Chris Pearson, President of Acadia Broadcasting, has announced his transition to retirement, with Senior Vice-President Shelley Snodgrass to succeed him, effective Dec. 1. Pearson, who has spent nearly four decades with the company and held the role of president since 2016, will remain on in an advisory role to support the transition. He’ll also continue as President of the Ontario Association of Broadcasters (OAB) and continue to serve on the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) CEO Radio Council. Based in Saint John, NB, Snodgrass has been with the company since 2016, holding roles including Vice-President, Sales. Read more here.

Tracey Connolly has been named Global Director of Broadcast Sales at Nautel, as longtime Senior Director of Broadcast Sales Wendell Lonergan retires after more than 47 years with the company. Based in Metro Halifax, Connolly’s sales background includes more than 17 years with Sysco in Atlantic Canada. Lonergan first joined Nautel in 1978 in research. Successive roles included Project Leader, Medium Wave Transmission, before being named Sales Manager, Middle East and North Africa in 2005. He’d been in his current role since 2012. Read more here.

Mike Crawley is headed to Washington, D.C. to cover the U.S. capital for CBC News. Crawley has been with the public broadcaster since 2005, initially as a reporter in Saint John, before joining the Toronto bureau where he’s been a Provincial Affairs reporter for the last 16 years.

 

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Damian Rickards (aka Mr. D), who recently announced his departure from JUMP! 106.9 (CKQB-FM) Ottawa, has joined 91.5 The Beat (CKBT-FM) Kitchener in middays from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. weekdays. Rickards has previously done two separate stints hosting evenings on 91.5 The Beat.

Danger (aka Darren Grieve) is joining Rock 101 (CFMI-FM) Vancouver on weekends. Grieve has been working with the Canadian Traffic Network (CTN) for the last decade, heard on Rogers Sports & Media’s NewsRadio 1130 (CKWX-AM), and was the host of ResurreXtion Radio on the former SONiC RADiO (CKKS-FM). He rejoins Corus Radio, where he was a host on CFOX for nearly a decade.

Brenden Escott is the new host of Edmonton Oilers hockey on CHED 880. Escott will be heard during the Face-Off Show, each intermission, and on Oilers Overtime, in addition to hosting Inside Sports weeknights from 6 – 8 p.m. He’s been with CHED since 2018, initially producing Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer.

Leah Camenzind is now Executive Director of the TELUS Fund, overseeing finance, operations and program design. With TELUS since 2017, she previously led the TELUS originals film program and co-founded the TELUS independent film program, stewarding the investment of over $15 million into the production of more than 100 social-purpose films and series. She succeeds Elizabeth Friesen, who has retired from the position after 12 years.

Jinny Howe has been named Head of UCAN (U.S.-Canada) Scripted Series at Netflix. She’ll succeed Peter Friedlander – one of the company’s longest-serving creative executives – who will be leaving the streamer after almost 14 years. Howe joined Netflix in 2018, holding the title of VP, Original Series, Drama, helping develop series like Bridgerton, Inventing Anna, The Night Agent and The Diplomat.

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Jon Erlichman is stepping away from his anchor role on BNN Bloomberg to start “a new entrepreneurial journey.” His final turn on the desk will air Monday, Sept. 30. Beginning in the New Year, Erlichman will make frequent appearances on BNN Bloomberg, CTV News Channel and iHeartRadio as a financial commentator. Erlichman’s career with BNN Bloomberg began with the channel’s launch in 1999, when it was known as ROBTV. He moved to the U.S. in 2005 to work for Bloomberg Television and ABC News, before returning to Bell Media in 2016.

Lisa Grossi has joined Warner Music Canada as Director, National Radio Promotion & Media Relations. Grossi arrives from Bell Media, where she served as the National Music Director for Virgin Radio & Move Radio, as well as Music Director & Assistant Program Director for CHUM 104.5 Toronto. 

Vinka Dubroja has joined Harvard Media as Director of Sales in Calgary. Set to join the company in early October, Dubroja has worked in Calgary media for three decades, most recently as General Manager at Stingray Calgary for 15 years, up until management restructuring last year. She’s also held sales roles with Standard Radio and Astral Media in the market. Read more here.

Brenden Escott is the new host of Inside Sports on 630 CHED Edmonton, airing weeknights from 6 – 8 p.m. MT. Escott had been the producer of Oilers Now since 2018 and regularly filled in as host, in addition to hosting the pre- and post-game Edmonton Elks broadcasts.

Bryn Griffiths is the new host of Edmonton Oilers hockey on 630 CHED, hosting pre- and post-game shows. Griffiths, who was formerly the Oilers’ Media and Community Relations Manager from 1997-2001, is also the host of 630 CHED Afternoons, from 2 to 5 p.m.

Alex Adams has joined Sportsnet as a writer, covering the Ottawa Senators. Adams held a similar role with The Hockey News for the past year and contributes to Toronto Raptors fan podcast, Raptors Republic.

Justin Ling has parted ways with Canadaland, where he’s been a longtime contributor and host, following assertions that publisher Jesse Brown heavily edited a Short Cuts interview with journalist Paris Marx for tone, removing references to Israel continuing “to bomb Gaza and kill so many people” and that Israel is engaging “in what many people are claiming is a genocide against the people of Gaza.” Ling asserted in a Substack post that “Jesse’s decision to remove them, particularly over my objections, is an editorial over-step and, I think, made because he simply disagrees with the allegations…The line was re-recorded and added back in after the episode was posted, but the damage is done. I absolutely despise the deluge of hate, often veering into antisemitism, that Jesse gets. But I also don’t believe Canadaland is a free and neutral place to discuss this issue in particular, given that Jesse — as publisher and owner — frequently imposes his editorial line on others’ work.”

Noor Azrieh is succeeding Mattea Roach as host of Canadaland’s The Backbench podcast. Roach is now hosting new CBC Radio national literary program, Bookends with Mattea Roach. Azrieh has been working as a producer on the show, among other Canadaland podcasts, since 2022.

Zaira Reyes has joined Vista Radio as Director of Human Resources. Reyes, who is based in Kelowna, arrives from The Sutherland Group of Companies, where she held a similar role. She’s also worked in HR at GNC, Heineken and British American Tobacco.

WildBrain has implemented a new leadership and team structure to drive its global distribution business and Canadian broadcast network, WildBrain Television. In its global distribution business, WildBrain has appointed Katie Wilson to the role of Vice President, Global Sales and Acquisitions. Based in Toronto and reporting to Kate Smith, Executive Vice President, Audience Engagement, Wilson will lead WildBrain’s team of content sales professionals, drive commercial and rights strategies, and oversee sales revenue as well as the management of transactional rights (EST) and sales in the U.S. She’ll also spearhead third-party content acquisitions and related production relationships. Formerly WildBrain’s VP, Channels and Global Acquisitions, Wilson has been with the company since 2020. Darcee McCartney is promoted to Director, Sales, reporting to Wilson, while Rachel Julkowski is promoted to Sales Manager, reporting to McCartney.

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