• Raj Shoan is the new senior advisor to CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein, replacing Véronique Lehoux who has moved to the Legal Directorate department.

• Patricia Brandino is now managing director for Minds Eye International in Regina.

• L.A.-based distributor Program Partners (Da Vinci’s Inquest, Degrassi: The Next Generation) has promoted execs David Hutchinson and Chad MacDonald. Hutchinson, up from a VP post, is now SVP of program operations and new media, in charge of program distribution systems and technologies including new media platforms. MacDonald has been made executive director, TV research and regional sales, up from his role as director.

• TSN has signed former CFL quarterback Danny McManus as a game analyst for the upcoming season, beginning June 28.

• Montreal-based prodco Cineflix is expanding its management teams in the U.K. and Toronto with the appointments of new execs Rob Carey, Nick Godwin and Gavin McGarry.

• Toronto-based Imax has hired Joseph Sparacio as its new EVP of finance, and will station the former Loews Cineplex exec to its offices in New York.

• Blueprint Entertainment has hired TV veterans Marla Ginsburg and Ellie Hannibal in an effort to ramp up its production and development, and posted them to its Los Angeles office. Ginsburg, ex of the French studio Gaumont, joins Blueprint as SVP responsible for developing, packaging and managing content for television and new media, while Hannibal steps in as SVP of creative affairs – focusing on development and production of one-hour and half-hour television series for U.S. cable and broadcast networks. She was previously head of development for Star Trek executive producer Rick Berman.

• Mike Nesbitt has been tapped for the new position of general manager of new media at The Toronto Sun, coming from its sister Sun TV. He will oversee development of multimedia initiatives with Sun Media enterprises including Canoe and 24 Hours.