RADIO-TELEVISION NEWS DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES DIVERSITY TEAM Broadcaster Magazine The Radio-Television News Directors Association of Canada is bringing two industry veterans on board to head up their national diversity initiative. They will report to RTNDA's diversity committee.
Al Gibson has been named Project Manager. He will supervise the diversity project. Gibson comes to the RTNDA with more than 30 years of journalism and news management experience in both radio and television.
Denise O'Connell has been named Project Co-Ordinator. She will execute the different elements of the diversity initiative. O'Connell has over ten years of television news, current affairs, and documentary production experience.
"The RTNDA wants to help Canadian broadcasters better represent the full diversity of this country in their news programming," says Terry Scott,President of RTNDA Canada. "We think we've chosen two people who will help facilitate this process."
"Reflecting the growing diversity in communities across the country is a challenge facing many newsrooms and I'm delighted to be part of this project that will help news directors meet the challenge," says Gibson. "We have a great team in place and I'm excited about the plans we have for the coming months."
The RTNDA Diversity initiative was launched in January. The primary bjectives of the initiative are threefold: to increase diversity awareness among broadcast news professionals; to improve the reflection of the full diversity of Canada in news programming; and to help news managers with hiring a more diversified work force. The Multiculturalism Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage is assisting RTNDA by providing financial support over a two-year period.
The Radio-Television News Directors Association is the voice of electronic journalists and news managers in Canada. It represents approximately 400 news directors, reporters, producers, educators, students and industry associates across the country. |