Toronto, Canada-based media and entertainment company Corus Entertainment has made a slew of new appointments within the Programming and Production and International teams that align programming and commissioning by content rather than by TV property. The appointments, which Corus Television President Doug Murphy deems a redesign of the company’s organizational approach, essentially results in a one-stop shop for producers and distributors.

‘We’ve changed our executive oversight structure to manage programming investments more strategically, to look for more acquisition opportunities across networks and to achieve an organizational design that increases the level of collaboration,’ says Murphy. The company’s new media headquarters, Corus Quay, which brings together more than 1,100 employees under one roof, will help to further facilitate this level of internal collaboration, Murphy says.

On the TV Programming and Production front, Murphy will be temporarily handling Joanna Webb’s former role as VP, Head of Programming and Production while a search for her replacement is conducted.

The restructured team is comprised of Ted Ellis, VP, Kids/Family Programming, who will oversee the direction of content and schedule strategies for all of Corus’ kids and family networks including YTV, Treehouse, Nickelodeon and CMT; Renee Skea, VP, Women’s Programming; Vibika Bianchi, VP, Original Programming, Lifestyle, Reality, Factual who will be responsible for all original unscripted programming and integrated content opportunities for all Corus’ specialty and pay networks; Jocelyn Hamilton, VP, Original Programming, Kids, Comedy, Drama, who will be responsible for all scripted original production and development for all Corus’ specialty and pay networks; Karen Philips, VP, Network Program Operations, who will continue to oversee and manage the transition, development and performance of program management systems as well as establish and oversee best practices and strategy across Corus’ specialty and pay networks and Lynn Chadwick, VP, Network Content Acquisitions and Pay who will oversee all aspects of the Corus Television network’s acquisition activities and will work towards standardizing rights for use across all channels and platforms.

The new TV International/Nelvana Enterprises team reporting into Colin Bohm, VP, International, includes Jerry Diaz, VP, Worldwide Sales and Distribution, Antoine Erligmann, VP, Licensing, Europe, who will be based in Paris and will oversee Nelvana Enterprises’ European Consumer Products business and Peter Maule, VP, Worldwide Home Entertainment and Digital Media, Licensing Americas and Asia Pacific. In addition to being responsible for optimizing Corus-controlled properties across all home entertainment and digital media channels, Maule will oversee Nelvana Enterprises’ Consumer Product business in the Americas and Asia Pacific.

Additional appointments within this division include Irene Weibel, VP, Development and Co-productions, who will be responsible for the creative development of Nelvana Studio properties for the Corus family of channels. She is also responsible for developing new co-production partnerships, managing Nelvana’s feature film slate and, together with Sales, placing Nelvana’s shows in the US broadcast marketplace. And as Director of Creative Services Andrew Liem will be charged with developing creative materials and tools to support Nelvana’s global merchandise, home entertainment and broadcasting brand rollouts.

Murphy says the reorganization gels with Corus’ efforts to grow its Kids TV division. ‘We are more committed than ever to growing investment in the kids space,’ he says. ‘All of our star players are still on the bench.’