MONTREAL -- Harold Redekopp, exec veepee of CBC Television, is ankling as part of big changes at the Canuck pubcaster expected to include more exec shuffles and a revamped schedule.
Redekopp told CBC president Robert Rabinovitch that he would stay on in the top job at English CBC TV until the end of the year to assure a smooth transition for his successor.
The network will now hunt for an exec to fill the position Redekopp has held for six years. A frontrunner is Slawko Klymkiw, CBC's executive director of network programming.
Senior execs at CBC have been looking at every aspect of programming at the pubcaster following a report last year that suggested the broadcaster needed to boost its profile.
CBC has been struggling to maintain its position in a TV landscape that has become more competitive in recent years with the bow of a slew of specialty channels.
Redekopp insisted the network would not change its core strategy, which is to be more Canadian than its competitors.
"I think change is just a way of life here," said Redekopp. "The competition is getting keener all the time. So I think it's a normal process rather than abnormal. I think it's healthy for an organization to reflect on itself."
CBC has faced much criticism in recent years for acquiring pricey sports properties like NHL hockey and the Olympics, but Redekopp confirmed that the web will be pursuing rights to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and the 2012 Games.
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