Alliance Atlantis forms unit for 'Net, new tech
Yaffe named prexy of b'casting division
Separately, the company has appointed Phyllis Yaffe prexy of Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting, which runs Canadian specialty channels.
Juris Silkans has been named president of Alliance Atlantis New Media, effective immediately.
Silkans was most recently president of Atlantis Broadcasting, which includes Home & Garden Television Canada and the Life Network. Michael MacMillan, chairman and CEO of Alliance Atlantis, also appointed Todd Goldsbie VP of the new media subsidiary.
Goldsbie has been an exec at Life Network and HGTV for the past five years.
The new media outfit will work on developing Internet and other new-technology opportunities related to Alliance Atlantis shows and its specialty nets. It will explore methods of delivering the content from conventional TV webs to online users.
"Alliance Atlantis already participates in the world of digital new-media, but we now have a focus within the company squarely on developing this fast-moving side of the business," MacMillan said.
"Juris has always provided the company with excellent strategic vision and direction, and through our new media division, we plan to take advantage of the convergence of production, distribution, broadcasting and the Internet, and delivering the best content and new products available to Internet users everywhere."
The appointment of Yaffe to the top position at Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting comes less than a week after federal regulator the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) allowed Alliance Atlantis to take control of four specialty channels: Showcase Television, History Television, HGTV and Life.
Shares of all four companies had been held in trust, pending CRTC approval, since the September merger of Alliance and Atlantis.
