Chair of the Executive Committee – Honorable Jerry S. Grafstein Q.C.: A graduate of the University of Western Ontario and University of Toronto Law School, in 1954, Grafstein and Allan Waters co-founded 1050 CHUM in Toronto and built the CHUM media empire. Grafstein is a Toronto-based financier, political fundraiser, and advisor who has worked on numerous political campaigns for the Liberal Party of Canada and Ontario Liberal Party as well as local Toronto politics. A senior advisor to Pierre Trudeau, Grafstein was appointed to the Senate in January 1984. Since the 1960s, he has been a corporate lawyer, specializing in the areas of communications and administrative law. He has founded several media companies around the world, and is a partner in the legal firm Minden Gross LLP. In 1972, he was one of the founders of Citytv. He was also an organizer of the 2003 Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto concert to help the city recover from the outbreak of SARS. In 2003, Grafstein and Canada’s Consul General in New York at the time, Pamela Wallin, were honoured by the Canadian Society of New York for devoting much of their careers to strengthening the ties between Canada and the United States.
Amanda Ploughman: Most recently, Amanda was President & CEO of MediaCom Canada. With over $900 million in billings and 250 employees, MediaCom was Canada‟s largest media management company located in three offices: Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. Prior to MediaCom, Amanda was Executive Vice President, Director of North American Business Development at Initiative. In 2001 she left Initiative to become managing director at Cossette Marketing‟s Toronto office. While at Cossette, she managed McDonald‟s Canada advertising, including strategic planning, client service, creative development, finance and media. She then returned to Initiative in 2002 as Canadian president until taking on the North American role in 2005, based in New York. An industry veteran, Amanda has also held senior positions at Bozell Palmer Bonner, Optimedia/FCB and B-street Communications. In 2004, Amanda served as a juror for the Cannes Media Lions. She has been involved in numerous professional organizations such as ICA Media Policy Committee and the Advertising Standards Canada Children‟s Acceptance Committee, the CMA National Convention and was a board member of the Canadian Media Directors„ Council. In 2008 she founded, in partnership with the ICA, Advertising Women of Toronto. She is on the Advisory Board for Ryerson‟s Ted Rogers School of Business and previously sat on the board of Zoom Media.
Paul Laberge: Paul Laberge co-founded and currently serves as Executive Vice President Magellan Fuel Solutions Inc., a leading North American provider of energy risk management for the road fuels market. Over the preceding 12 years, Paul was a senior executive and consultant in the media and entertainment sector, holding a variety of positions within Alliance Atlantis Communications and its affiliated entities, including EVP Corporate Development and General Counsel, advising on the founding of the Filmed Entertainment Group at Entertainment One and serving as Chief Operating Officer of The Fight Network. Paul sits on the Board of Directors of the Harbourfront Centre and Crow’s Theatre.
Leif Bristow: Mr. Bristow was President and Chief Executive Officer of Knightscove Family Films Inc. and upon completion of the Corporation‟s Qualifying Transaction became the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation. Prior to that, he held the same offices at Knightscove Entertainment Corporation (“KEC”), a production company he formed in 1998 for the purpose of financing, producing and/or distributing feature length commercial movies. At KEC, Mr. Bristow produced three feature films, Blizzard, Kart Racer and Virginia‟s Run. Prior to KEC, Mr. Bristow was Senior Vice President and Director of Business Affairs for Devine Entertainment Corporation. He also produced, directed and assisted in the creation of an independent series for teens and pre-teen audiences entitled Wexford for TV Ontario. Mr. Bristow has performed professionally for over 20 years as an actor and a singer and is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, California.
Latest Announcements
- Corporate — Knightscove Announces Further Advances to RSKB Acquisition
- Corporate — Bollywood Times and Mehndi TV Now Available on Rogers and Bell Fibe TV
- Corporate — Knightscove Announces Intent to Acquire 51% of RSKB Communications Inc.
- Corporate — Knightscove Media Corp. Named a Small Cap Stock to Watch by Canada’s Globe And Mail
- Corporate — Knightscove Media to Leverage Library Content Revenues Through New Deal with ICAP Media
- Corporate — FDR Media Group Channels Set to Launch on Monday, November 28th 2011
- Corporate — Knightscove Media Secures Financing To Complete Acquisition Of Original And Library HD Programming Firm FDR Media Group Inc.
- Corporate — FDR Media Group Channels to Launch on Bell Fibe TV
- Corporate — FDR Media Group Inc. Signs Major Film Library Acquisition Deal With Eros International
- Corporate — Knightscove Media Corp. to launch two HD channels, Bollywood Times and Mehndi TV, in Fall 2011 through the acquisition of FDR Media Group Inc.
