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Jim Byrd Appointed Executive Vice President of the Banff Television
Foundation
(Banff, Alberta, August 22, 2001) Pat Ferns, president and CEO
of the Banff Television Foundation, is pleased to announce the appointment
of Jim Byrd to serve for the next year as executive vice president.
Mr. Byrd, currently a senior vice president at the Foundation and
executive director of the Alliance Atlantis Banff Television Executive
Program, will take on his new position starting September 2001.
"Jim is one of the most respected figures in Canadian television,"
commented Pat Ferns. "His experience, insight, wise counsel
and good humour are prized by all of us at the Banff Television
Foundation. I am personally delighted that Jim has agreed to commit
more of his time and energies to the work of the Foundation. He
is a valued partner."
Jim Byrd is currently executive director of the highly successful
Alliance Atlantis Banff Television Executive Program, a training
program designed for executive development in the Canadian broadcast,
production and distribution industries. He is also a member of the
Foundation's leadership group and recently appointed divisional
head of content and production, the heart of the Foundation's activities,
where he provides editorial direction in shaping the Foundation's
events. Now taking on an additional role as executive vice president,
Mr. Byrd will provide operational leadership and management supervision
as well as serve as acting CEO in the absence of the president.
Since 1987 Jim Byrd has been involved with the Foundation in various
capacities which include serving as a director, a participant and
a sponsor at the annual Banff Television Festival. Commenting on
his new position, Mr. Byrd said he looks forward to taking on the
challenges that lay ahead. "I have always admired the Foundation's
commitment to excellence, innovation and collaboration and I look
forward to continuing that tradition in my new role as executive
vice president."
Mr. Byrd has over 30 years experience in the broadcasting industry.
He is a former vice president of English television networks at
the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation where, from 1993 to 1999,
he was responsible for two television networks, 11 owned and operated
stations, and 22 affiliate stations. He managed a staff of 3000
and a budget of over $500 million. He first joined CBC in 1969 as
an assistant director in St. John's and in succeeding years held
numerous positions at the network's offices in Halifax and Toronto.
In 1999 Mr. Byrd founded his own broadcast and management consulting
company providing services for many prominent Canadian organizations
including Alliance Atlantis Communications, IMX Communications,
Red Ochre Productions, The Canadian Film & Television Producers
Association, The Film Works, Rink Rat Productions and Stornoway
Productions. He recently provided consulting services in Indonesia
assisting in the country's move from a state controlled broadcasting
system to a free, mixed public and private system. In his production
role Mr. Byrd was one of the executive producers for the movie Violet.
He recently completed a variety pilot for CBC Television and has
a number of other projects in development for various broadcasters.
He is also a member of the Toronto Arts Awards Board.
The Banff Television Foundation is an event management organization
for some of the world's leading television and new media industry
events including the annual Banff Television Festival, the World
Congress of Science Producers, the World Congress of History Producers,
and the Alliance Atlantis Banff Television Executive Program. Its
mission is to inspire innovation in content creation, celebrate
excellence in programming in Canada and abroad, and provide learning
and business opportunities for creators and other industry professionals.
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