There’s new boardroom blood at the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.

Paul Bronfman, chairman and CEO of Comweb Corp. and William F. White International, has joined the board of directors at the Academy as it continues to restructure.

“We need a strong Academy, just like the British Film Institute and the American Film Institute, and it’s great to see that, finally, the Academy has some real people with some flat equity in this business that will give it some real strength,” Bronfman tells Playback.

The Academy, which runs Canada’s film and TV awards, last year replaced a 22-strong board of national representatives with an initial 11-member board of Toronto heavy-hitters, led by indie producer Martin Katz (Cosmopolis) as chairman.

The overhaul aimed to get the organization back on a firm financial footing and more in touch with its membership.

Gary Slaight, president and CEO of Slaight Communications, later joined the Academy board, followed by Bronfman’s more recent appointment.

Bronfman sees the galvanizing event for the Academy coming on March 3, 2013 when the former Genies and Gemini Awards are replaced with a combined event to celebrate Canadian film and TV.

“That will sort of be like the Golden Globes. That’s really smart,” Bronfman says.

He’s adding the Academy board appointment to the director chairs he already fills at Astral Media, Banff World Media Festival, Canadian Film Centre, FilmOntario and the OMDC.