CBC memo explains recent changes in management structure
A recent memo from CBC general manager Jennifer McGuire explained the roles of several appointments in the spring and early summer.
A recent memo from CBC general manager Jennifer McGuire explained the roles of several recent appointments in the spring and early summer.
“The changes are designed to make us more effective, to further break down the silos based on platforms and geography and to push decision making closer to the program areas,” McGuire wrote in the memo.
Jonathan Whitten is in charge of content production, including newsgathering at the international bureaus and the Parliament Hill bureau, and ensuring career development and succession. David Studer will work as his delegate for hotline calls. Fiona Conway is responsible for program production, with all network news programs on all platforms reporting to her. She will set mandates for programs and ensure they meet their audience targets. Conway took over responsibility for the CBC News Network from Todd Spencer earlier this summer.
Related content on J-Source:
- Read the memo on CBC News and Centres senior management structure
- Nine staff take Waterloo Region Record buyouts
- Mike McCardell and Dave Gerry join CTV British Columbia
Johnny Michel, John Bertrand, Susan Marjetti and Andrew Cochran are the senior managing directors for the West, the Prairies and the North, Ontario (outside of the Ottawa bureau) and Atlantic Canada respectively. These four report directly to McGuire and are responsible for both the program and news-gathering streams of their respective regions.
[node:ad]Marissa Nelson continues to be in charge of CBC’s overall digital strategy on all its websites, mobile products and program pages. McGuire wrote the digital strategy is focused on “public engagement, search engine optimization, innovation, and maximizing audiences/revenue.” She added that “local digital is expected to be a big growth area for us in the years to come.”
Gino Apponi is McGuire’s chief of staff and manages the senior team. Liz Hughes is McGuire’s delegate for priority files that cross platforms and borders and has been spearheading the expansion of local service with new operations in Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Kamloops and Saskatoon over the past year. Hughes is also McGuire’s deputy in managing Ottawa and Quebec while a similar senior management director structure is put into place.
Jack Nagler was recently appointed the director of journalistic public accountability and engagement at CBC and will respond to audience complaints. He will also act as a liaison between the newsroom and the Office of the Ombudsman and be in charge of establishing new relationships with journalism schools, stakeholders and industry groups.
Anita Lasebnik replaces Mona Venkateswaran as CBC’s financial lead, with oversight of budgets. Robert Bishop is responsible for managing the relationship between news and the revenue group and is involved in sponsorships, the placement of ads and revenue-generating initiatives.
Tamara Baluja is an award-winning journalist with CBC Vancouver and the 2018 Michener-Deacon fellow for journalism education. She was the associate editor for J-Source from 2013-2014.