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Canada’s public broadcaster has named Catherine Tait as its new head, the first woman in the post.
New York City-based Tait, 60, is set to become president and CEO of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and Radio Canada, its French language counterpart, starting in July. Replacing Hubert Lacroix, she will bring 25 years of experience in the North American film and TV sector as the taxpayer-funded CBC and other local broadcasters face increasing competition from Netflix, Amazon Prime and other U.S. digital platforms.
A former president and COO of Halifax-based Salter Street Films, Tait produced Michael Moore’s Oscar-winning documentary Bowling for Columbine. She also served as the executive director of the Independent Feature Project in New York for six years, helping to launch the Gotham Awards and the No Borders co-production market. Tait is currently president of Duopoly, a digital, TV and film producer.
“I am honored to announce this significant milestone for our national broadcaster,” Canadian heritage minister Melanie Joly said Tuesday in a statement. “With the appointment of Ms. Tait as president/CEO, we benefit from her depth of experience as an entrepreneur, business leader and lifelong champion for Canadian content.”
The CBC recently launched an over-the-top streaming service, including an ad-free version for $4.99 a month, to compete against U.S. digital insurgents.
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