2022 Broadcast Dialogue – Canadian Radio Awards
ChiChi Liu
ChiChi Liu started her career in radio in Taiwan as a program producer and marketing manager with International Community Radio Taipei (ICRT) and Kiss Radio, before assuming ownership of Burli Software in 2007 where she serves as President. Burli newsroom software is used by thousands of broadcast journalists in a dozen languages on desktops and mobile platforms in Europe, Africa, Asia, and across the Americas.
Randy Reid
Randy Reid is a longtime media executive and currently General Manager of Toronto-based VIBE105® #1 for Hip, R&B and The Culture (CHRY-FM). An award-winning expert in influencer-led media solutions, Reid is also the current President of the National Community Radio Association (NCRA) and CEO/Lead Strategist at VX3 Exchange – a socially driven producer of culturally integrated media content experiences.
His work includes collaborating with active members of the BIPOC community to curate genuine and culturally relevant content experiences for mass market engagement.
Tamara Stanners
Tamara Stanners is the co-founder and co-executive producer of the Squamish Constellation Festival. Her passion for supporting the development of emerging talent led her to a career in broadcasting that has spanned five decades. As Program Director, she helped launch Vancouver’s 102.7 the PEAK (CKPK-FM) and its Canadian Music Development Program, the PEAK Performance Project. She also co-hosted the JRFM(CJJR-FM) morning show and worked on-air at the legendary LG73, after starting her career as Dusty Rhodes at CISN FM in her hometown of Edmonton. On the TV side, she’s hosted videos shows on CMT (Country Music Television) and anchored news at every station in Vancouver, except Global, which she now counts among her voiceover clients. Stanners bustling voiceover business includes work across TV, radio, and documentaries, as well as two podcasts for Everything Podcasts. She is also the host of Clubhouse show, LIGHT Time: Love+Intuition+Guidance+Healing+Truth with Dr. Divi Chadna.
Jean-Marie Heimrath
An established thought-leader in the industry, Jean-Marie Heimrath is best known for his leadership as President of Standard Broadcasting’s Sound Source Networks and more recently President & CEO of TPX (The Podcast Exchange), a Canadian trailblazer in the podcast monetization space.
Founding TPX followed a more than four-decade career that started in the music industry as a Promotions Manager for Island & Daffodil Records. Gigs with Capitol, Arista, Polygram, and MCA Music Canada followed, before Heimrath transitioned into broadcasting as the Communications and Promotions Director for Telemedia and CJCL Radio. He went on to hold numerous executive positions with Standard Broadcasting. He concurrently was a founder and partner in Toronto’s Clear Channel Group for 35 years, later going on to serve as president of audio licensing and distribution company, SparkNetworks. He’s also widely consulted for companies including Slaight Music, Groupe Média TFO, and Los Angeles-based Jumpwire Media.
Connie Thiessen
Connie Thiessen has been the editor of Broadcast Dialogue and the host of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast since 2018. A 25-year journalist, she started her career with Golden West Broadcasting’s Radio Southern Manitoba network, moving on to reporting, hosting and editor roles with CFCW Edmonton, CKNW Vancouver, News 1130 (CKWX-AM) Vancouver, CBC Halifax, and News 95.7 (CJNI-FM) Halifax, where as morning editor she led the team to a regional RTDNA and Atlantic Journalism Award. She was a nominee for Music Journalist of the Year at Canadian Music Week in 2019.
She’s also handled promotion, communications and social media strategy for Coast Publishing, FIN Atlantic International Film Festival, and the Nova Scotia Multicultural Festival, among other arts & culture organizations.
Jeff Rechner
Jeff Rechner, now a voiceover actor based out of Los Angeles with a long list of credits, started his career in radio with stops at stations throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia, including CHAB 800 Moose Jaw, 630 CHED Edmonton, and CFOX and LG73 in Vancouver, in addition to serving as the afternoon host on the original JACK FM (CJAX-FM). He was also the first morning host on Tokyo’s first-ever foreign language station, InterFM.
Rob Braide
A life long Montréalais and proud Anglo-Québécois, Rob Braide grew up in Westmount, and attended Westmount High and Dawson College, getting his feet wet in radio at Carleton University campus station, CKCU-FM. He landed his first radio job at CHOM-FM and never looked back.
A long career in broadcasting saw him manage CJAD, CHOM and Mix 96 (CJFM-FM), and hold executive roles work with Astral Media and Stingray.
Braide was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame in 2009.
Braide has also served on the board of directors of a wide variety of local and national philanthropic organizations including Saint Mary’s Hospital, the Montreal Children’s Hospital, Les Amis de La Montagne, The Montreal Board of Trade, The Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir, The Trevor Williams Kids Foundation and is currently Chair of the Board of Directors of Calgary’s Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre.
Nancy Brown Dacko
An experienced and passionate business executive with more than 35 years in the Canadian broadcast industry, Nancy Brown Dacko is the President of Direct Media Sales, the business development arm of Target Broadcast Sales of Toronto, as well as strategic consultant for Birchall and Associates public relations agency in Oakville, ON.
In her combined roles, she is directly responsible for the media planning, placement, and campaign execution for several national and international brands. In addition, she represents over 300 independently-owned radio stations across Canada to secure a greater share of the national advertiser market.
A native of London, ON, Nancy embarked upon her career in sales and marketing at CJBK radio in London. She moved to Toronto in 1984 to join CFGM where she was promoted to General Sales Manager, and then moved to Q107 as Director of Business Development. In 1993, she joined The Weather Network as Director of Business Development. She went on to join the executive team that launched Shop TV Canada in 1997, a division of Torstar Media Group. Throughout her career Nancy has trained, developed, and managed teams to create multi-media sales, operations and creative production strategies for radio, television, and digital platforms. For the past decade, she’s also served as the Steering Committee Chair for Radio Trailblazers, a Canadian volunteer organization that celebrates and supports women in radio through education, inspiration, and mentorship.
Brother Jake Edwards
Brother Jake Edwards has had a more than four-decade radio career that included stops at Q104 (CFRQ-FM) Halifax, 92 CITI FM and 97 Kiss FM(CKIS-FM) Winnipeg, and Q107 (CILQ-FM) Toronto, before becoming the morning show ratings leader at Vancouver’s Rock 101(CFMI-FM) for 17 years. “Bro Jake” went on to host the morning show at TSN 1040 (CKST-AM) Vancouver where he retired in 2019, the same year he was inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame. Edwards is also known as the voice behind nationally-syndicated fictional radio comedy character “The Champ.”