in the Middle East and the author of a book of the same title centered around diversity, gender equality, and entrepreneurship. An internationally-recognized public speaker, she has been featured at more than 150 conferences and events including the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Neil Duffy has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) for the Americas at OverActive Media. Duffy previously served as the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at gaming software developer eFuse, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at CSL Esports, the premier collegiate esports league and tournament operator, and VP, Business Development for WorldGaming which was sold to Cineplex Entertainment in 2015.

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Julie Roy has been appointed Executive Director of Telefilm Canada for a five-year term, effective April 3. Roy has nearly 30 years of experience in the Canadian film industry, including holding several senior leadership positions during a 20-year run with the National Film Board (NFB), most recently serving as Director General and Head of Programming. In her most recent role, she oversaw production studios across the country, as well as NFB’s distribution, marketing and merchandising units. Prior to her appointment last September, Roy led the NFB’s Creative and Innovation division, and held the role of Executive Producer of the NFB’s French Animation Studio. She succeeds Christa Dickenson in the Executive Director role, who moved on from the crown agency last September to join Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) as President and Chief Executive Officer. Read more here.

Sue Haas will take up the role of President & COO at NLogic next month. Haas arrives at NLogic with over 20 years of experience in media, most recently at Blue Ant Media as Senior Vice President, Digital, Global Media. Her appointment is effective April 17. She succeeds David Phillips, who departed NLogic after 16 years late last year, to join Environics Analytics as Chief Product Officer. Read more here.

Ismaila Alfa, the host of CBC Toronto’s Metro Morning since 2020, has been named the new host of CBC Radio One’s Fresh Air. Alfa will take the helm of the Ontario weekend morning show, beginning March 25. He succeeds Jason D’Souza, who took up hosting duties on CBC Victoria drive home show, All Points West, in January. Born in Nigeria and raised in Winnipeg, Alfa was a hip hop musician prior to joining CBC Radio in 2008, where he started as a traffic reporter on the CBC Winnipeg morning show. He’d been the host of CBC Winnipeg afternoon drive show, Up to Speed, since 2013, before joining Metro Morning. Read more here.

Michel Désautels has announced he’ll retire from ICI Radio-Canada Premiere in June at the end of the 10th season of Désautels le dimanche. Désautels began his broadcasting career at Radio-Canada in Toronto in 1972. He began hosting in Montreal in 1977, featured as one of the hosts of the weekly Le Point magazine, alongside Jean-François Lépine, Daniel Pinard and Gil Courtemanche. He’s hosted Désautels le dimanche since the fall of 2013.

Paul Brown will replace Kelly Latremouille in afternoons on Durham Radio’s WAVE 98.3 (CIWV-FM) Vancouver, starting March 30. Brown is currently hosting the morning show on Durham’s 92.9 The Grand (CHTG-FM) Caledonia/Hamilton. Prior to that, he was part of the JACK FM (CJAX-FM) morning show in Vancouver for four years, following a 16-year run in mornings at Edmonton’s The Bear (CFBR-FM). Latremouille has decided to stay on in a part-time capacity rather than fully embrace retirement.

Pam Kirby has moved into afternoon drive on Harvard Media’s 95.7 CRUZ FM (CKEA-FM) Edmonton. Kirby, who had been the voice of evenings on the station for the past year, succeeds Shirley McQueen, who has retired after 12 years with the station. Evan Baran takes over the evening position.

Kevin Nimmock is joining CBC News as Prairie Assignment Senior Producer, assigning the national reporting teams in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Nimmock was most recently assignment editor at CTV Calgary, up until last November. Prior to that, he produced the morning show at CTV Winnipeg.

Manny Bahia, co-founder of the Daily Hive and its predecessor Vancity Buzz, is moving on from ZoomerMedia just six months after assuming the role of SVP, Digital Revenue. ZoomerMedia acquired Daily Hive last September. Bahia says he’ll remain a shareholder and advisor to the company.

Jeanette Irekvist has assumed additional responsibilities at Ericsson Canada as she takes up the role of President. Irekvist also remains Vice President and Head of Customer Unit, Canada and a member of Ericsson’s North America executive team. She takes over the role from Graham Osborne, who had held the President’s title since 2015, in addition to serving as EVP of Verizon. Irekvist joined Ericsson in 1999 and has served in multiple roles in both North America and Ericsson headquarters in Sweden. 

Chris Farrer has joined Shaftesbury as VP, Creative and Co-productions. Based in London and reporting to President Christina Jennings, Farrer is tasked with expanding Shaftesbury’s international production business. For the last six years, Farrer served as Head of Development at Catalyst Global Media. He replaces Alexandra Finlay, who has joined A+E Networks as VP of International Scripted Co-productions.

Norm Wilner has been named Acting Lead Programmer, Canada and Industry Selects, at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), effective immediately. Wilner joined TIFF last year as Digital Releasing Programmer. He’ll continue to co-host Secret Movie Club. Prior to TIFF, Wilner had served as the Senior Film Critic at NOW Toronto since 2008.

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