New CEO’s content background indicates shift at CBC: experts

OTTAWA — Catherine Tait’s appointment as head of CBC/Radio-Canada is signalling a shift at the public broadcaster, as she becomes the first woman to lead the CBC and the first to bring extensive content production experience to the role, according to experts. “I believe she will bring some sense of urgency to putting content at the centre of every decision — and will likely be interested in taking more risks accordingly,” Kaan Yigit, president of Solutions Research Group Consultants Inc. who previously worked with Tait, said in an email. Tait was announced as the public broadcaster’s next head by Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly in Ottawa Tuesday. She has experience as an entrepreneur, advisor, producer and has founded and helped found companies in the independent film and television business, in which she has three decades of experience. Her five-year term begins in July. Tait was most recently president of Duopoly, an independent film, television and digital content company. She has also worked with organizations including Telefilm, the Canada Media Fund (CMF), Chum, Entertainment One Ltd., and DHX Media Inc., according to a government press release. The CMF praised the appointment in a late Tuesday press release, saying her dedication to storytelling, international experience and knowledge of the industry will be an asset to the public broadcaster as it navigates the digital disruption. She also founded iThentic, a digital content production and distribution company, headed Salter Street Films, as well as co-founded, with the late Jay Switzer, Hollywood Suite Inc., the largest licensee of Canadian feature films in Canada, the release outlined. Current CBC CEO Hubert Lacroix, who is a lawyer by trade with an MBA, served two five-year terms as head of CBC starting in 2008. His latest term was slated to end Dec. 31, but was extended until the replacement was found. “Given her production experience, Catherine understands how independent producers are uniquely positioned to provide the public broadcaster with compelling Canadian programming,” Reynolds Mastin, president and CEO of the CMPA, said in an emailed statement. “We are confident that CBC/Radio-Canada and Canadian storytelling will thrive under her leadership and we look forward to working together.” The CMPA also added in a press release that she is the first CBC head with deep experience in content production, which adds to the strength she brings in the role. Barry Kiefl, president of Canadian Media Research Inc., agreed. “It seems like an excellent appointment,” he said over email, pointing to her 30 years of experience in broadcasting, “which is unheard of in past appointments.” “She has actually made programs,” he added. “That last sentence should be in capitals!” Yigit said beside Tait being an entrepreneur who can take risks and make use of limited resources, the appointment is also timed well. That’s because of the “steady erosion” of TV audiences in prime time in the last two to three years as Netflix Inc., Amazon.com Inc., and HBO originals continue to attract eyeballs, he said. That means “there is great demand for dramatic storytelling and CBC can find a niche in that new world. I suspect that’s going to be an important area of emphasis,” Yigit added. Appearing before media on Parliament Hill Tuesday, Tait said this is her “dream job” and that these are “exciting times” for broadcasting. She pointed to competitive pressures, the importance of reaching audiences on all platforms through digital, the increasingly prominent issue of fake news and the need to collaborate to “strengthen Canada’s position on the world stage.” Lacroix previously said the CBC must collaborate with over-the-top (OTT) services to bring CBC productions to an international audience. In the past few years, CBC has teamed up with Netflix on productions such as Anne and Alias Grace, which aired on CBC in Canada and then became available in other countries through Netflix’ streaming service. Despite saying it’s premature to give guidance on her plans, Tait signalled at least some common direction that the CBC has taken under Lacroix, including focusing its efforts on driving local content. In light of the “ocean and tsunami” of digital content coming from all over the world, including the United States, Tait said “there is nothing more important” than local stories and news. “You can rest assured that it will be absolutely centre in...everything that we do going forward.” She also seems to be sync with on issue of website blocking, submitting an intervention on behalf of iThentic to the CRTC’s proceeding in support of the FairPlay coalition’s application to put in place a system to block pirated content. CBC is a member of the coalition. Independent broadcasting consultant Peter Miller said in a phone interview that it’s a good appointment, pointing to her background in broadcasting, production, and public policy. And despite it being too early to speculate on the direction she will take, he said Tait has a strategic planning background that will have her involved in that aspect at the CBC. “There’s no doubt there will be some changes, whether it will be fundamental or relatively minor,” Miller said, adding the “status quo” doesn’t exist in broadcasting, especially with a five-year term. Earlier last year, the CBC outlined its annual priorities in its accountability plan, which suggested a stronger focus on new, local and digital content. “Never before has content been in such demand on a worldwide basis, and never before have Canadians had the power to choose from such an abundance of content, to be accessed on any device and to be viewed or listened to at any time,” Tait said. Joly also announced Tuesday the appointment of Michael Goldbloom as chairman of the board. He is a lawyer and was the former publisher at The Montreal Gazette from 1994 and 2001 and publisher of the Toronto Star from 2004 to 2006. Goldbloom has extensive governance and media experience, according to the government release, and has been principal and vice-chancellor of Bishop’s University in Quebec since 2008. The three new directors are Suzanne Guèvremont, Guillaume Aniorté and Sandra Singh. The press release noted Guèvremont has worked in digital media, culture and education for more than 20 years; Aniorté also has experience in digital and media content and held management and director positions — as vice-president for corporate and strategic development at Frima Studios — with an international focus; and Singh, who has a background in library and information leadership, was recently appointed general manager of arts, culture and community services with the City of Vancouver. These new faces join the five other directors named by Heritage in December. Joly previously said she was looking for a gender-balanced board. “We are at a critical juncture in the future of our national public broadcaster. This new CEO, Chair and Board will, in my opinion, be the most consequential in the history of CBC/Radio Canada,” Tom Clark, head of the advisory board that made the candidate recommendations to Joly, said in the government release. “They will not only carry on the task of modernizing the digital age but will also be called on to reimagine the role of the national broadcaster in a rapidly changing communication landscape.” In 2016, Heritage announced a consultation process for hiring recommendations at the CBC and a year later named the independent advisory committee, headed by Clark, to do that job. That advisory board consists of nine members from across the country with arts, culture and media backgrounds. “I have ideas about the direction and the future of broadcasting in Canada,” Tait told reporters in response to a question about what ideas or changes she’ll bring. “I really want to have the time to work with it in a transition stage with M. Lacroix and the team there, Heather Conway and Michel Bissonnette. These people are the real professionals, so I got a lot to learn from them. And I'll be back to you in a couple of months on that.” — With reporting by Ahmad Hathout at ahathout@thewirereport.ca and editing by Anja Karadeglija at akarad@thewirereport.ca

New CEO’s content background indicates shift at CBC: experts

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New CEO’s content background indicates shift at CBC: experts

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