* Robert Depatie is the new president and CEO of Videotron. He has been with Videotron since December 2001 as senior VP, sales, marketing and customer service. Depatie was also responsible for Canal Vox.

* Montreal-based Cineflix has announced several senior management appointments. Andre Barro is named to the newly created post of president, Cineflix Canada. Barro (Mayday: Air Disaster, Tornado Alley) has been Cineflix VP/executive producer for the past two years.

Stephen Hunter joins Cineflix as VP development, science and history, based in Toronto. Hunter comes to Cineflix from CineNova, where he was VP program development.

Adrienne Curran has been named managing director of Cineflix’s new international distribution arm, Cineflix International Media, based in Dublin. Curran earlier worked at Little Bird, a leading U.K. independent producer.

* Jaque Rochon has been named general manager of news, sports and public affairs with Television Quatre Saisons. He was previously head of news at a Radio-Canada regional station.

* Astral Television Networks has announced three new appointments: Heather Senst, formerly creative director for The Movie Network and Mpix, has been promoted to director, creative services Astral Television Networks and Family Channel; Melissa Strickland, former supervisor of on-air production, has been promoted to manager of on-air production, Astral Television Networks; and Matthew Waddell will move from on-air producer for TMN and Mpix to senior producer.

* P.E.I. communications specialist Berni Wood is the new executive producer of nextMEDIA – The International New Media Festival, owned and managed by the Banff Television Foundation. Wood is a past regional VP with the Canadian Television Fund, director of film and new media for Technology PEI, and film commissioner at Prince Edward Island Business Development.

* Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment has announced the promotion of John Shannon to VP programming, executive producer. Shannon will oversee all MLSE broadcasting productions, including Leafs TV, Raptors NBA TV and Raptors telecasts, as well as take on a greater responsibility in the business development of Toronto Maple Leafs Network, the broadcast division of MLSE.

* At The New VI in Victoria, publicist Susan Kerschbaumer has been promoted to manager of community and public relations. Production manager Doug Slack has been appointed manager of the newly formed Pandora’s Box Productions, a commercial production unit.