Corus Entertainment announced Monday the early retirement of its president and CEO, Doug Murphy, effective immediately.
The media company’s board has appointed Corus executives Troy Reeb and John Gossling as co-chief executive officers.
“These appointments are effective immediately and reflect the strength of Corus’ leadership bench and a forward focus on managing through a challenging environment,” reads a Corus press release announcing the changes.
Murphy had been with Corus for 21 years, first joining the company in 2003 as executive vice president of business development and holding successively more senior positions until 2015 when he was promoted to president and CEO.
“During his tenure, Mr. Murphy oversaw the transformation of Corus’ television portfolio and its expansion in digital media with the launch of STACKTV in 2019, the Global TV App and Pluto TV, among others,” the release says.
“Under Doug’s leadership, Corus has created a diversified portfolio of powerful brands encompassing television, radio and content assets,” Heather Shaw, Corus executive chair, said in a statement Monday. “Doug’s passion for bringing content to Canadians, including fair and balanced news, is renowned. On behalf of the Board, I thank Doug for his many years of commitment and leadership at Corus and wish him well on his new chapter.”
Recently, Murphy had been successful in spearheading the pure-play media company’s request to the CRTC for relief from its Canadian content financial obligations, which was granted in May.
The relief ask came last fall as Corus experienced a dramatic decline in its financial position amid a soft advertising market, high inflation, and other financial pressures driving down its profitability.
Last week, it was announced Corus’s Global News is laying off staff in its news division, with 35 unionized members impacted in its newsrooms across Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Toronto, Ottawa, and B.C.
As Gossling assumes his new co-CEO position, he will retain his responsibilities as chief financial officer and add oversight of corporate strategy, technology and all other corporate functions, the Monday press release explains. Prior to joining Corus in 2016, Gossling served as chief financial officer for major telecommunications and media companies, including Telus, CTVglobemedia and Rogers Wireless, and was a partner at a global accounting firm KPMG LLP.
Reeb recently assumed responsibility for studio content at Corus, having overseen multi-platform broadcast networks, news and audio since 2019. In his new role as co-CEO, Reeb will also directly oversee all revenue, marketing, sales and distribution aspects of the company. His tenure at Corus extends 25 years, beginning at CanWest in the Global News division.
“Succession planning is an integral part of our operations. Troy and John are seasoned senior broadcast and media executives who each have exceptional experience, a strategic mindset and deep understanding of the industry,” Shaw said. “The Board and I are extremely confident in their ability to guide Corus through the evolving regulatory and competitive landscape, and make smart, strategic choices that best position the Company for the future.”
Other Corus changes announced Monday include Jennifer Lee being appointed as chief administrative officer and chief legal officer, overseeing legal, regulatory, human resources, communications, and other corporate functions. Lee previously held the role of executive vice president and general counsel.
Greg McLelland, executive vice president and chief revenue officer, and Shawn Kelly, executive vice president of technology, continue to serve on Corus’s executive leadership team.
Photo of Doug Murphy borrowed from Corus Entertainment’s website.
