* Jeff Lyons has been promoted to vp, u.s. operations and sales, Alliance Atlantis Television Production. Lyons, who joined the company as manager production finance in 1995, most recently held the position of director, u.s. sales.

At Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting, David O’Brien has been appointed to the new role of vp, creative services. Most recently, O’Brien was senior creative director for HGTV Canada, History Television and Food Network Canada.

* Kevin Byles has been appointed vp and gm ChumCity International. In his new position, Byles, former senior vp international television sales for Warner Brothers International Television, will oversee worldwide program distribution, licensing and joint venture activities in Chum’s television and broadband divisions.

Mike Lolato has been promoted to the newly created position of director, program sales for ChumCity International. Lolato joined the international division in January as distribution sales executive focusing on AustralAsia, Africa, the Middle East and Russia.

* Rachel Nelson, former development manager for Global Television, has been appointed director of development at Salter Street Films.

* Laurie Jones has returned to the National Film Board to head up corporate communications. Jones left the board in 1997 and moved to the cbc to become senior director of communications, working with former president Perrin Beatty.

* Timothy Brown has been appointed executive vp, development and distribution at Vancouver’s Highwire Entertainment (the new name of Voyageur Film Capital Corp.). Previously the gm at TVA International, Brown will be responsible for managing acquisitions, marketing and sales of Highwire projects for national and international distribution.

* Elected as the new vice-chair of the Banff Television Foundation is Loren Mawhinney, vp, Canadian production, Global Television Network and a member of the foundation’s board for the past five years.

Andrew Cochran, chairman and ceo of Cochran Entertainment, and Anne Marie La Traverse, executive vp of television production, Alliance Atlantis Communications, are two of the newest members appointed to the board.

* Alison Clayton has been appointed to the newly created position of general manager of new digital tv services techtv Canada and The Biography Channel. Jointly owned by Rogers Media and Shaw Communications, the services were recently awarded Category 1 licences from the crtc.

Clayton was a key strategist involved in the application process and negotiations with u.s. partners techtv u.s. and A&E Biography.

* Andre Provencher has resigned as senior vp with Montreal-based media company Groupe tva to take the new position of president and publisher of daily Trois Rivieres newspaper Le Nouvelliste. He will also manage various weekly regional publications and TR Offset.

Provencher is a former vp programming and gm of broadcasting with Reseau tva. He is a founding board member of the Cable Production Fund and past board member of the Canadian Television Fund and member of the board of the Banff Television Festival.

Provencher begins his new duties Jan. 29.

* Jennifer Lo has been appointed communications manager for Bravo! and Space: The Imagination Station.

* Gregor Ash has been appointed executive director of the Atlantic Film Festival. Formerly aff’s operations manager, Ash replaces Gord Whittaker, now gm of Helix Animation.

Lia Rinaldo, a 10-year veteran of the aff, steps up from program director to the newly created position of festival director.

* Leanore Copeland is the cftpa’s new director, external relations in Vancouver. She started Dec. 6 and will be involved in national and provincial government activities, association affairs and events, and promoting the association’s profile in b.c. Most recently, Copeland was a senior policy advisor to mp Herb Dhaliwal, a one-time minister of national revenue. *