OTTAWA, April 3, 2018 – The Canadian Media Producers Association today welcomed Minister Joly’s announcement of the appointment of Catherine Tait as the new President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada.

“I cannot think of a better candidate to lead CBC/Radio-Canada during this period of tumultuous change,” said Reynolds Mastin, President and CEO, CMPA. “Catherine’s vision and passion for Canadian public broadcasting will win over employees, stakeholders, and most importantly, audiences. This appointment could not be more deserved.”

Few executives in Canada offer the depth and range of experience that Tait brings to this role. In addition to her previous experience at Telefilm Canada and as Canada’s Cultural Attaché to France, Tait was the Chief Operating Officer of Salter Street Films, where she led the company’s successful initial public offering. More recently, Tait founded iThentic, an online video content and distribution platform. She also serves as a Board Director for both DHX Media and the Comweb Group.

“Catherine is the first head of CBC/Radio-Canada with deep experience in content production, which is a huge strength that she brings to the role,” said Scott Garvie, Chair of the CMPA and Senior Vice-President at Shaftesbury. “She has also shown throughout her career that she is not afraid to experiment and find new ways of reaching audiences. Her drive to innovate will help keep the public broadcaster relevant and connected to younger generations of Canadians.”

Tait has also been a leader in pushing the industry to achieve greater gender parity and to nurture the next generation of talent.

“Catherine’s mentorship of so many in our industry reflects her great generosity of spirit and commitment to investing in people, especially young people,” said Mastin. “Her love of Canada and of Canadian storytelling is matchless. I look forward to working together to help independent producers best partner with CBC, one of our country’s most important cultural institutions, to create compelling Canadian content.”

– 30 –

ABOUT THE CMPA
The Canadian Media Producers Association is the national advocacy organization for independent producers, representing hundreds of companies engaged in the development, production and distribution of English-language content made for television, cinema and digital media channels. We work to promote the continued success of the Canadian production sector and to ensure a bright future for the diverse content made by our members for both domestic and international audiences. cmpa.ca

For more information:
Kyle O’Byrne
Manager, Media Relations & Communications
Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA)
kyle.obyrne@cmpa.ca