Program & Development Executives

Tom Zappala is responsible for all off-network, first-run and feature acquisitions, international and domestic co-productions and oversees the strategic planning and scheduling of ABC Family.

Since joining ABC Family in April 2003 as Senior Vice President, Zappala has overseen the ...
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Tom Zappala is responsible for all off-network, first-run and feature acquisitions, international and domestic co-productions and oversees the strategic planning and scheduling of ABC Family.

Since joining ABC Family in April 2003 as Senior Vice President, Zappala has overseen the acquisition of key event features including such hit movies as “Another Cinderella Story” (the second most-watched movie in the Total Viewers in the network’s history), starring Selena Gomez and Drew Seeley, and “Picture This!” with Ashley Tisdale, as well as the co-productions of the successful “Bring it On” and “Cutting Edge” movie franchises, the original animated special “A Miser Brothers’ Christmas,” and the series “Falcon Beach,” which was produced in conjunction with Canada’s Global TV network. He has also negotiated important off-net ABC Family acquisitions, including “Gilmore Girls,” "My Wife and Kids," "That 70’s Show," and blockbuster theatricals, including the “Harry Potter” and “The Chronicles of Narnia” series of films.

Zappala also oversees the off-network, first run and feature acquisitions for the cable network SOAPnet.

Prior to joining ABC Family, Zappala was senior vice president, programming, Viacom where he was responsible for overseeing all programming and research operations for the 35-owned and operated television stations, which at various times included affiliates from the CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN and WB networks. In addition, Zappala negotiated Viacom's off-network, first-run and feature acquisitions including "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Friends," "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Dr. Phil," as well as terms for the broadcast windows for theatrical hits such as "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring." Zappala was also involved in the development of syndicated programs including The Insider, Hot Ticket and Unexplained Mysteries. Previously, he held the positions of vice president and executive director, programming at Paramount before purchased by Viacom.

Zappala holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Hampshire. [ Minimize ]

Michael E. Katz is Vice President, Programming and Production, International Division, A&E Television Networks. In his present role, Mr. Katz leads the international programming and production activities for A&E Television Networks, including working with worldwide partners to provide creative direc...
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Michael E. Katz is Vice President, Programming and Production, International Division, A&E Television Networks. In his present role, Mr. Katz leads the international programming and production activities for A&E Television Networks, including working with worldwide partners to provide creative direction for both existing and new channels. In addition, he oversees the company's international program sales efforts. Previously, Mr. Katz was Vice President, Daytime and Specials Programming, A&E Network, where he oversaw late night and daytime programming, and was responsible for the acquisition, development and scheduling of the network's special event programming with a concentration on world premiere documentary mini-series. Before joining A&E in 1989, A&E, Mr. Katz was Executive Producer of WABC-TV. He was responsible for The Morning Show's entry into national syndication as Live With Regis And Kathie Lee and received an Emmy for the local show in 1983 and an Emmy nomination for the national show in 1989. [ Minimize ]

Simon Nelson is responsible for BBC Vision's multiplatform strategy – allocating budgets, commissioning content for both linear and multiplatform scheduling, as well as overseeing technical production. He sits on the Boards of both BBC Vision and Future Media and Technology.

His team...
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Simon Nelson is responsible for BBC Vision's multiplatform strategy – allocating budgets, commissioning content for both linear and multiplatform scheduling, as well as overseeing technical production. He sits on the Boards of both BBC Vision and Future Media and Technology.

His team is at the heart of the BBC's multiplatform approach to scheduling and windowing, extracting maximum value from creative programme ideas and developing digital services. Simon is responsible for building the comprehensive service for every BBC programme, which makes them findable and prominent online, and powers delivery of ambitious and innovation websites at marginal costs. He has led the team that built new search services, nature products such as Wildlife Finder, a mass experimentation science offer, a revamp of lifestyle areas and new arts partnerships as part of Knowledge offer. He has pioneered online storytelling with short-form comedy site developing new talent for BBC Comedy, original drama with Eastenders E20 and innovation in gaming and new web formats.

Simon's teams have won awards including the Prix Europa, Sony Awards, BAFTA, RTS, BPG and Webby Awards.

Previously, Simon was Controller, Radio and Music Interactive (now Audio & Music Interactive), and before that Controller of New Media, Radio and Music. He was responsible for the development of BBC radio and music brands and content on digital platforms and devices, including DAB digital radio, the internet, digital television and mobiles. Simon led the department at a time of rapid and revolutionary innovation, including the introduction of the BBC Radio Player, Podcasting and LiveText. Trial podcasts of Beethoven symphony performances from Radio Three attracted more than one million download requests. Simon also established enhanced ‘red button’ radio and TV content, such as for the Proms and other programming, on interactive TV.

Under Simon’s leadership BBC Radio & Music Interactive won many prestigious awards including at the Prix Europa, the Sony Awards, the Webby Awards and the BT Digital Music Awards. Simon also led the BBC’s DAB activities and was on the Digital Radio Development Board.

Simon was born in 1969 and grew up in Manchester, where he later gained an MBA at the city’s business school. On moving to London in 1996, Simon became Brand Development Manager for The Independent and The Independent on Sunday newspapers, where he helped develop their marketing strategy.

Simon joined the BBC in 1997 as Senior Strategy Manager, BBC Radio and was subsequently promoted to Head of Strategy, Radio, where he worked on the development of the BBC’s digital radio and new services strategy. He then took on the new post of Head of New Services Development, Radio in 1999, building BBC Radio’s internet presence which won a prestigious Prix Europa award for convergence of the media in 2001.

Simon Nelson was appointed Controller of New Media, BBC Radio & Music in December 2000. In 2002 his department launched the BBC Radio Player, offering hundreds of BBC radio programmes to listen to online at listeners’ convenience for up to seven days after broadcast. In the same year, the department created a multi platform proposition for the BBC Proms, with what is thought to be the world’s first interactive television application for classical music complemented by the website and DAB digital radio text service.

The department was renamed Radio & Music Interactive in June 2003, with Simon becoming Controller.

Simon enjoys music, travel, sport and spending time with his wife and three young children. [ Minimize ]

Christina Davis grew up in Petaluma, California and moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA as a political science major. After a short stint as a writers’ assistant on the Warner Bros./NBC series SISTERS, she began working in Drama Series Development at Warner Bros. Television. Christina moved to CBS...
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Christina Davis grew up in Petaluma, California and moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA as a political science major. After a short stint as a writers’ assistant on the Warner Bros./NBC series SISTERS, she began working in Drama Series Development at Warner Bros. Television. Christina moved to CBS Entertainment in August 1997 and has been working her way up the ranks in Drama Series Development for the last 13 years. Since joining CBS, Christina has been involved in the development of CSI, CSI: MIAMI, CSI: NY, WITHOUT A TRACE, COLD CASE, CRIMINAL MINDS, GHOST WHISPERER, NUMB3RS, THE UNIT, FLASHPOINT, THE MENTALIST and the two highest-rated new dramas of the 2009-2010 television season, NCIS:LA and THE GOOD WIFE. [ Minimize ]

Elaine Frontain Bryant was appointed to the post of Vice President of Non-Fiction & Alternative Programming, for A&E and BIO in July of 2007. Frontain Bryant is responsible for overseeing the development and production of A&E’s real life series. She has served as executive producer on several crit...
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Elaine Frontain Bryant was appointed to the post of Vice President of Non-Fiction & Alternative Programming, for A&E and BIO in July of 2007. Frontain Bryant is responsible for overseeing the development and production of A&E’s real life series. She has served as executive producer on several critically acclaimed and hit real life series including Criss Angel Mindfreak , Paranormal State, Psychic Kids, The Exterminators, and Paranormal Cops. Prior to joining A&E Network, Elaine Frontain Bryant served as Vice President, Creative Development and Production at Magna Global Entertainment, overseeing the creation and production of original television programming funded by Interpublic Group's Fortune 100 clients. She was an Executive Producer on TNT's original movies The Wool Cap and 14 Hours, and CBS' Humanitas Award nominated film, Saving Milly. She was co-executive producer of the first two seasons of Bravo series Blow Out. Prior to joining MAGNA Global Entertainment, Frontain Bryant directed and produced two seasons of The N's teen non-scripted series Girls vs Boys and produced more than 15 episodes of the Peabody Award-winning A Walk in Your Shoes, also for The N. Frontain Bryant also produced the independent feature film The Farmhouse, starring Blythe Danner. Prior to that, she served as director of creative affairs for Fred Berner Films. Films produced during her tenure include Louis Malle's Vanya on 42nd Street, A&E's Murder in a Small Town and Ed Harris' Pollock. Also at Fred Berner Films, Frontain Bryant associate-produced ABC's Emmy-nominated prime time special About Us: The Dignity of Children, hosted by Oprah Winfrey. Frontain Bryant is a graduate of Texas Christian University and lives in New York with her husband and daughter. [ Minimize ]

As Vice President of International Programming and Development, Mary Ellen Iwata oversees all elements of programming for Scripps Networks International which includes original program development and production, acquisitions, and program scheduling. She is also responsible for strengthening the dep...
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As Vice President of International Programming and Development, Mary Ellen Iwata oversees all elements of programming for Scripps Networks International which includes original program development and production, acquisitions, and program scheduling. She is also responsible for strengthening the department’s ties to the international production community and facilitating new programming ideas. By establishing partnerships with regional producers and talent, Iwata is ensuring that Scripps content is culturally authentic as Scripps launches more channels around the world. Prior to working in Scripps’ International division, Iwata was Vice President of Program and Talent Development for HGTV, a Scripps-owned network. She was instrumental in securing high-profile talent like Carter Oosterhouse (Carter Can), Steve Watson (Don’t Sweat It) and Kendra Todd (My House is Worth What?). She developed numerous hit series and specials including HGTV’s first high definition special, Extreme Homes of Europe, and the long-running spinoff series World’s Most Extreme Homes. Iwata also created the popular series My First Place and What’s With That House? and was responsible for finding new series including the highly rated Property Virgins and The Stagers. Iwata joined HGTV from The Learning Channel (TLC), where she was vice president of development and special projects. Previously at TLC, she was vice president of production and served as executive producer for multiple original productions – including the Emmy-winning special Killer Virus. Prior to working at TLC, Iwata was an executive producer for Discovery Communications’ Discovery Channel. A Baltimore native, Iwata began her career as the executive producer for Evening Magazine at WJZ-TV (CBS) in Baltimore. She holds a degree in fine arts from Towson University. About Scripps Networks Interactive Scripps Networks Interactive is one of the leading developers of lifestyle-oriented content for television and the Internet, where on-air programming is complemented with online video, social media areas and e-commerce components on companion Web sites and broadband vertical channels. The company’s media portfolio includes Lifestyle Media, which is comprised of popular lifestyle television and Internet brands HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel, DIY Network, country music network Great American Country (GAC), and the Fine Living Network(FLN), soon to be rebranded as the Cooking Channel; and Interactive Services, with leading online search and comparison shopping services BizRate, Shopzilla and beso. [ Minimize ]

Dr Fergus Keeling is a Zoologist. He trained as a journalist with the BBC in Belfast before transferring to the BBC’s Natural History Unit in Bristol where he presented the Natural History Programme for Radio 4 and various nature programmes for BBC ONE and BBC TWO, including Africawatch – a co pro w...
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Dr Fergus Keeling is a Zoologist. He trained as a journalist with the BBC in Belfast before transferring to the BBC’s Natural History Unit in Bristol where he presented the Natural History Programme for Radio 4 and various nature programmes for BBC ONE and BBC TWO, including Africawatch – a co pro with Discovery.
Fergus is currently Head of Multimedia Commissioning for BBC Northern Ireland, commissioning television for Factual, Entertainment & Comedy www.bbc.co.uk/ni/commissioning and is editorially responsible for www.bbc.co.uk/ni. He manages the NewMedia team, sits on the Senior Management Board, and is married with four teenage daughters. [ Minimize ]

Managing Director Autentic GmbH


* 1963 Bensheim / Germany

1986 Masters degree from the institute of Philosophy Munich
1994 Diploma Munich Film School HFF, with various awards for films
1994 degree “ Doctor of philosophy”, “ summa con laude”<...
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Managing Director Autentic GmbH


* 1963 Bensheim / Germany

1986 Masters degree from the institute of Philosophy Munich
1994 Diploma Munich Film School HFF, with various awards for films
1994 degree “ Doctor of philosophy”, “ summa con laude”
1995-1996 Editor of special HDTV projects
1997-2001 Commissioning Editor Factual of Kirch Media+
Coordinator/ Editor Kirch Media
2003-2004 Interim Country manager DCI Italy,
2006 Setup and launch of DMAx, DCi’s first free-TV Channel ww
2006-2008 Country Manager Discovery Communications
Managing Director of the following companies:
Discovery Communications
DMAX TV Verwaltungs mbH, Discovery Content Verwaltungs
March 2008 Advanced Management Program ( AMP) , Harvard Business
School


Honorary & Avocational Engagements

Since 2005
Honorary Senator of Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film München (Munich Film School)

2001 to 2005
Head of the Board of HFF München (Munich Film School)

Since 2000
Founder and chairman of DISCOVERY CAMPUS e.V, a pan-european advanced training programme (supported by the MEDIA-Programme of the European Union) for young filmmakers/aspirants in the fields of documentary film and factual entertainment.
The leading institution for the advanced training of authors, directors and editors in the area of international documentary film coproductions. [ Minimize ]

Brent Haynes is currently SVP Comedy & Animation for MTV but doesn’t look it. Since giving up on his dream to play left wing for the Toronto Maple Leafs Brent has enjoyed a relatively healthy career in television. In his role Brent is responsible for overseeing MTV’s Comedy and Animation team in the...
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Brent Haynes is currently SVP Comedy & Animation for MTV but doesn’t look it. Since giving up on his dream to play left wing for the Toronto Maple Leafs Brent has enjoyed a relatively healthy career in television. In his role Brent is responsible for overseeing MTV’s Comedy and Animation team in the New York development office. Since joining MTV two years ago he has developed and overseen production for a couple of handfuls of TV series, including Silent Library, The Buried Life, Popzilla and the smash hit, hilariously new Warren The Ape . Before hooking up with MTV Brent spent 11 years with The Comedy Network in Canada where he was VP of Programming, responsible for overseeing all development, including Corner Gas and Puppets Who Kill, acquisitions and mucking about with the schedule. Brent lives in New York and enjoys hating the Yankees, suffering with the Mets, ignoring the Knicks and writing in the third person. [ Minimize ]

As VP, Programming & Production, Corus Kids Television, Jocelyn Hamilton is responsible for overseeing the content strategies for YTV, Treehouse and Nickelodeon Canada, as well as Nelvana Studios.

In conjunction with her role as a broadcast executive, Hamilton is an award winning pro...
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As VP, Programming & Production, Corus Kids Television, Jocelyn Hamilton is responsible for overseeing the content strategies for YTV, Treehouse and Nickelodeon Canada, as well as Nelvana Studios.

In conjunction with her role as a broadcast executive, Hamilton is an award winning producer with nearly two decades of experience in children’s television. A loyal supporter of the Canadian production industry, she is also a member of the President’s Council at Corus, a member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and sits on the board of the Alliance for Children and Television.

Having brought over 4000 episodes of quality children’s programming to life over the years, Hamilton has overseen the production of series such as Franklin, Ruby Gloom, Backyardigans, Max & Ruby, My Friend Rabbit, Spliced and 6Teen to name a few.




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Angela is SVP Programming, Co-production and Acquisition based with BBC Worldwide Productions in Los Angeles. Here she is tasked with: • Developing an original slate of scripted programs for the US market • Nurturing transatlantic/international coproduction opportunities • Managing scripted p...
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Angela is SVP Programming, Co-production and Acquisition based with BBC Worldwide Productions in Los Angeles. Here she is tasked with: • Developing an original slate of scripted programs for the US market • Nurturing transatlantic/international coproduction opportunities • Managing scripted program acquisitions from the North American continent on behalf of the BBC Channels in the UK Angela’s role encompasses a particular responsibility to be a creative and strategic bridge between North American broadcasters, studios and producers and the BBC in the UK. Angela is an Executive Producer on a number of projects in current development with US broadcasters. A UK native, prior to her appointment with BBC Worldwide Productions in Los Angeles, Angela spent several years freelancing in the United States, before this she was Head of BBC Talent in the UK. [ Minimize ]

As Senior vice-president, drama and factual content Christine oversees all development and commissioning of dramatic and factual programming for all non lifestyle Canwest specialty channels, and the priority programming slates for Global and E! A seasoned executive, Christine has played a strong...
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As Senior vice-president, drama and factual content Christine oversees all development and commissioning of dramatic and factual programming for all non lifestyle Canwest specialty channels, and the priority programming slates for Global and E! A seasoned executive, Christine has played a strong role in rebuilding the Canwest Canadian original slate for Global and E! since joining the company in 2005. Prior to this, Christine has held a variety of senior positions in organizations including Blueprint Entertainment, W Network, Landscape Entertainment Canada, Alliance Atlantis Television and CBC Television. She has been responsible for developing and overseeing some great Canadian programming throughout her career, including “Da Kink in My Hair”, “Due South”, “North of 60”, “Cold Squad”, the “Diana Kilmury Stor” and “Sue Rodriquez”. [ Minimize ]

Marcus Wiley is currently the Vice President of Comedy Development at FOX Broadcasting Company where he works closely with writers, actors and directors to develop the next generation of FOX live-action and animated comedies. He joined the team at FBC nearly a year ago from the William Morris Agenc...
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Marcus Wiley is currently the Vice President of Comedy Development at FOX Broadcasting Company where he works closely with writers, actors and directors to develop the next generation of FOX live-action and animated comedies. He joined the team at FBC nearly a year ago from the William Morris Agency where he served as a literary and packaging agent for five years. While there, he represented some of the industry's top talent in television, film and music. Prior to joining WMA in 2003 as an agent, Marcus was a development executive at Regency Television where he worked on many shows including MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE and THE BERNIE MAC SHOW while at the studio. Marcus started his show business career in 1998 as a production assistant at Carsey Werner. [ Minimize ]

Cynthia A. Fenneman is president and CEO of American Public Television (APT), a prime distributor of award-winning programs to the more than 360 U.S. public television stations. Last year, APT presented 56 of the top 100 highest rated public television titles in metered markets. Fenneman leads t...
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Cynthia A. Fenneman is president and CEO of American Public Television (APT), a prime distributor of award-winning programs to the more than 360 U.S. public television stations. Last year, APT presented 56 of the top 100 highest rated public television titles in metered markets. Fenneman leads the distribution of PTV’s most popular multicast channel, Create, featuring how-to and travel programming. Fenneman is a broadcasting and production executive with 33 years of experience in commercial, public and network cable television. She has been awarded more than 30 international, national and regional awards, including 12 regional Emmys and a CableAce. Prior to APT, she was president of Fenneman Productions, a television production, fundraising and consulting company for six years. She was executive producer of programs for A&E Biography, PBS, Discovery and several American Public Television fundraising specials. From 1999 to 2001, Fenneman was Major Projects Executive and part of the launch team for the Discovery Health Channel. For five years prior, she was the special projects director for PBS’s Local Programming Initiative and The Democracy Project. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, Fenneman worked with Westinghouse Broadcasting: KYW-TV in Philadelphia as executive producer of programming, senior producer for Evening/PM Magazine, and London executive producer for Group W’s Live-Aid special; KPIX-TV San Francisco as a producer for the #1 morning show; and WJZ-TV Baltimore in nightly news. In 1986, Fenneman relocated to northern New England and worked at New Hampshire Public Television, first as executive producer of local/national productions then as director of broadcasting. At NHPTV, she led staff that increased viewership by 40% and doubled productivity and award-winning programs within three years. Fenneman serves on the Board for Latino Public Broadcasting, Strawbery Banke’s National Council and several community non-profits. She is a member of The International Association of Television Arts and Sciences. Fenneman has been a panelist for the Banff International Awards, duPont – Columbia Awards, International and domestic EMMYs and the National Endowment for the Arts. Fenneman began her career as an assistant account executive for Baltimore/Philadelphia ad agency VanSant Dugdale and as a writer for the Baltimore News American. She has a B.S. degree from the University of Maryland’s Journalism School. For more information on APT’s 10,000 hour library of programs, go to www.APTonline.org. [ Minimize ]

As the Vice President, Acquisitions and Operations, Paul Hazen is responsible for acquiring new film and television properties for MarVista’s expanding library. A veteran to the industry, Hazen served the previous 4 years as a producer’s rep at Pierce Law Group, LLP where he was involved in the a...
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As the Vice President, Acquisitions and Operations, Paul Hazen is responsible for acquiring new film and television properties for MarVista’s expanding library. A veteran to the industry, Hazen served the previous 4 years as a producer’s rep at Pierce Law Group, LLP where he was involved in the acquisition, negotiation, and placement of over 100 independent feature films with domestic and foreign distributors, sales agents, and foreign buyers. His prior experience includes positions with such companies as Tulchin Entertainment (Senior Vice President of Acquisitions & Sales), KoalaTV, William Morris Agency, Chancellor Entertainment, and Infinity Management International. Mr. Hazen attends all of the major markets and festivals including AFM, Cannes, MIPTV, MIPCOM, NATPE, Toronto, Sundance and Slamdance. Paul has also organized panels and lectured extensively at such festivals and schools such as the AFI Film Festival, Hollywood Film Festival, Slamdance, CineVegas, Emerson College, MethodFest, and Cal State Northridge. [ Minimize ]

Liz Skoler is the Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs and Co-productions at MTV Networks, where she is responsible for finding co-financing partners for projects for MTV, Vh1 and LOGO and for various business and legal deals at Vh1. For the past eight years she has set up numerous pr...
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Liz Skoler is the Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs and Co-productions at MTV Networks, where she is responsible for finding co-financing partners for projects for MTV, Vh1 and LOGO and for various business and legal deals at Vh1. For the past eight years she has set up numerous productions worldwide, including "Carmen: A Hip Hopera" starring Beyonce Knowles, Roland Joffe’s series “Undressed” and "Celebrity Death Match" with Cuppa Coffee and the Comedy Network in Canada. She has also worked on deals relating to Vh1’s various reality shows (including “Flavor of Love” and “I Love New York”) and documentaries (including “US v. John Lennon” and “Sex: The Revolution”). Skoler started her career at Viacom in 1993 as Counsel for Nickelodeon. Before that she was a producer/reporter at Court TV and an associate at Proskauer Rose in LA. Skoler received a joint graduate degree in journalism and law from Columbia University, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and a B.A. in English and Government from Wesleyan University, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. [ Minimize ]

Chris Linn is Executive Vice President, MTV Production and oversees all aspects of production for pilots and series from MTV offices in New York City and Los Angeles. Recent projects include “Jersey Shore”, “The Hills” and “16 & Pregnant”. In addition, he heads development and production of MTV’s or...
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Chris Linn is Executive Vice President, MTV Production and oversees all aspects of production for pilots and series from MTV offices in New York City and Los Angeles. Recent projects include “Jersey Shore”, “The Hills” and “16 & Pregnant”. In addition, he heads development and production of MTV’s original television movies, which include “My Super Psycho Sweet 16”, “Turn the Beat Around” and “Made: The Movie”. Linn reports directly to Tony DiSanto, President of Programming for MTV and is based in New York City. Prior to his role at MTV, Linn was the Vice President of Production at Spike TV, where he was responsible for overseeing production for all of the channel’s original series, pilots, specials, and on-air promotions. Before his position at Spike TV, Linn was the Vice President of Production Operations at Nickelodeon. He also served as the general manager of Nickelodeon's New York Digital Animation Studio. Nickelodeon, Spike TV and MTV are part of Viacom Networks. Linn graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Directing & Performance. [ Minimize ]

Ralf-Peter Piechowiak is Writer, Executive Producer and Commissioning Editor for ZDF German Television Network, Europe's largest public TV company. Ralf has had a distinguished 25-year career at ZDF's Department of Contemporary History. He has co-developed, written, produced, launched or supervised ...
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Ralf-Peter Piechowiak is Writer, Executive Producer and Commissioning Editor for ZDF German Television Network, Europe's largest public TV company. Ralf has had a distinguished 25-year career at ZDF's Department of Contemporary History. He has co-developed, written, produced, launched or supervised the production of many highly acclaimed multiple-part, award-winning documentary series over the past few years including The Unification of Germany, Scandals, Our Century, Hitler - A Profile, Hitler's Henchmen, Holokaust, The Century War, 100 Years, Stalin, German POW's, Dictators, Power Couples, Monarchies, Conspiracy Files. Ralf contributes articles for historical publications and books. He helped launch the World Congress of History Producers and currently serves on the Advisory Board of History Makers 2010: International Summit of History and Current Affairs Producers. More information on ZDF can be found on the company's website www.zdf.de [ Minimize ]

Kathleen McCaffrey joined HBO as a Creative Executive in April 2008 and is currently involved in development and production, specifically working on both HBO’s half-hour and hour-long series including HUNG, BIG LOVE, IN TREATMENT, TRUE BLOOD, BORED TO DEATH, ENTOURAGE, and the upcoming BOARDWALK EMP...
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Kathleen McCaffrey joined HBO as a Creative Executive in April 2008 and is currently involved in development and production, specifically working on both HBO’s half-hour and hour-long series including HUNG, BIG LOVE, IN TREATMENT, TRUE BLOOD, BORED TO DEATH, ENTOURAGE, and the upcoming BOARDWALK EMPIRE. Prior to working at HBO, Kathleen worked in the Television Literary Department of United Talent Agency, where she began in the mailroom and was promoted in 2008 after working for several agents including Sue Naegle, who now serves as President of Original Programming at HBO. Kathleen graduated from New York University in 2004. [ Minimize ]

Jae Kim is Senior Director of Original Programming for BET Networks, where he oversees the development and production of both scripted and non-scripted programming. BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc., is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs tel...
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Jae Kim is Senior Director of Original Programming for BET Networks, where he oversees the development and production of both scripted and non-scripted programming. BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc., is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. Before joining BET, Jae was Vice President of Development & Production for the TV division of The Mark Gordon Company, where he was instrumental in the development and production of Lifetime's hit show ARMY WIVES, as well as the CW series REAPER. In addition, Jae was actively involved in maintaining the successful momentum of the highly-acclaimed CBS series CRIMINAL MINDS. Prior to that, Jae served as Manager of Original Programming for Showtime Networks Inc., where he helped develop and oversee a number of the network's shows, including the dramas BROTHERHOOD and DEXTER, comedies FAT ACTRESS and BARBERSHOP, and the reality series INTERSCOPE PRESENTS THE NEXT EPISODE. Born in Seoul, Jae left Korea when he was one. Before settling in Los Angeles at the age of five, Jae and his family lived in Spain, Morocco, and Ecuador. His favorite television shows are the US sitcom THREE’S COMPANY, and the Korean variety program ONE NIGHT, TWO DAYS. Jae is a graduate of USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. [ Minimize ]

After various occupations in the cultural sector, Linde Dehner started working for ZDF/ARTE 1999 in the department Theme Evenings. Since 2005 she is responsible for documentaries and factual series at the department culture and sience – untill now she has commissioned more than 200 different TV prog...
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After various occupations in the cultural sector, Linde Dehner started working for ZDF/ARTE 1999 in the department Theme Evenings. Since 2005 she is responsible for documentaries and factual series at the department culture and sience – untill now she has commissioned more than 200 different TV programms. Besides this she is coordinating the project nTrade for Eurovision, which is supporting European feature films on European public TV. [ Minimize ]

Amy Hartwick has been a vice president of comedy at ABC Entertainment since 2005. Her credits include “Modern Family,” "Better Off Ted," “Samantha Who?,” and “Notes from the Underbelly.” She is currently working on comedies “Happy Endings” and “Mr. Sunshine” starring Matthew Perry.
Prior to...
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Amy Hartwick has been a vice president of comedy at ABC Entertainment since 2005. Her credits include “Modern Family,” "Better Off Ted," “Samantha Who?,” and “Notes from the Underbelly.” She is currently working on comedies “Happy Endings” and “Mr. Sunshine” starring Matthew Perry.
Prior to joining ABC, Ms. Hartwick was at 20th Century Fox Television, where she helped developed shows which include "My Name is Earl" and "The Simple Life." Previous to that, she was accepted into NBC’s prestigious associates program.
Ms. Hartwick is a native of California where she currently lives with her husband, and her 3 children.
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As Director of BBC Children's Joe Godwin is responsible for all of the BBC’s services for children on BBC ONE & TWO as well as the dedicated CBBC and CBeebies channels and websites. After reading History at Manchester University, Joe joined the BBC in 1986, working at BBC Southampton in regional...
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As Director of BBC Children's Joe Godwin is responsible for all of the BBC’s services for children on BBC ONE & TWO as well as the dedicated CBBC and CBeebies channels and websites. After reading History at Manchester University, Joe joined the BBC in 1986, working at BBC Southampton in regional news. In 1989 he joined the Children's Programmes department as a trainee, and worked as an assistant producer, studio director and producer on shows such as Blue Peter, Going Live and Record Breakers. From 1997-2000 he was Editor of Children's Presentation. In 2000 he moved to Nickelodeon UK, holding a number of posts including Head of Original Production and VP Interactive Director. Joe returned to the BBC in 2005 as Head of Children’s Entertainment, and in 2008 became Head of News, Factual & Entertainment. Joe is Chair of The Network & Fast Track, the youth talent schemes of the Edinburgh TV Festival, and is a member of the BAFTA Children’s Committee, The Advisory Panel on Children's Viewing of the British Board of Film Classification, and represents the BBC on The UK Council for Child Internet Safety. [ Minimize ]

As Head of Coproductions and Development, Susanne Mueller is, together with her team, responsible for the development of new projects and for coproductions within the genres Documentaries, Children’s and Drama. Susanne and her team work with many international Broadcasters and Producers. Company...
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As Head of Coproductions and Development, Susanne Mueller is, together with her team, responsible for the development of new projects and for coproductions within the genres Documentaries, Children’s and Drama. Susanne and her team work with many international Broadcasters and Producers. Company Profile ZDF Enterprises was founded in the year 1993 as a 100% private subsidiary of ZDF, one of the biggest and most renowned television broadcasters in Europe. On behalf of ZDF, ZDF Enterprises is responsible for worldwide program sales, the implementation of international coproductions, license purchasing for quality programs, marketing online rights and the merchandising of strong ZDF program brands. In addition to its commercial activities for ZDF, ZDF Enterprises has also been able to establish itself successfully as an independent market player in both national and international environments. As part of a powerful Group, the company has at its disposal the largest German-language program collection in the world, consisting of series and mini-series, TV movies, documentaries and children’s programs. ZDF Enterprises can offer a comprehensive, full-service offer that covers every step in the process of creation and utilisation of successful TV productions, from material development in all genres to production and then on to the marketing of television licenses, merchandising, online rights and much more. Short Biography Susanne Müller has a Master Degree in Mass Communication. She joined ZDF in 1980. She spent more than twenty years in ZDF's children's and youth department, starting as a trainee and rising to become the head of the department. She is especially proud to have established a daily news program for children and to have helped launch 'Kinderkanal', the public service children's channel, a joint venture of ARD and ZDF. From 2004 to 2006 Susanne Müller was head of the New Media department of ZDF, responsible for the ZDF websites and working on the digital development of ZDF. In 2006 she was appointed Vice President of North-American operations to head the New York office of ZDF Enterprises. In 2008, she became Head of Coproductions and Development at ZDF Enterprises in Mainz. [ Minimize ]

Jean LaRose is a First Nations citizen from the Abenakis First Nation of Odanak. He was raised in Ottawa where he studied Journalism at Algonquin College and obtained his B.A. in Social Communication at the University of Ottawa. He later began study for his Masters in Public Administration at L'Ecol...
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Jean LaRose is a First Nations citizen from the Abenakis First Nation of Odanak. He was raised in Ottawa where he studied Journalism at Algonquin College and obtained his B.A. in Social Communication at the University of Ottawa. He later began study for his Masters in Public Administration at L'Ecole Nationale d'Administration Publique (ENAP). He was named Chief Executive Officer of APTN in November 2002. Since his appointment, he has brought the network from a deficit position of more than $5.5 million dollars to a surplus position. The network has moved to a digital, high-definition platform and now employs over 130 people. APTN is one of the host broadcasters for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games and will carry over 10 hours per day of Olympic events.
Mr. LaRose sits on the Board of Directors of the National Screen Institute, the Pay and Specialty Television Board of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, and the NISGA'A Commercial Group. He also served on the National Capital Commission Advisory Committee on its mandate review to provide Aboriginal perspective as it pertains to the future plans of the NCC, and the Advisory Committee on Indigenous Property and Authenticity Rights that was established by Heritage Canada. He has been a panelist and public speaker on a variety of forums, speaking to the issues and matters that pertain to the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada. [ Minimize ]

Holding a Master degree in Communications from Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Jean-Pierre Laurendeau has close to thirty years of experience in the world of media with two majors: television and journalism. His vast experience was gathered exploring many work environment like the one of te...
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Holding a Master degree in Communications from Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Jean-Pierre Laurendeau has close to thirty years of experience in the world of media with two majors: television and journalism. His vast experience was gathered exploring many work environment like the one of television production (at JPL Production in the 80’s), and then as Head of production for Télé-Métropole (now the TVA Network). In the 90’s he worked as a story editor for many television shows finally landing at Radio-Canada to be in charge of the cultural bureau of the national French newsroom. He was then recruited to work as VP Programming for Musimax, a specialty service dedicated to music. He was also the first curator for the television archives at la Cinémathèque québécoise where he started their television section in 1997. Mr Laurendeau was occupying the post of General Manager of JPL Production (the production arm of the TVA Network) when he joined Astral as V-P Programming for Canal D in March 2003. [ Minimize ]

As Executive in Charge of Development at CBC Comedy, Jenny Hacker is responsible for finding and overseeing the development of new television comedies for CBC. Prior to joining CBC, Jenny worked as a lawyer and business executive in the television industry, including at CTV and at Alliance Atlantis ...
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As Executive in Charge of Development at CBC Comedy, Jenny Hacker is responsible for finding and overseeing the development of new television comedies for CBC. Prior to joining CBC, Jenny worked as a lawyer and business executive in the television industry, including at CTV and at Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting as VP of Business and Legal Affairs. Her final year at Alliance Atlantis was spent in its Dublin, Ireland office where she was responsible for international licensing and taking out the biscuit tin at tea-time.

During her career, Jenny has written comedy for tv and radio, most recently for the CBC television comedy "Not This But This". She holds a law degree from Osgoode Hall but will deny it if questioned. [ Minimize ]

Peter Strutt Director of Programming Peter Strutt started his employment with APTN in 2005 as the Manager of Programming, Western Region (Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon). In 2007, Mr. Strutt moved into the position of Director of Programming. With over 10 years of international business ...
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Peter Strutt Director of Programming Peter Strutt started his employment with APTN in 2005 as the Manager of Programming, Western Region (Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon). In 2007, Mr. Strutt moved into the position of Director of Programming. With over 10 years of international business development and sales management expertise in private industry, as well as several years with Telefilm Canada, Mr. Strutt brings a considerable amount of experience to APTN. His areas of expertise at Telefilm Canada included new media, feature film, television, regional French language productions and the Aboriginal Language envelope. He has experience with international co-productions and acted as Regional Coordinator for the Telefilm Spark Plug Program. Currently, Mr. Strutt serves on several national boards and is a member of the Native Alliance of Quebec - Micmac / Métis. [ Minimize ]

As a production executive for Canwest Broadcasting’s Factual Content team, Nick Crowe oversees programming that airs on History Television, Mystery!, National Geographic Channel and Global. Nick also reviews and evaluates proposals from the independent community for possible development and/or produ...
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As a production executive for Canwest Broadcasting’s Factual Content team, Nick Crowe oversees programming that airs on History Television, Mystery!, National Geographic Channel and Global. Nick also reviews and evaluates proposals from the independent community for possible development and/or production. Projects Nick has worked on include Outlaw Bikers, Manson, Urban Legends and Aftermath. [ Minimize ]

Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Brett Weitz essentially grew up in the entertainment business. His father is a prolific film and television producer who cultivated Brett’s interest in the industry at an early age. Weitz spent his summer vacations in college working as a production assistant on...
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Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Brett Weitz essentially grew up in the entertainment business. His father is a prolific film and television producer who cultivated Brett’s interest in the industry at an early age. Weitz spent his summer vacations in college working as a production assistant on the sets of his father's TV movies. Ever since he can remember, Brett wanted to be a development executive and now he's doing precisely that at TNT. After he graduated from college, he took a job in the mailroom at United Talent Agency. From there, he went on to assist the Senior VP of Comedy Series at Columbia Tristar Television. After becoming an executive he and a few others from Columbia Tristar then defected to start the Artists Television Group with Michael Ovitz. This group went on to become the number one studio of that year. After quite some time at ATG, Brett was persuaded to become a manager at Artists Management Group, where he began representing television writers and directors. In August 2001, Weitz began working as a director of drama development at Columbia TriStar Television under department head Jennifer Nicholson Salke where they developed the WB’s “Everwood” and CBS’ “Hack”. He was settling into the job when a year later the pair migrated to 20th Century Fox Television, where Salke continued to run the drama department. The four-member team was divided into two development groups, and Weitz was paired with Jane Francis and proceeded to develop Fox’s long running program, “Prison Break”, and critically acclaimed “Wonderfalls”. When in spring 2004 TCFTV launched its lower-budget division Fox 21 and tapped Francis to run it, she invited her teammate Weitz to come along as her No. 2. In its first three years of operation, Fox 21 developed such series as reality hit "Beauty and the Geek," drama "Saved" and comedy “FreeRide." The model had been so successful, other studios such as Paramount and Warner Bros. have followed suit, committing resources to the development of lower-budget shows. Before exiting his post at Fox 21, Brett also developed FX’s “Sons of Anarchy”. Beyond his demanding executive role of finding ways to create low deficiting shows, Brett has also took on the challenge of finding alternative forms of development. Brett spear-headed these efforts by working with the film festival Slamdance and sponsored the original teleplay portion for undiscovered talent. He also worked with young and seasoned feature writers for cross-over opportunities for cable and broadcast television. In addition, Brett worked on webisode ideas for various News Corp portals, such as HULU and MySpaceTV, and other new media platforms for online opportunities. During his tenure at Fox21, Weitz developed “Saved” for TNT. Because of the great working experience the quickly growing network approached him to spearhead their scripted division. In June of 2008, Brett joined TNT as the Vice President of Drama Development. Last fall the team successfully launched Jada Pinkett Smith’s “HAWHTORNE”, Jerry Bruckheimer’s crime drama “DARK BLUE”, and Ray Romano’s critically acclaimed “MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE”. This summer TNT will air two new series in Angie Harmon’s “RIZZOLI & ISLES” and Jason Lee’s “MEMPHIS BEAT”. Lastly, aside from television, Weitz's passions include wine, fishing and most importantly celebrating life with his beautiful bride Farrah. [ Minimize ]

As the Director of Program Funds & Policy for Corus Television Susan is responsible for managing the internal programming policies, regulatory and funding procedures for Corus’ specialty and pay networks. Susan is actively involved in the regulatory and policy issues affecting each network and ...
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As the Director of Program Funds & Policy for Corus Television Susan is responsible for managing the internal programming policies, regulatory and funding procedures for Corus’ specialty and pay networks. Susan is actively involved in the regulatory and policy issues affecting each network and works closely with Canadian funding agencies and Corus’ production partners to finance original Canadian productions and new media initiatives. Susan administers the Corus Made with Pay Fund and is extensively involved in the strategy and usage of various program funds, including the Canada Media Fund, across all Corus networks. [ Minimize ]

Eddie Dalva is the Senior Vice President of Content for the MTV Entertainment Group where he especially focuses on Spike TV, MTV’s brand for exciting programming for the 24-34 guy. Spike’s programming includes both comedic and dramatic scripted as well as factual reality....
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Eddie Dalva is the Senior Vice President of Content for the MTV Entertainment Group where he especially focuses on Spike TV, MTV’s brand for exciting programming for the 24-34 guy. Spike’s programming includes both comedic and dramatic scripted as well as factual reality. [ Minimize ]

As Vice-President of Showcase and Drama Content for Canwest Broadcasting, Tara oversees original scripted programming for the conventional channels Global and E!, and Canwest specialty channels including Showcase. In her prior role as Alliance Atlantis’s VP of Content for Showcase, Tara programmed ...
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As Vice-President of Showcase and Drama Content for Canwest Broadcasting, Tara oversees original scripted programming for the conventional channels Global and E!, and Canwest specialty channels including Showcase. In her prior role as Alliance Atlantis’s VP of Content for Showcase, Tara programmed the leading Canadian drama specialty channel, leading acquisitions and the original production slates of dramatic and documentary series. In her previous position of Director, Original Production for Showcase, Tara oversaw the creative development and production of Showcase original series including BILLABLE HOURS, BLISS, WEBDREAMS and SLINGS & ARROWS. Prior to working at Alliance Atlantis, Tara was Executive in charge of Production for CBC-TV’s Movies & Mini-series unit and also programmed Canadian short films and features for the Cinema Canada strand on the network. In 2000, the Globe & Mail named Tara as one of the 40 Most Influential People in Canadian Television for her efforts in bringing new talent to Canadian airwaves. Tara has served as co-chair on the board of directors for Women in Film & Television–Toronto. [ Minimize ]

As the Creative Head of CBC's Digital Channels, Bruce is responsible for running bold and documentary channels. He returned to the corporation in 2008 after a successful tenure at CTV / Discovery Channel where he headed up Animal Planet, Discovery Civilization, and travel and escape....
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As the Creative Head of CBC's Digital Channels, Bruce is responsible for running bold and documentary channels. He returned to the corporation in 2008 after a successful tenure at CTV / Discovery Channel where he headed up Animal Planet, Discovery Civilization, and travel and escape. [ Minimize ]

Erica Benson's career in the television industry spans more than 20 years and includes work in the pay TV, specialty television, public broadcasting, independent production, and funding agency sectors. As the Vice President, Programming for Movie Central, HBO Canada, Sundance Channel, and DUSK, Eric...
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Erica Benson's career in the television industry spans more than 20 years and includes work in the pay TV, specialty television, public broadcasting, independent production, and funding agency sectors. As the Vice President, Programming for Movie Central, HBO Canada, Sundance Channel, and DUSK, Erica oversees all aspects of scheduling and original production for the services.

In addition to showcasing Hollywood box office hits and independent films, Movie Central is the western Canadian partner in HBO Canada; and, first window for the best in programming from Showtime and Starz. The service is also home to Canadian feature films and original Canadian drama series. Sundance Channel launched March 2010 offering Canadian viewers the best of the acclaimed international brand. DUSK is a specialty television service with an emphasis on thrillers,and programmes with supernatural themes.

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Emily is a seasoned programmer with multi-channel experience in a variety of genres. She has been working in Lifestyle/ Factual programming for the past four years since she took over the running of Food Network Canada in 2006. She was responsible for the launch of DIY Network Canada in September, 2...
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Emily is a seasoned programmer with multi-channel experience in a variety of genres. She has been working in Lifestyle/ Factual programming for the past four years since she took over the running of Food Network Canada in 2006. She was responsible for the launch of DIY Network Canada in September, 2009 at the same time as she added responsibility for HGTV Canada to her portfolio. Prior to joining the Lifestyle Group, Emily was the Vice-President, Content for three dramatic networks; Showcase Action, Showcase Diva and IFC. Emily’s broadcasting experience includes a two year stint in Sydney, Australia, where she was the Director of Programming for two movie based pay television services. Her first assignment in the Canadian industry was with the Astral Communications Group, where she programmed The Movie Network and oversaw the successful launch of Moviepix, Canada’s first classic movie service. Her interest in regulatory affairs also took her to the Department of Canadian Heritage, where she advised on broadcasting policy.

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I am a television addict! I grew up in London Ontario and studied Film and Communications at McGill and The University of Western Ontario. I thought I was going to be the next Diane Sawyer...but discovered my true calling was behind the scenes. I started my career producing for Canada’s first day...
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I am a television addict! I grew up in London Ontario and studied Film and Communications at McGill and The University of Western Ontario. I thought I was going to be the next Diane Sawyer...but discovered my true calling was behind the scenes. I started my career producing for Canada’s first daytime talk show, The Shirley Show and then spent several years producing talk shows in the USA. Productions included, Universal Television’s, Sally Jesse Raphael and Paramount Pictures, The Montel Williams Show and was also a development producer for Telepictures and Pearson Television. In 2001 I moved back to Toronto and began working for Alliance Atlantis as a Production Executive for HGTV, and then moved on to become Director of Original Production for HGTV and Food Network Canada. In January 2005, I became Director of Original Production for Slice and National Geographic Channel and this year added TVtropolis to my roster. [ Minimize ]

Marty Ballentyne is the Manager of Programming, Western Region, for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, and is based in Vancouver. Marty began his career in television in northern Saskatchewan in the late 90’s and has been with APTN since winter 2007....
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Marty Ballentyne is the Manager of Programming, Western Region, for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, and is based in Vancouver. Marty began his career in television in northern Saskatchewan in the late 90’s and has been with APTN since winter 2007. [ Minimize ]

As Director, Interactive for Astral Television Networks, Barbara Bailie is responsible for the strategic direction and production of interactive properties for eight television networks - Family, Disney Playhouse Canada, The Movie Network, HBO Canada, Mpix, Viewers Choice, Super Écran, and Cinépop. ...
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As Director, Interactive for Astral Television Networks, Barbara Bailie is responsible for the strategic direction and production of interactive properties for eight television networks - Family, Disney Playhouse Canada, The Movie Network, HBO Canada, Mpix, Viewers Choice, Super Écran, and Cinépop. These networks serve a variety of audiences ranging from children to adults in both the English and French markets in Canada. Ms. Bailie was responsible for launching Astral Media’s first website, family.ca, in May 1997. Under her guidance, family.ca has now grown to become one of the top Canadian kids’ web sites. According to Comscore, family.ca frequently ranks as one of the most popular kids’ entertainment sites against its key competitors. Targeted to kids 8 to 14, the site features games and activities, short and full-length broadband video contests, program mini-sites, moderated message boards, and user-generated content submitted by kids. All of the websites under her direction have won numerous awards which include a 2007 Gemini Award for the Life with Derek mini-site on family.ca and 19 Gold, Silver and Bronze BDA/Promax Awards in a variety of categories such as best consumer site, best game, best micro-site, and best viral marketing campaign. Most recently family.ca’s new video player won a 2009 BDA Award and FamClub, family.ca’s community portal for kids won a 2009 Promax Award. [ Minimize ]

Michael Taylor, a 25-year television industry executive, is the President of Peace Arch Television Ltd., a division of Peace Arch Entertainment Group, a Canadian publicly traded entertainment company with offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles and New York. Prior to Peace Arch, Taylor was Vi...
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Michael Taylor, a 25-year television industry executive, is the President of Peace Arch Television Ltd., a division of Peace Arch Entertainment Group, a Canadian publicly traded entertainment company with offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles and New York. Prior to Peace Arch, Taylor was Vice President of Programming at Craig Media Inc., Canada's largest privately held television broadcasting company which owned MTV Canada, TV Land Canada and six over-the-air conventional television stations. Taylor was at Craig until its sale to CHUM Limited, for $260 million. He was responsible for the acquisition and scheduling of all television programs, from suppliers including all of the major US studios and Major League Baseball, the NFL, NASCAR, the NBA independent production companies and suppliers. Prior to his tenure at Craig Media, Taylor was CEO at Unified Entertainment, a full-service television distribution and co-production company. Taylor was the CEO of Ewireless Canada Corporation, the Canadian division of a Chicago-based company that created a patented, abbreviated wireless dialing service for direct response radio and outdoor advertisers. Taylor started off in the production and distribution industry at Telegenic Programs where he worked his way up to the position of President & Chief Operating Officer. Telegenic was Canada’s largest independent full-service television program, home entertainment, merchandise, production and licensing entertainment company. Taylor has been an Executive Producer and a Production Executive on more than $150 million of Canadian content productions, including ½-hour series, 1-hour dramas, films, mini-series and made for TV movies. Taylor’s production credits include: The Tudors (2008-2009) – 1 Hour Television Series - Production Executive - 18 episodes; Shred II (2008) – Film – Executive Consultant; Guns (2008) – 4 Hour Mini Series – Executive Producer; Shred (2008) – Film – Executive Consultant; Maneater (2007) – Film – Executive Producer; Something Beneath (2007) – Film – Executive Producer; Nightmare (2007) – Film – Executive Producer; Eye Of The Beast (2007) – Film – Executive Producer; Passion's Web (2007) – Film – Executive Producer; Hybrid (2007) – Film – Executive Producer; Luna: Spirit of the Whale (2007) – Made For TV Movie - Production Executive; Eye of the Beast (2007) – Film – Executive Producer; Mr. Men (1997-1998) – ½ Hour Television Series - Executive Producer - 22 episodes; Two (1996-1997) – 1 Hour Television Series - Executive Producer - 22 episodes; Song of Hiawatha (1997) – Film - Executive Producer; Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years – 1 Hour Television Series - Co-Executive Producer - 22 episodes; The Pathfinder (1996) – Film - Executive Producer; Lonesome Dove: The Series – 1 Hour Television Series - Co-Executive Producer - 21 episodes. [ Minimize ]

Frank Wiering is a film- and documentary maker and is presently Editor in Chief of VPRO Television. VPRO is a Dutch public broadcasting company that operates in various media, producing radio and television programs, filling digital theme channels, operation innovative websites, publishing a program...
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Frank Wiering is a film- and documentary maker and is presently Editor in Chief of VPRO Television. VPRO is a Dutch public broadcasting company that operates in various media, producing radio and television programs, filling digital theme channels, operation innovative websites, publishing a program guide and organizing cultural activities for members. Every week the VPRO broadcasts an average of 19 hours of television and 57 hours of radio. Frank has been with VPRO since the early years and has made his mark in many ways. Together with his colleague Karen de Bok, Frank is responsible for the development and commissioning of television programs and formats. Since the 1970’s he has worked as a documentary maker for VPRO, among others for the current affairs and documentary program Backlight. After working for several years as editor-in-chief for Backlight, he became head of the television department in 2006. The VPRO is part of the Dutch public broadcasting system, which comprises the Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation, eight other major broadcasting companies and several smaller broadcasting organizations. [ Minimize ]

Mary is the Vice President of guru studio and is involved in all aspects of running the Studio. Guru is a full service animation studio creating content cross platforms as well as producing commercials, and providing animation service work for long form series (‘The Backyardigans”, “Babar”). She als...
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Mary is the Vice President of guru studio and is involved in all aspects of running the Studio. Guru is a full service animation studio creating content cross platforms as well as producing commercials, and providing animation service work for long form series (‘The Backyardigans”, “Babar”). She also heads up the development of Original Content for guru studio and is always looking to acquire new properties or concepts for guru’s growing development slate. During her 3 years at guru, the studio has gone into production on its first show, JUSTIN TIME for Family Channel/Playhouse Disney and has 2 shows in development with major broadcasters. Mary’s focus is on bringing the best people together to create great content. Previously her jobs included 8 years at the Disney Channels in London, England, as Director of Programming + Acquisitions for the Worldwide Programming Strategy group and Director of Acquisitions for Viasat, the broadcast division of the Modern Times Group. She held a variety of production and business affairs/legal jobs with producers including Nelvana. Mary moved back to Toronto in 2007, after 15 years of living in Europe including four years in Paris, prior to living in London. In addition, Mary was on the Board of Directors of CASO (Computer Animation Studios of Ontario) and is presently on the Board of WIFT - T. Mary is also a fully qualified lawyer called to the Bar of Ontario. [ Minimize ]

Tom Hastings is the Creative Head of CBC Drama. Hastings has extensive experience with all aspects of TV drama development, licensing and production, as well as strong relationships with writers, directors and producers – advocating for creativity and originality. Hastings originally joined the ...
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Tom Hastings is the Creative Head of CBC Drama. Hastings has extensive experience with all aspects of TV drama development, licensing and production, as well as strong relationships with writers, directors and producers – advocating for creativity and originality. Hastings originally joined the CBC drama department in 2007 as an Executive in Charge of Production. In this role, he was responsible for the development of a broad menu of Canadian and international drama for broadcast (series, limited series, mini-series, TV movies) and supervised the production and delivery of drama programming for the network’s prime time schedule. Prior to CBC, Hastings worked as a Production Executive at Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. and Manager of Research at National Geographic Channel Canada and he has extensive relationships in Canada’s independent production and literary communities as well as a proven track record managing Canadian and international productions. Hastings also holds a doctorate degree, having obtained his Ph.D. in English Literature and is a specialist in Canadian and Commonwealth literatures with numerous publications in those fields, including a book-length study of Canadian fiction of the First World War. [ Minimize ]

Vice-President, Development & Distribution at Muse Entertainment, Jesse Prupas produced his first series in 2008, the live-action comedy Family Biz (YTV/France 2) and managed to greenlit Muse’s first animated project, a mystery series for 6-9 year-olds titled The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog (TVO/TF...
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Vice-President, Development & Distribution at Muse Entertainment, Jesse Prupas produced his first series in 2008, the live-action comedy Family Biz (YTV/France 2) and managed to greenlit Muse’s first animated project, a mystery series for 6-9 year-olds titled The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog (TVO/TFO/SRC/France 5) which was produced in 2009. Prupas was also an associate producer on the award-winning and critically-acclaimed series Durham County (TMN/Movie Central/Ion). Prupas produced four TV movies in 2007: The Watch, Too Young To Marry, I Me Wed and Girl’s Best Friend. That same year he served as associate producer on four other TV movies: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Black Swarm, Swamp Devil and Infected. In 2006, he produced three TV movies: Proof of Lies, House Sitter and Tipping Point. In 2005, he produced the TV movies Mind Over Murder and Black Widower. In 2010, Prupas will be producing two interactive projects, The Alfred Hedgehog Mystery Club based on the animated series, and Race To Rome an interactive game based on Muse Entertainment’s upcoming event mini-series Ben Hur. Prupas will also be developing a new slate of dramatic and comedy series, kids & tween series, TV movies, mini-series and feature films for Canadian, US and international markets. He will also oversee Muse Entertainment’s efforts to develop New Media projects destined for the web and the company’s footprint online. Prupas also oversees Muse Distribution International and is responsible for selling television content in Canada, the United States and around the world. In this distribution capacity, Prupas put together Muse Entertainment’s first licensing deal, a series of educational book with Oxford University Press based on The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog. Jesse Prupas got his break in the industry as a writer on the animated series Mona the Vampire (Cinar/YTV/France 2) and as a unit department intern on the teen series Student Bodies. Prupas is a graduate of Columbia University and the United World College of the Atlantic. He is an avid gamer, swimmer, skier and yoga practitioner. [ Minimize ]

Michael is the Area Executive Producer of Independent Documentaries at CBC Television and Newsworld and is responsible for overseeing and coordinating all independent documentary production for English television. Michael is a two-time Gemini Award winning documentary producer and director. As ...
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Michael is the Area Executive Producer of Independent Documentaries at CBC Television and Newsworld and is responsible for overseeing and coordinating all independent documentary production for English television. Michael is a two-time Gemini Award winning documentary producer and director. As one of the two senior producers of “Hockey: A People’s History”, he oversaw the 10-part television series. Before running ‘Life and Times’ between 1998 and 2004, he was also senior producer of documentaries for ‘The National Magazine’, and documentary film editor at ‘The Journal’, where he did extensive international field-work, as well as studio-based editing. Michael has a bachelor of applied arts in radio and television from Ryerson University and a master of science in communications from Syracuse University. [ Minimize ]

Susan Kelly is the Director of Business, Rights and Content Management for CBC TV Arts & Entertainment. She leads the business group that negotiates deals with the independent producers who produce original scripted programs for CBC and bold, such as Little Mosque on the Prairie, Being Erica, Heart...
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Susan Kelly is the Director of Business, Rights and Content Management for CBC TV Arts & Entertainment. She leads the business group that negotiates deals with the independent producers who produce original scripted programs for CBC and bold, such as Little Mosque on the Prairie, Being Erica, Heartland and Rick Mercer Report. In addition, she supervises the business aspects of CBC’s recently announced feature film initiative. She has a background in law, having started out her career at a large Bay Street law firm. She has been in the film and television industry for 14 years, and prior to joining CBC in 2002, she worked at CHUM Television, at a boutique entertainment law firm representing producers and talent, and also at a leading edge interactive television production shop. [ Minimize ]

As Production Executive for Women's Television at Corus Entertainment, Claire is responsible for overseeing the development and production of original programming on W Network, VIVA, and Cosmo TV. Projects Claire has worked on include Love It or List It and Inside the Box with Ty Pennington. Prior t...
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As Production Executive for Women's Television at Corus Entertainment, Claire is responsible for overseeing the development and production of original programming on W Network, VIVA, and Cosmo TV. Projects Claire has worked on include Love It or List It and Inside the Box with Ty Pennington. Prior to joining Corus, Claire was an independent film and television producer with multiple genres under her belt. Claire also has extensive experience in post production. She continues to produce her own projects, and is currently developing the feature film adaptation of the bestselling memoir, Prisoner of Tehran. [ Minimize ]

Elliot Jacobson is Senior Vice President of Programming and Production for RLTV, with responsibility for the design and execution of the network's programming strategy, Elliot oversees the development and production of all original programming, as well as the network’s acquisition, scheduling and di...
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Elliot Jacobson is Senior Vice President of Programming and Production for RLTV, with responsibility for the design and execution of the network's programming strategy, Elliot oversees the development and production of all original programming, as well as the network’s acquisition, scheduling and digital media teams. Elliot has been instrumental in developing key talent relationships (Walter Cronkite, Florence Henderson, Gary Marshall and Dr Ruth) and Co-pro partnerships (AARP, NBC, AAA and US News and World Report) for the network and recently launched, NBC's "Meet the Press" on RLTV, the first time the perennial news flagship has aired outside of NBCU. Prior to RLTV Jacobson served as Executive Director of Laureate Media, Vice President of Production for Mallorca Entertainment and has had an extensive career as an award winning producer and director, Elliot has written and produced factual and scripted show, commercials and the feature films: "Coyote" and "Sally and Mickey". [ Minimize ]

Carole Bonneau is the Vice-President, Programming for TELETOON Canada Inc., the country’s first and only 24-hour bilingual animation station. In this capacity, she is responsible for program schedules and acquisitions for 4 distinct networks: TELETOON English, TELETOON French, TELETOON Retro (Eng), ...
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Carole Bonneau is the Vice-President, Programming for TELETOON Canada Inc., the country’s first and only 24-hour bilingual animation station. In this capacity, she is responsible for program schedules and acquisitions for 4 distinct networks: TELETOON English, TELETOON French, TELETOON Retro (Eng), and TELETOON Retro (Fr), as well as the continued growth and advancement of one of TELETOON’s acclaimed talents: the development and production of original animated programming.

Carole joined TELETOON in November, 1996 as Director of Programming responsible for program schedules and acquisitions. She became the Vice-President, Programming in December 2001. Since joining TELETOON, Carole has been instrumental in fostering Canadian talent. Under her leadership, each year, 47% of TELETOON’S annual revenue is allocated towards the acquisition or development of animated series by Canadian producers. Some of the most notable programs include: 6TEEN, Johnny Test, and Total Drama Island.

Significant accomplishments include her leadership role in cementing long term relationships with, amongst others, Warner Bros., and Cartoon Network.

Carole has been working in the television industry since 1981, and came to TELETOON from TFO, TVOntario’s French Educational TV Network where, as the Director of Network and Promotion, had already achieved significant success in a competitive industry, both at home and abroad. Prior to that, she was a journalist with Radio-Canada, the country’s national public broadcaster.

Carole is fluent in English and French. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and journalism from l’Université Laval in Quebec. She also studied at Centre de Formation Journalistique in Paris, France. Carole is a member of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, and a member of Women in Film and Television (WIFT).

Carole is married with two children and resides in Toronto, Ontario. [ Minimize ]

- Mr. Millar is responsible for Channel Zero’s finance and administration including investor relations and business operations. Mr. Millar oversees all business development initiatives and strategic investments for the networks. - Mr. Millar provides management and oversight of all marketing initi...
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- Mr. Millar is responsible for Channel Zero’s finance and administration including investor relations and business operations. Mr. Millar oversees all business development initiatives and strategic investments for the networks. - Mr. Millar provides management and oversight of all marketing initiatives for the business. - Mr. Millar holds a graduate degree in Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business, and brings more than 20 years of diverse business and marketing experience. Prior to co-founding the company, he was President of Impact Graffiti - a Toronto-based advertising agency and magazine publisher. - Mr. Millar has served on numerous Not-for-Profit and Hospital boards, including Bloorview Kid’s Rehab and is past Treasurer of Palliative Care Services for York Region. [ Minimize ]

Lisa is the Senior Director of Business, Rights & Content Management (“BRC”) for CBC English Services. BRC determines how CBC Television obtains, uses and maintains the rights to its content as well as how CBC Television structures the business deals it makes (including what funding CBC Television ...
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Lisa is the Senior Director of Business, Rights & Content Management (“BRC”) for CBC English Services. BRC determines how CBC Television obtains, uses and maintains the rights to its content as well as how CBC Television structures the business deals it makes (including what funding CBC Television contributes – both from CBC and through the CMF). Lisa has been a guest speaker on entertainment related topics for a variety of organizations including the Saskatchewan Motion Picture Association, Humber College, Insight, Summer Institute of Film and Television and Dalhousie Law School. She served on the Board of Directors of Women in Film & Television (Toronto) between 2001 and 2006 and Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI) between 2003 and 2006 and continues to sit on WIFTI’s advisory board. Prior to working at CBC, Lisa was a partner at the law firm McCarthy Tetrault where she specialised in intellectual property litigation including copyright, trademark, defamation and patent disputes. [ Minimize ]

Marguerite is Super Channel's Creative Development Group Lead, directing a team of development executives nationally, fulfilling the effective disbursement of Super Channel's Creative Development fund. In addition to her work for Super Channel, Marguerite is also Principal of Megalomedia Inc., a con...
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Marguerite is Super Channel's Creative Development Group Lead, directing a team of development executives nationally, fulfilling the effective disbursement of Super Channel's Creative Development fund. In addition to her work for Super Channel, Marguerite is also Principal of Megalomedia Inc., a consulting company focusing on script development and project marketability. Recent clients include Back Alley Films, Seven24, Amaze Film + TV, Michael McGowan and Screen Sirens. She has story edited many films including One Week, Finn on the Fly, Poor Boy's Game, Walk All Over Me and Luna: Spirit of the Whale. For the Toronto International Film Festival, Marguerite was a Programmer on the Canadian Feature Film Selection Committee for the 2006 and 2007 festivals. Previously, Marguerite was Vice President of Development and Production for Odeon Films, an Alliance Atlantis Company. In this capacity, she oversaw the evaluation, selection, development and production of Canadian projects acquired for distribution. She Executive Produced Saint Ralph, Fubar, waydowntown, Flower and Garnet and others. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Ontario Media Development Corporation and of World Literacy of Canada, and she is on the Advisory Board of Reel Canada and of the Humber Media Studies Film and Television Program. She has taught across Canada and has been a guest speaker at Toronto International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, Atlantic Film Festival, the Canadian Film Centre, the National Screen Institute and has also sat on numerous juries. [ Minimize ]

Richard J. Paradis represents the interests of Super Channel for Business Affairs – Government relations, and liaison with Quebec producers for creative development. He also represents the interests of SuperU.ca, a new interactive website for Canadians interested in film making - Super Channel is Ca...
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Richard J. Paradis represents the interests of Super Channel for Business Affairs – Government relations, and liaison with Quebec producers for creative development. He also represents the interests of SuperU.ca, a new interactive website for Canadians interested in film making - Super Channel is Canada’s only CRTC licensed national English language Pay-Television service -. He is also President of Le Groupe CIC (Communication-Information-Culture) a market research and communications consulting firm based in Montreal. Richard Paradis, has worked both in the public and private sectors, holding different policy making positions at Bell Canada ( 1975-76), the CRTC (1976-78,1982-83) and the department of Communications in Ottawa (1983-86) and the Quebec department of Communications in Quebec city (1978-82). As President of Le Groupe CIC, a successful communications and telecommunications consulting firm in Montreal (since 1986), he has developed in-depth knowledge of radio, sound recording, cinema, television, telecommunications and cultural industries. From 1997 to 2003 he was President of the Canadian Association of Film distributors and exporters (CAFDE) representing the interests of the most important Canadian owned and operated audiovisual distribution companies in Canada. In 2003, he became Chief of staff in the office of the Minister of Social Development and also in the office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage. Richard returned to his activities at Groupe CIC in 2005. In addition, he teaches regularly, since 1986, at the department of Communications at l’Université de Montréal, courses about the History of media, Communications policy, Cultural Industries, Audience Research methodology, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He also teaches at HEC Montreal on occasion. Richard Paradis is a past member of the Board of the Canadian Television Fund (CTF), executive member of the Board of the Banff Television Foundation, executive member of the Canadian Cultural Trade Advisory Board, member of the executive of the Quebec Cultural Observatory, member of the Board of the Société des auteurs-compositeurs dramatiques (SACD), the Canadian Alliance for the preservation of Audiovisual materials and the Société civile des auteurs multimédias (SCAM). He is also a member of the International Communications Institute, the Canadian Conference of the Arts and the Academy of Canadian cinema and television. [ Minimize ]

Maureen is Super Channel's Creative Development Representative for Canada's Western and Northern regions, working with the independent production community to develop feature films and documentaries. She is a co-founder of Vision TV and Manager of its Western Region office from 1994 to 2005. Maureen...
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Maureen is Super Channel's Creative Development Representative for Canada's Western and Northern regions, working with the independent production community to develop feature films and documentaries. She is a co-founder of Vision TV and Manager of its Western Region office from 1994 to 2005. Maureen was First Assistant Editor on the Canadian film classic, The Grey Fox, and on such series as The Beachcombers and The Canadian Establishment. Her commissioning portfolio includes over 120 Canadian documentaries from one-offs to series and 13 dramas, from MOWs to indie features. It includes international award winning Canadian docs such as The Corporation and Scared Sacred. Maureen was Executive Producer for Vision TV on multiple television series such as The MEN’show, the first men’s talk show in North America, and Let's Sing Again. She holds a Masters in Communications from Simon Fraser University and lives in Victoria. [ Minimize ]

Vanessa is responsible for overseeing the programming strategies for Slice and Discovery Health Channel, two highly regarded lifestyle properties in the Canwest group of specialty networks. In this role, overseeing original production, acquisitions and scheduling are key responsibilities as well as...
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Vanessa is responsible for overseeing the programming strategies for Slice and Discovery Health Channel, two highly regarded lifestyle properties in the Canwest group of specialty networks. In this role, overseeing original production, acquisitions and scheduling are key responsibilities as well as managing all original content for TVtropolis. As Vice President for these three Canwest channels, Vanessa brings her years of experience working in the lifestyle genre and delivers top ratings and award winning titles to the networks schedules. Prior to her assuming her current role, she was responsible for overseeing programming efforts on HGTV Canada and National Geographic Channel. Since 1995 Vanessa has been with Atlantis, later to become Alliance Atlantis and most recently Canwest Media Inc. During her tenure, she has played vital roles in numerous endeavors, including programming the conventional channel E! Canada, the original launch of Life Network and subsequently, the successful re-branding of Life Network into Slice. She was responsible for bringing over 200 hours of original content to Slice’s schedule in its first year. [ Minimize ]

Patrice Baillargeon joined Rogers Broadcasting in 2008 as Director of Development & Production for Citytv, OLN, Bio and G4. His current slate includes Conviction Kitchen, Murdoch Mysteries, Dussault Inc., and Les Stroud’s new series, Vanishing Worlds.

Patrice has been overseeing OLN...
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Patrice Baillargeon joined Rogers Broadcasting in 2008 as Director of Development & Production for Citytv, OLN, Bio and G4. His current slate includes Conviction Kitchen, Murdoch Mysteries, Dussault Inc., and Les Stroud’s new series, Vanishing Worlds.

Patrice has been overseeing OLN’s Canadian original production since 2005 and has worked with independent producers on homegrown series Departures, Mantracker, The Beat, Word Travels, Crash Addicts, Angry Planet and Survivorman, among others. Prior to his joining OLN, Patrice was at Alliance Atlantis Communications, most recently as Program Manager for Food Network and HGTV Canada.

Patrice holds an Honours B.A in Communication Studies from Université du Québec à Montréal and a Master’s Degree from The University of Western Ontario. [ Minimize ]

Miklos has worked on both sides of the camera for nearly twenty years. As an actor, he worked on several series including, Road to Avonlea, Student Bodies and Inside the Osmonds. He also voiced several animated characters, including Quentin MacCloud in Highlander: The Animated Series. After gra...
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Miklos has worked on both sides of the camera for nearly twenty years. As an actor, he worked on several series including, Road to Avonlea, Student Bodies and Inside the Osmonds. He also voiced several animated characters, including Quentin MacCloud in Highlander: The Animated Series. After graduating The Canadian Film Centre, Mik spent two seasons as story editor on Degrassi: The Next Generation, for which he was awarded a Canadian Screenwriting Award, and on Instant Star, a series he developed for Epitome Pictures and CTV. Mik is currently Head of Content Development for marblemedia. [ Minimize ]

Jeff Young joined Starz Animation Toronto as Vice President, Finance, in 2007, and has subsequently expanded his role into business development and strategy. Since taking on these responsibilities, Young has been responsible for developing strategic partnerships with producers as well as financial,...
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Jeff Young joined Starz Animation Toronto as Vice President, Finance, in 2007, and has subsequently expanded his role into business development and strategy. Since taking on these responsibilities, Young has been responsible for developing strategic partnerships with producers as well as financial, and distribution partners, generating co-development agreements and the acquisition of intellectual property rights. He also helped negotiate multiple production deals for the studio. Young is an alumnus of KPMG and held CFO positions with two major Canadian companies prior to joining Starz Animation Toronto. He is a native of Mount Pearl, NF. A division of Liberty Media’s Starz Media, LLC, Starz Animation Toronto is Canada's leading high-quality digital animation studio, providing major Hollywood studios and independent producers alike with world-class computer-animated content for feature films, DVDs, television series, commercials, visual effects and shorts. The studio is responsible for the production of five consecutive major theatrical animated features to date, including 9 for Focus Features and Tim Burton, Gnomeo & Juliet for Miramax and Rocket Pictures, and Hoodwinked Too!: Hood vs. Evil for Kanbar Entertainment and The Weinstein Co. [ Minimize ]

Martin Irusta is Senior Vice President of Global Programming & Acquisitions at Universal Networks International (UNI), reporting to Roma Khanna, President, Universal Networks & Digital Initiatives. Based in London, Mr Irusta supports UNI’s strategy of launching and managing local pay-TV channels ...
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Martin Irusta is Senior Vice President of Global Programming & Acquisitions at Universal Networks International (UNI), reporting to Roma Khanna, President, Universal Networks & Digital Initiatives. Based in London, Mr Irusta supports UNI’s strategy of launching and managing local pay-TV channels worldwide, driving content strategy for its newly-launched portfolio of five core global brands (Syfy Universal, Diva Universal, 13th Street Universal, Universal Channel and Studio Universal) as part of the company’s growth strategy. As one of the senior management team, Irusta works directly with channel Managing Directors and local programming teams to oversee and guide the content and programming strategy of existing channels, whilst developing and implementing strategies for new channel launches. A further part of Irusta’s remit is to oversee the global acquisitions team to optimize the acquisition, exploitation and customization of new content worldwide. UNI’s brand strategy is supported by a multi-million dollar investment in original and first-run content, with recent examples being Stephen King’s HAVEN (a co-production with E1 Entertainment) starring Emily Rose, ROOKIE BLUE starring Missy Peregrym and Gregory Smith and FACING KATE, starring Sarah Shahi – all underlining UNI’s commitment to work with the best co-production partners to deliver top quality original programming content for global audiences. Prior to his appointment in May 2008, Irusta served most recently as SVP and Deputy Managing Director of Fox International Channels (France). His previous position was as Vice President, Programming Acquisitions & Business Development for Fox International Channels. [ Minimize ]

Robin Gurney is EVP of Development and Production for Imagine Television. Since joining five years ago, she has been instrumental in the creation of the series, "Parenthood," "Lie to Me" and the Emmy Award winning, "Friday Night Lights." This year, she shot three comedy pilots, "TaxMan" and “Most L...
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Robin Gurney is EVP of Development and Production for Imagine Television. Since joining five years ago, she has been instrumental in the creation of the series, "Parenthood," "Lie to Me" and the Emmy Award winning, "Friday Night Lights." This year, she shot three comedy pilots, "TaxMan" and “Most Likely to Succeed” for Fox and "Friends with Benefits" for NBC, and also has comedy pilot, "Staffers" in development for the CBC. Prior to Imagine, Robin ran development for Greg Berlanti's company ("Everwood", "Jack&Bobby") at Warner Brothers, and worked for Francis Coppola's American Zoetrope ("Platinum", "4400"), UPN, Paramount and CBS. Robin was born and raised in Toronto, and has her Honours BFA from York U Theatre. [ Minimize ]

Rebecca began her career in 2004 as the Development Officer for Theatrical Feature Films and Television Drama at CHUM Television. In her three and a half years in that role, she participated in the development of several Canadian independent films (“Partition”, “How She Move”, “Fido”) and series (“L...
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Rebecca began her career in 2004 as the Development Officer for Theatrical Feature Films and Television Drama at CHUM Television. In her three and a half years in that role, she participated in the development of several Canadian independent films (“Partition”, “How She Move”, “Fido”) and series (“Less Than Kind”, “Across the River to Motor City”, Murdoch Mysteries”) for the CHUM family of channels. In 2007 she began a brief stint as the Supervisor of Independent Production for Citytv, where she continued in the development and production of films and television series. In August of 2008, she started as the Manager of Development at SPACE, and is now participating in the development and production of drama and documentary programs in the sci-fi, fantasy and horror genres. Recent projects include “Sanctuary”, “Defying Gravity”, “The Listener”, and the upcoming comedy “Todd & the Book of Pure Evil”. [ Minimize ]

A passionate advocate of Public Broadcasting, Christine has spent her entire career with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation working in Ottawa, Fredericton and Toronto. She has experienced the business from every angle and has enjoyed leadership roles in Television and Radio, Production and Admin...
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A passionate advocate of Public Broadcasting, Christine has spent her entire career with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation working in Ottawa, Fredericton and Toronto. She has experienced the business from every angle and has enjoyed leadership roles in Television and Radio, Production and Administration, at the Network and in the Regions. Most recently Director of Research and then Head of Strategy for the English side of the Corporation, Christine now oversees CBC TV’s schedules as well as the network’s overall on-air and online offers, including content development and evaluation. Born in Brockville Ontario, Christine studied Journalism, Political Science and Statistics to earn her degree from Carleton University in Ottawa. She is married and has two teenaged children. [ Minimize ]

Joe Broido has a wealth of experience in series and longform creative development, production, and production finance. He has functioned as a Producer and Executive Producer of over forty telefilms and miniseries for broadcast and cable networks worldwide, including NBC, CBS, ABC, Global, Lifetime, ...
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Joe Broido has a wealth of experience in series and longform creative development, production, and production finance. He has functioned as a Producer and Executive Producer of over forty telefilms and miniseries for broadcast and cable networks worldwide, including NBC, CBS, ABC, Global, Lifetime, SciFi and Disney. With significant experience in international production and co-production, he has functioned in a senior executive capacity for several domestic and international production organizations, including PorchLight Entertainment, Paragon Entertainment, Broido at Alexander/Enright, and Fred Silveman Productions. He has mounted wholly sponsored films for advertisers such as Hallmark Hall of Fame and Bristol-Myers. Additionally, productions under his guidance have garnered numerous awards and nominations, including: Gemini, Emmy, WGA, Peabody, Christopher, Humanitas and Golden Globe awards. [ Minimize ]

Brent Zacky is an award winning writer/director who has produced non-fiction programming for many cable networks including E! Entertainment Television, Style, A&E, History Channel and AMC. Zacky joined the executive ranks in 2005 at E! Networks where he oversaw such diverse projects as Dr. 90210, Th...
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Brent Zacky is an award winning writer/director who has produced non-fiction programming for many cable networks including E! Entertainment Television, Style, A&E, History Channel and AMC. Zacky joined the executive ranks in 2005 at E! Networks where he oversaw such diverse projects as Dr. 90210, The Girls Next Door and Chelsea Lately. He joined TLC in 2007 as Vice President of Production, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the network’s slate of established and new series and specials, including the Miss America Pageant. He currently serves as Vice President of Development, helping shape the long-term programming strategy for TLC. [ Minimize ]

Diane Rankin is responsible for the strategic growth of Cineflix International's slate of third party programming, overseeing programme investment and representation agreements with leading independent producers and content creators. Diane has most recently negotiated distribution agreements with Fr...
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Diane Rankin is responsible for the strategic growth of Cineflix International's slate of third party programming, overseeing programme investment and representation agreements with leading independent producers and content creators. Diane has most recently negotiated distribution agreements with Frantic Films, Force Four Entertainment, Seven Network Australia, Windfall Films, Glasshead Productions and UKTV. Prior to joining Cineflix, Diane spent 13 years at Brunico Communications Inc. of Toronto, Canada, spearheading development of business-to-business products for the international production, broadcast and marketing sectors. She oversaw Brunico's portfolio of market leading events that included Realscreen Summit, KidScreen Summit and Boards Summit and was responsible for leading print titles Realscreen, KidScreen, Playback, Strategy and Boards. Diane resides in London with her husband and step-kids, supports the Toronto Maple Leafs from afar and Charlton Athletic for her husband's sake (but really supports Arsenal). [ Minimize ]

As senior vice president and general manager of program acquisitions and international development, Harold Gronenthal oversees content acquisitions for and global distribution of Rainbow Media’s AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel, WE tv and Wedding Central.

In this role, Gronenthal has overse...
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As senior vice president and general manager of program acquisitions and international development, Harold Gronenthal oversees content acquisitions for and global distribution of Rainbow Media’s AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel, WE tv and Wedding Central.

In this role, Gronenthal has overseen channel distribution for Sundance Channel in Canada, Belgium, France, Poland, Singapore and South Korea; and WE tv in Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea. He has also negotiated global programming deals for AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv. Domestically, Gronenthal has spearheaded numerous deals for Rainbow with major distributors and independent producers. [ Minimize ]

Overseeing the award-winning teletoon.com which boasts over 100 interactive games and averages over 1.9 million visits per month, Caroline Soucy has extensive and proven experience in reaching kids and tweens through interactive media. Specializing in broadcast interactive environments, she has play...
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Overseeing the award-winning teletoon.com which boasts over 100 interactive games and averages over 1.9 million visits per month, Caroline Soucy has extensive and proven experience in reaching kids and tweens through interactive media. Specializing in broadcast interactive environments, she has played an active role in Canada’s kids’ entertainment and gaming online industries for the last 15 years, having worked on prestigious youth sites such as YTV.com, TVOKids.com and the Microsoft MissionX, during her impressive career. [ Minimize ]

Chris Harris, Director Online Content at Canwest Broadcasting, is responsible for strategy and digital product for more than a dozen broadcast sites including GlobalTV.com, showcase.ca, slice.ca and History.ca. Chris has been at the helm for major changes at GlobalTV.com including a redesign that ge...
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Chris Harris, Director Online Content at Canwest Broadcasting, is responsible for strategy and digital product for more than a dozen broadcast sites including GlobalTV.com, showcase.ca, slice.ca and History.ca. Chris has been at the helm for major changes at GlobalTV.com including a redesign that generated massive growth in key audience metrics and the release of a high-definition broadband player. Chris is an established broadcast digital media leader with more than a decade experience at major Canadian broadcasters. Prior to joining Canwest and Alliance Atlantis, Chris held a handful of posts at CBC.ca in Sports, News and Kids. Among those roles was Sr. Editor of CBC.ca’s 2006 Torino Olympic website – which captured a Canadian New Media Award for Excellence in News & Information, earned Chris a CBC.ca Award of Excellence and helped CBC.ca break traffic records. [ Minimize ]

Kathleen Meek is the Manager of Original Programming for Astral Television Networks’ Movie Services which includes The Movie Network and HBO Canada. The Movie Network is a premium pay television service available in Eastern Canada that offers award-winning Canadian original series and feature films,...
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Kathleen Meek is the Manager of Original Programming for Astral Television Networks’ Movie Services which includes The Movie Network and HBO Canada. The Movie Network is a premium pay television service available in Eastern Canada that offers award-winning Canadian original series and feature films, as well as new and exclusive HBO content, critically acclaimed Showtime and Starz series and premiere access to Hollywood hit movies, uncut and commercial free. The Movie Network service includes five 24 hour multiplex channels – M, HBO Canada, MExcess, MFun! and MFest. Kathleen is responsible for the development and production of original series and movies for the network such as the original movie “Fakers” and the mini-series “Pillars of the Earth”. She is also manages the pre-licensing and acquisition of Canadian feature films. Prior to joining Astral Media she was a development and production executive at CTV, involved in such programs as Degrassi: The Next Generation and Mayerthorpe. She also serves on the board of the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. [ Minimize ]

Claire Dion is the Associate Director of three private Funds: the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund which funds digital interactive content associated with television programs, and the Independent Production Fund and Cogeco Program Development Fund which support the development and production of Can...
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Claire Dion is the Associate Director of three private Funds: the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund which funds digital interactive content associated with television programs, and the Independent Production Fund and Cogeco Program Development Fund which support the development and production of Canadian television drama. She is responsible for all activities of these Funds in Quebec. She was also a consultant for Shaw Cablesystems Fund in Quebec from 1997 to 1999 and for the Canwest Promotion of Programming Fund in Quebec in 2003. From 1980 to 1987 Claire Dion held positions as script advisor and Director of Development and Production at SOGEC (formerly IQC, SGCQ and SOGIC). Following that, she served as editor of a healthcare business periodical, taught a scriptwriting course for television at the Université du Québec in Montreal, was associate producer for the development of director Robert Favreau’s feature film L’Ange Noir, and was script editor of the first season of the series Super Sans Plomb for Société Radio Canada. Claire Dion received a B.A. in television studies from Concordia University and a Masters Degree in Cinema from the University of Southern California. She chaired the largest community medical and social services centre in Montreal, CLSC Côte-des-Neiges, for 10 years. She sat on the Board of le Centre de réadaption l’Intégrale and on the Board of Femmes du cinéma de la télévision et des nouveaux médias de Montréal. She is a member of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television and vice-president of the Fondation Marijo. [ Minimize ]

Shihui Cheng is SVP of LIC China and Head of Production at LIC’s busy TV and Film Production Centre in Beijing. As such she has responsibility for LIC’s 5 branded programming blocks, 3 of which are broadcast daily, plus developing initiatives for co-production and re-versioning. Prior to joining ...
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Shihui Cheng is SVP of LIC China and Head of Production at LIC’s busy TV and Film Production Centre in Beijing. As such she has responsibility for LIC’s 5 branded programming blocks, 3 of which are broadcast daily, plus developing initiatives for co-production and re-versioning. Prior to joining LIC in early 2006, Shihui worked in production for three years for the BBC World Service. Closer to home she has produced a weekly historical feature for Phoenix TV in Hong Kong, a daily bilingual magazine program for CCTV in Beijing, and also produced and presented television and radio programs in her home province of Anhui. Shihui has a BA from the Institute of Foreign Languages at Anhui University, plus MA degrees from Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, University of Central England. [ Minimize ]

Based in London and reporting to UNI's Senior VP of Global Programming and Acquistions, Martin Irusta, Fraser Robinson is responsible for initiating and managing creative co-production partnerships for UNI's newly-launched portfolio of five core global brands (Syfy Universal, Diva Universal, 13th St...
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Based in London and reporting to UNI's Senior VP of Global Programming and Acquistions, Martin Irusta, Fraser Robinson is responsible for initiating and managing creative co-production partnerships for UNI's newly-launched portfolio of five core global brands (Syfy Universal, Diva Universal, 13th Street Universal, Universal Channel and Studio Universal) as part of the company’s growth strategy. Specifically focused on seeking out hour-long science fiction and crime programs, Fraser is actively furthering UNI’s commitment to work with co-production partners the world over to deliver top quality original programming content for global audiences. Most recently, Fraser has been UNI’s supervising executive on the series SHATTERED, HAVEN and FACING KATE. Prior to joining UNI, Fraser worked for more than fifteen years in both production and creative development for various networks and production companies, including MTV and CBC, and was most recently Director of Content at SPACE (CTVGlobemedia) in Canada. [ Minimize ]

Caroline Underwood is a Senior Producer with the CBC's Science and Natural History Unit and its flagship programme, the multi-award-winning series "The Nature of Things with David Suzuki" that explores issues, discoveries and events in the worlds of science, medicine, technology, wildlife and the en...
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Caroline Underwood is a Senior Producer with the CBC's Science and Natural History Unit and its flagship programme, the multi-award-winning series "The Nature of Things with David Suzuki" that explores issues, discoveries and events in the worlds of science, medicine, technology, wildlife and the environment. The series will be celebrating its 50th season in the fall of 2010.
Caroline Underwood has also produced, directed and written more than twenty-five award-winning documentaries including: “Up Close and Personal the Ecology of David Suzuki”, the limited series “Antarctic Mission” and “Walking with Ghosts” for "The Nature of Things" and independent production companies. [ Minimize ]

As Acquisitions Manager for ITV Studios Global Entertainment Gary McDonagh manages over 600 hours of annual non-scripted programmes, acquired from production companies through distribution advances, deficit financing and development funding. He is also responsible for securing co-production finances...
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As Acquisitions Manager for ITV Studios Global Entertainment Gary McDonagh manages over 600 hours of annual non-scripted programmes, acquired from production companies through distribution advances, deficit financing and development funding. He is also responsible for securing co-production finances. ITV Studios Global Entertainment is one of the world’s largest, most successful distributors. It has sales offices in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong, UK and the USA. It is owned by ITV, the UK’s largest commercial broadcast network. Recent acquisitions include Animal Autopsy, Ancients Behaving Badly, Future Food and I Shouldn’t Be Alive. Prior to joining ITV in 2006, McDonagh was a factual producer and director. He produced 100 Greatest Albums for VH1 as well as filming/directing Traffic Cops for BBC1 and Animal Precinct New York / Animal Cops Detroit for Animal Planet US and International. He has also run his own production company, Strawberry Blonde Productions, producing for Bravo, Channel 4, MTV Networks and Sky Television. Outside of ITV, McDonagh is a keen photographer and has written for trade magazine Broadcast. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Stirling, Scotland and the University of Kansas, USA. [ Minimize ]

Anna Gecan is the VP of Original Programming at HGTV in New York. Prior to working in the States, Anna was the VP of Content at BBC Canada and at HGTV Canada, where she successfully launched dozens of original series. Additionally, Anna worked as Director of Original Programming at Food Network C...
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Anna Gecan is the VP of Original Programming at HGTV in New York. Prior to working in the States, Anna was the VP of Content at BBC Canada and at HGTV Canada, where she successfully launched dozens of original series. Additionally, Anna worked as Director of Original Programming at Food Network Canada and HGTV Canada. She started her career in television as a producer on CBC’s flagship current affairs show and worked from London for many years as a journalist. [ Minimize ]

Corrie Coe Corrie is Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs at CTVglobemedia, Canada’s largest private broadcaster. Corrie is responsible for the legal and business affairs for the Canadian programming commissioned by the CTV network and for CTV’s numerous specialty and digital channels,...
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Corrie Coe Corrie is Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs at CTVglobemedia, Canada’s largest private broadcaster. Corrie is responsible for the legal and business affairs for the Canadian programming commissioned by the CTV network and for CTV’s numerous specialty and digital channels, including The Comedy Network, Bravo! and Space. In addition, she is responsible for the administration of the various programming benefits packages. Corrie joined CTV from the Canadian Television Fund, where she was Senior Director – Legal, Policy and Corporate Affairs. Previously, she worked at the Ontario Film Development Corporation, initially as in-house counsel and then as Executive-Coordinator of the Ontario Film Investment Program. Prior to joining the OFDC, Corrie practiced entertainment, corporate commercial and intellectual property law at Smith, Lyons in Toronto. Corrie currently sits on the Board of Governors of the Actra Fraternal Benefit Society and formerly served as a Director on the Board of the Canadian Television Fund. [ Minimize ]

Linda Laughlin is a Senior Producer with CBC's Independent Documentary Unit. She commissions and oversees documentaries and specials for the network series "Doc Zone". For 9 years she was the Series Producer for CBC's award-winning biography series "Life and Times". She also produced, directed ...
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Linda Laughlin is a Senior Producer with CBC's Independent Documentary Unit. She commissions and oversees documentaries and specials for the network series "Doc Zone". For 9 years she was the Series Producer for CBC's award-winning biography series "Life and Times". She also produced, directed and wrote Life and Times biographies, winning a Gemini for her profile of hockey legend Jean Beliveau Prior to joining "Life and Times" Linda was Senior Producer of Current Affairs at CBLT. She began her CBC career at "The Journal" and went on to work as a field producer for CBLT's investigative series "Monitor", winning a Prix Anik for investigative journalism. As f ield producer for CTV's "W-FIVE" Linda specialized in investigative reports. [ Minimize ]

Born in France, I graduated in German linguistics, literature and civilization. I started as a freelance commissioning editor, producer and author at Südwestfunk (German public broadcaster), than I created a company specialized in dubbing and subtitling of fiction and non-fiction films into fren...
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Born in France, I graduated in German linguistics, literature and civilization. I started as a freelance commissioning editor, producer and author at Südwestfunk (German public broadcaster), than I created a company specialized in dubbing and subtitling of fiction and non-fiction films into french and german. I finally joined the founder team of ARTE (European Culture Channel) as commissioning editor in Strasbourg, France. Currently I’m deputy head of ARTEs Programm-department "Thematic Evenings", in charge of theme evenings with factual, historical or cultural content. [ Minimize ]

Kim Wilson is the Creative Head of Children’s Programming for CBC Television. Ms. Wilson has dedicated her life to children’s programming beginning with a degree in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson University in Toronto, coupled with her long standing passion and commitment to public broadca...
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Kim Wilson is the Creative Head of Children’s Programming for CBC Television. Ms. Wilson has dedicated her life to children’s programming beginning with a degree in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson University in Toronto, coupled with her long standing passion and commitment to public broadcasting, including many roles at TVOntario and for the last eight years, at the CBC. As Creative Head, she has successfully brought her leadership skills, her passion and enthusiasm to Canada’s public broadcaster together with her extensive experience in children’s television and her personal love of children. Ms. Wilson intends to extend CBC’s legacy in children’s programming through continued strength in programming with an integrated outreach and interactive strategies. [ Minimize ]

Board member of International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (New York). Board member of Russian Guild of Documentary Producers. Professor of Humanitarian University of St. Petersburg. Board Member of National Comity “Russia against corruption”. Founder and professor of Circles of Time Inst...
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Board member of International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (New York). Board member of Russian Guild of Documentary Producers. Professor of Humanitarian University of St. Petersburg. Board Member of National Comity “Russia against corruption”. Founder and professor of Circles of Time Institute. Initiator and founder of International Academy of Virtual Interactive & Educational Worlds. Honored with medal “Raising the “Kursk”. Initiated and participated in more than 80 ethno expeditions to the Caucasus, the Ukraine, the Carpathian Mountains, Byelorussia, Central Russia, Lithuania, the Urals, Siberia, Nepal, Central Asia, France, UK, Germany. Participated in expedition of “Severstal” - “Typhoon” class nuclear ballistic missile submarine. Vitaly is President/CEO of Corona Films, internationally well recognized Russian media company, a veteran of international media industry. He develops the activities of Corona Films in two major directions. The New Media with the famous Russian Network Sarmath 01 which became famous around the world after the tragic massacre of the Children of Beslan school, offering online consulting and comforting to all Beslan survivors and families with the best counsellors in Moscow and St Petersburg. And the Production of many non-Fiction programs, like the Science and Technology Documentaries through major coproductions with Discovery, ARTE and many European channels. Vitaly became the world specialist in Russian submarines after the tragic sinking of the Kursk. Corona Films is also providing for the programming of the Russian Military Channel “Zvezda”. Among international projects produced and directed – Mission Invisible, Raising the “Kursk”, People of Thunder, Moscow Angel, films for “300 Years Anniversary of St. Petersburg” ARTE Theme Evenings, Tank on the Moon etc. Musical compositions include: 2 symphonies, string quartet, 3 cantatas and other, music for theatre and cinema. Among scientific works – Musical Instruments of Ancient Alans, “Thunder Garden” - Basics of MaxiMedia etc. Among festivals and performances – “Birthday of city of St.Petersburg”, “Baltic’s Runas”, “The Tree of Life”, “Raising the “Kursk”. The newest Corona’s venture is “War and Peace” channel based on the unique concept and system of programming, which is about to be launched on Russian pay TV. [ Minimize ]

Trish Williams Trish joined CTV as a Manager of Drama Development and Production in July of 2008. She is currently a Production Executive on CTV’s award-winning smash hit Flashpoint. She was also a Production Executive on two seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation and the CTV MOW The Good Times...
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Trish Williams Trish joined CTV as a Manager of Drama Development and Production in July of 2008. She is currently a Production Executive on CTV’s award-winning smash hit Flashpoint. She was also a Production Executive on two seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation and the CTV MOW The Good Times are Killing Me. Previous to joining CTV, Trish worked for several years in the independent film and television production sector as a producer, writer, development manager, and on-air host. She produced the documentary 'Reservation Soldiers' for CTV's W5 (with Screen Siren Pictures) and wrote and produced 'Secrets' for CBC's Passionate Eye (with Make Believe Media). Just to keep things interesting, she stepped in front of the camera and co-hosted a season of Zed Candid, CBC's late night short film showcase. Trish is currently completing an MA in Communication and Culture through the Joint Program at York and Ryerson Universities, where she finds strange solace in the machinations of Canadian cultural policy. [ Minimize ]

Vibika Bianchi’s diverse experience as an innovative and business minded producer in the independent community formed the stepping stones to her current role as Director of Original Productions, Women’s Television, Corus Entertainment. In this role, Vibika and her team are leading the field in Can...
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Vibika Bianchi’s diverse experience as an innovative and business minded producer in the independent community formed the stepping stones to her current role as Director of Original Productions, Women’s Television, Corus Entertainment. In this role, Vibika and her team are leading the field in Canadian homegrown specialty programming for women, commissioning close to 200 hours per year. A large part of Vibika’s role involves anticipating and responding to the changing needs and wants of advertisers as well as viewers, whether in partnership with Canada’s best production companies or creating concepts in-house. During her 3 plus years in this role, Vibika has been an integral part of the launches of two new Women’s specialty networks: CosmoTV and Viva. In addition Vibika continues to be a significant player in key Marketing initiatives such as the W Expert Search, a multi-layered campaign. [ Minimize ]

Tamara is at the helm of the Canadian arm of the world’s most watched entertainment news program after working on the show since its much-hyped inception in 2005. It’s a fast-paced, action-packed, star-studded existence. A veteran journalist, she’s broken stories as a news reporter, lived amo...
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Tamara is at the helm of the Canadian arm of the world’s most watched entertainment news program after working on the show since its much-hyped inception in 2005. It’s a fast-paced, action-packed, star-studded existence. A veteran journalist, she’s broken stories as a news reporter, lived among some of the world’s poorest in West Africa, fronted a documentary in Vietnam, led an award-winning news team, produced live red carpet specials and now plays a vital role in building and promoting the Canadian star system. [ Minimize ]

Rachel Nelson is the Director, Drama Content for Canwest Broadcasting. In this capacity, she oversees original programming (drama and comedy) for Canwest’s channels including Global and Showcase. Rachel has a background in development and production having previously held the position of Produ...
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Rachel Nelson is the Director, Drama Content for Canwest Broadcasting. In this capacity, she oversees original programming (drama and comedy) for Canwest’s channels including Global and Showcase. Rachel has a background in development and production having previously held the position of Production Executive for Global Television and Director of Development at Salter Street Films. [ Minimize ]

Karen Gelbart has had a long and distinguished career in journalism and broadcasting and is currently Senior Vice President, Lifestyle Content, at Canwest Broadcasting in Toronto. In this role, she assumes overall responsibility for some of the company’s most popular television channels: HGTV, Food ...
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Karen Gelbart has had a long and distinguished career in journalism and broadcasting and is currently Senior Vice President, Lifestyle Content, at Canwest Broadcasting in Toronto. In this role, she assumes overall responsibility for some of the company’s most popular television channels: HGTV, Food Network, Slice, Discovery Health Channel, DIY, BBC Canada and BBC Kids and her group also oversees original production for an eighth specialty channel, TVtropolis. Ms Gelbart’s private television career started in 1997 at Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting. Initially, she was responsible for running Cinevillage, the company’s studio facility, where hundreds of episodes of television were produced each year for AA’s broadcast channels. In 2000 she became Vice President of Programming and successfully oversaw the launch of the Food Network in Canada. As Vice President, Ms Gelbart was responsible for the launch of FINE LIVING in 2004, and in January 2005 HGTV was added to her portfolio. A former reporter/editor at United Press International in New York and Montreal, Ms Gelbart’s Canadian television career began at the CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster, where she advanced through a variety of producer and senior producer roles. She was an executive producer in the network television news department at the CBC before joining Alliance Atlantis. A passionate "foodie" from a "line of brilliant and distinguished home cooks," Ms. Gelbart worked in her spare time as a restaurant reviewer, first for Toronto Calendar Magazine, and later for a string of community newspapers. She has served on the steering committee of Toronto Taste, which annually raises funds for Second Harvest, a Toronto food redistribution service, and she volunteers regularly at The Stop, a community food organization. She has also been honoured by the organization Women in Film and Television (Toronto division) with its prestigious “Mentor of the Year” Award. [ Minimize ]