Paul Ski Retires in Two Weeks

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Paul Ski Retires in Two Weeks

Postby jon » Tue Dec 16, 2014 10:29 pm

Ski to retire from Rogers; three named to senior leadership team
cartt.ca
December 16, 2014

TORONTO – Rogers Media said Tuesday that Paul Ski will retire from his position as SVP and CEO of radio and regional broadcast operations, plus announced the appointment of three new members to the Rogers Media senior leadership team: Julie Adam as SVP of radio, Navaid Mansuri as VP of content partnerships, and Colette Watson as VP of television & operations.

With more than 30 years of experience, the last seven of which have been with Rogers, Ski was inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame and honoured with the Allan Waters Broadcast Lifetime Achievement Award last May. His retirement is effective December 31, and he will be an advisor to Rogers for the next three years.

“With Paul at the helm, our radio brands have remained a market leader and are primed for continued success. We greatly appreciate Paul’s thoughtful leadership and look forward to working with him in an advisory role,” said Roger Media president Keith Pelley, in the announcement. “During a time of significant change in the media industry, we have identified three proven leaders that inspire creativity and will build on our vision of delivering compelling content and innovation across multiple platforms. Julie, Navaid and Colette’s collective experience and passion position our existing and expanding media portfolio for continued success.”

Adam assumes her new role on January 1 and will work together with Ski to ensure a seamless transition. After joining Rogers in 1999 as program director for KiSS 92.5, Adam has held increasingly senior roles during her 15-year tenure with the company. Most recently, she served as VP of programming, radio, and program director at 98.1 CHFI, where she developed the programming strategy for the company’s 51 radio stations across Canada.

In a newly created role following the company’s recent partnership announcement with Vice, Mansuri is responsible for overseeing all facets of Vice in Canada, including content, advertising, marketing, and finance, and will act as the liaison between Vice Studio and Rogers. Mansuri will work closely with the consumer business unit, customer experience and IT at Rogers to build and deliver world-class content. A CPA with more than 20 years of media, business and accounting experience, Mansuri has been with Rogers the last six years as VP of finance & programming at Sportsnet and most recently as interim leader of television & broadcast operations. His appointment is effective immediately.

Watson will set the strategic direction for the company’s non-sports conventional, specialty and community television assets, overseeing programming, production and operations while innovating the viewer experience. Watson, who will relocate to Toronto from Ottawa, has been with Rogers for 24 years, most recently as VP, Rogers TV, focusing on the company’s 42 local community television stations. Her experience with the company also includes roles in regulatory, programming, and communications. Watson’s appointment is effective immediately.

Adam, Mansuri and Watson will report to Pelley.
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Re: Paul Ski Retires in Two Weeks

Postby Mike Cleaver » Wed Dec 17, 2014 1:09 am

This is the same Julie Adam who fired one of the morning stars on top rated CHFI and then had to hire her back. Certainly qualifies her for a top management position in corpse radio.
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Re: Paul Ski Retires in Two Weeks

Postby pave » Wed Dec 17, 2014 6:31 am

While rising through the ranks, Paul was able to maintain a very nice career for himself.
He also succumbed to all the influences that gutted and subdued an ongoing development of the medium.

There is little evidence that would suggest his successor will do anything more than march to the beat of the same drummer - and under the same orders.
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Re: Paul Ski Retires in Two Weeks

Postby Tom Jeffries » Wed Dec 17, 2014 1:25 pm

I wish Paul a Happy retirement.

I worked for him on three occasions and while I wouldn't call Mr. Ski a warm personality, he was always fair with me.
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Re: Paul Ski Retires in Two Weeks

Postby pave » Wed Dec 17, 2014 7:41 pm

This is not a slam on Paul. Rather, it is a comment on his times and his imprint experiences.
He was one of those many guys who, when cutting their teeth, were under the influence of CKLW (The Big 8).

That generation of jocks were so enamoured of Windsor's 'LW' and later CHUM and CFTR that the original effects never wore off.

That's when Formatics became The Religion, and robo-jock PD's became its sychophantic (psychopathic?) followers, then leaders.

Later, corporate radio took everything that was bad about the concept and strategy - and ran wild with it - leaving the radio landscape parched, bare and barren.

I'm pretty sure a guy doesn't deserve a plaque for that.
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Re: Paul Ski Retires in Two Weeks

Postby Tom Jeffries » Wed Dec 17, 2014 8:04 pm

I worked at CFTR when we were burning CHUM - and it sure wasn't robotic. Paul was a cipher. A real Suit and always calculating; he managed to go from screamer jock at CHLO (where he ruined his voice permanently) to tops at one of the biggest Broadcast entities in the Country.

I think this is the end of an era.

Chuck McCoy was of the era....about the last man left standing is Dave Marsden.
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Re: Paul Ski Retires in Two Weeks

Postby jon » Wed Dec 17, 2014 10:43 pm

Tom Jeffries wrote:about the last man left standing is Dave Marsden.

Well, sort of standing. Dave did his last show on CKGE Oshawa last Sunday. He has moved to "Pay Radio" on http://nythespirit.com for $5.99 a month. No, that's not what he gets paid. That's what he charges if you want to listen to him.

I greatly respect the guy, but I just can't see that working.

Dave is famous for turning CHLO St. Thomas into a Top 40 station. That may sound like he was in Management, but the truth is quite different. He renamed himself Dave Mickie and played Top 40 music instead of the elevator music he was given to play on his Evening show. And got away with it long enough to build a vocal audience when he was fired and the elevator music returned. Vocal enough to convince the owner, John L. Moore, to switch formats to Top 40. And re-hire Dave, of course.

Dave didn't last long until CKEY Toronto came calling and he started a long Toronto career, first in Top 40, then in album-oriented formats, most notably at CHUM-FM. He also made stops in Montreal and Vancouver.
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Re: Paul Ski Retires in Two Weeks

Postby pave » Thu Dec 18, 2014 6:47 am

If this is the end of an era - good riddance. (My suspicion is that it ain't, and the same-o'-same-o' will continue.)

Even as I am willing to accept "robotic" as a relative term, the "control freak" PD's were a continuous annoyance - if not a danger - and had little to do than ride herd on the jocks. Every on-air offense was a hanging offense with "Bat Phones" close by in every Top-40 control room.

I recall getting invitations to join the staffs of both CHUM and CFTR. With reference to my "robotic" comment, I asked both PD's if they were looking for a guy to do "the show" or a guy to do "the shift". To their credit, both confessed it was to do "the shift" - a situation where strict, Draconian formatics were in play.
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Re: Paul Ski Retires in Two Weeks

Postby Tom Jeffries » Thu Dec 18, 2014 6:58 pm

At the risk of hogging the mike.....I have to chime in here, on Ski.

He was a control freak and not a really warm individual. Paul was very clever and he was a great politician, and played the game well.

We only had one close encounter of the ugly kind. I was working at CFRA, in Ottawa and had accepted a sweet offer at CFTR, which was, and still is, Rogers.

Ski was up from Toronto and he sauntered into my studio - during my last shift and literally threw my end of employment papers, on the side desk turned and left. Nary a word.

That was after 2 years of nothing but giving the Station huge numbers and I never caused any hassles.

It was then I realized that I was dealing with a guy out for NUMBER ONE.

He actually had the nerve, to invite the jocks to his house for a barbecue - but first he got us all to lay sod at his home! I couldn't believe it.

One last Ski story - he was running CFUN and my pal, the late, great Brian Lord was doing Christmas morning.

Instead of sticking to "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" - he played Jimi Hendrix - Third Stone from The Sun.
Ski tunes in, with his (of the day) TV host girlfriend - and goes nuclear.

We all got a charge out of Brian's creativity.

He lost the weekend gig - but - what a way to go!

The end of my Era is now at hand. Chuck McCoy and now Ski.

So it's a new world.

To all in the business....I wish you a ton of fun and a profitable run.

I was SO LUCKY.

Happy Holidays.

See you on Soundcloud.com in 2015!
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Re: Paul Ski Retires in Two Weeks

Postby Talker » Fri Dec 19, 2014 4:25 pm

Only worked briefly for Paul Ski after CHUM bought CHQM. We got along.
Re: Dave Marsden:
When new owners took over CKST (Rock 1040) in the mid-'90's Marsden was the PD. The group was leaving the rock format behind and so, Marsden along with it. Following the switch there was very little good said about the former PD. Seems he had a high opinion of himself that alienated a lot of people inside the station and out. Hard guy to work for it was said.
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Re: Paul Ski Retires in Two Weeks

Postby jon » Fri Dec 19, 2014 4:46 pm

Interesting! I didn't know that Dave Marsden was ever in management. But, then again, until about 10 years ago when I read about his mid-'60s time at CKEY, I didn't know anything about Dave.
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Re: Paul Ski Retires in Two Weeks

Postby radiofan » Fri Dec 19, 2014 5:02 pm

Marsden was in Vancouver for a few years. He was PD of CKST Langley (formerly CJJC and later UP 800) during it's Modern Rock era COAST 800 in the early 1990s. He along with the rest of the station made the move into Vancouver when the owners (Clint Forester?) bought 1040 and shut down 800. Their slogan was "The Spirit Of Radio" (I thank Marsden borrowed that from CFNY in Toronto where he had previously worked.
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music.
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