CBC has added two executives to its unscripted team to bolster development and production for its broadcast and streaming platforms.

Nic Meloney has been hired as executive in charge of production, unscripted content. Reporting to Jennifer Dettman, executive director, unscripted content, Meloney will “evaluate, recommend and execute” unscripted programs in a variety of genres for CBC TV and CBC Gem. The role began on Sept. 1.

Yasmine Abbasakoor has been tapped as executive in charge of development, unscripted content. Reporting to Jessica Schmiedchen, director of development, unscripted content, Abbasakoor will help develop unscripted programming for CBC TV and CBC Gem. Her role began on Oct. 4.

Meloney, a mixed heritage Wolastoqi member of New Brunswick’s Woodstock First Nation, has worked at CBC since 2016 as a video journalist for CBC Nova Scotia. He covered the Atlantic region with CBC Indigenous in 2017 and has worked with Inuit, First Nations and Métis communities across Canada, providing national and regional news coverage for CBC’s broadcast platforms.

Meloney is experienced in the production and development of digital and television documentaries, both long and short-form. He has also trained hundreds of CBC journalists with Duncan McCue’s Reporting in Indigenous Communities workshop and co-chaired Inuit, Métis, and First Nations employee resource group CBC All Nation.

Abbasakoor has worked within Canada’s independent production sector for 20 years, including work on projects with Blue Ant Media, Saloon Media, Magee TV and 4East and a lead development role with factual prodco Cream Productions. She also served as a content producer for the Banff World Media Festival’s inaugural BANFF Spark Accelerator for Women in the Business of Media.

CBC unveiled a new commissioning operations strategy for its documentaries in April of this year ahead of Hot Docs. The strategy saw CBC’s Passionate Eye brand evolve from acquisitions-only to both commissions and acquisitions. Michelle McCree, who formerly served as executive in charge of production, unscripted content, was tapped to spearhead Passionate Eye’s commissioning work.

Pictured (L-R): Yasmine Abbasakoor and Nic Meloney