Inbound CEO cleans house at CTV

Several veteran CTV exeuctives are leaving in advance of the company’s acqusition by BCE Inc.’s Bell Canada.

Bell’s Kevin Crull, the CEO-in-waiting to replace CTV CEO Ivan Fecan, told employees about the departures in a memo: his first major shakeup in his new role. Among them is chief financial officer John Gossling, corporate affairs head Paul Sparkes, executive vice-president of digital media Alon Marcovici, programming execuvitve Susanne Boyce.

In the memo, which is quoted by CTV’s Susan Krashinsky in a blog post, Crull writes:

“Combining forces with Bell puts us in a great position to navigate today’s dynamic media landscape … This position of strength is a perfect place to launch the next chapter of this outstanding organization. Today is a very big day in that evolution,” Mr. Crull wrote.

The Financial Post reports that “Sources close to CTV said the move disassembles the core team surrounding Fecan, who himself is departing once Bell fully acquires, as is expected, the broadcaster in the coming weeks. In its place rises a group of managers who until now held limited influence but are said to be critical to the television firm’s success.

“ ‘It’s a new day and they’re going to want to have their own management group,’ said a source at one of CTV’s competitors who knows some of the affected people.”

CTV reports that “Wendy Freeman also remains as head of news and current events programming, a position she was promoted to in January; and Chris Gordon stays on as head of radio and will be handling “a significant new radio initiative” in the spring, likely the launch of a TSN-branded network of stations, a plan which was confirmed to the Globe and Mail last month.”

CTV also notes that “The clash of ambitions and rigid circles of power resulted in Keith Pelley, the man behind CTV’s successful Olympics production, bolting last fall to head up Rogers Communications Inc.’s media division. The rival telecom carrier is looking to leverage the media assets on its wireless and wireline products in the same fashion Bell is now looking to CTV.”