R udy Buttignol, president and CEO of Knowledge Network Corporation, is leaving his position effective June 30 after the results of a racial equity audit of the British Columbia public broadcaster prompted calls for new leadership.

A message on the Knowledge Network’s website says the board of directors “has determined that now is the time for renewal as it considers the future and how best to move the organization forward.”

The statement acknowledges Buttignol’s “significant contributions to public broadcasting in B.C. during his 15 years of service” and says the board “will be conducting a comprehensive, national recruitment process and will appoint an acting president and chief executive officer in the coming weeks to serve during this period.”

A petition calling for Buttignol (pictured) to be replaced began after an independent audit released in February revealed that in the period from fiscal 2015/2016 to 2021/2022, Knowledge Network only spent $34,150 (1.7%) of the $2.054 million dollars of pre-licence funding on commissioning works from majority racialized-owned production firms. The report also found that Knowledge Network did not spend any commissioning dollars on Indigenous majority-owned production firms.

The audit by Indigenous advisory organization Castlemain Group prompted Knowledge Network to set a three-year action plan on diversity, equity and inclusion.

After holding such positions as creative head of network programming at TVOntario, Buttignol joined Knowledge Network Corporation as president and CEO in September 2007. His Knowledge Network tenure came after a privatization review by the provincial government concluded that the broadcaster should not be privatized but remain public with a new board and direction.

According to the board of directors’ statement announcing his upcoming departure, Buttignol “transformed the commercial-free public broadcaster into a successful television and digital streaming service.” The statement touts his re-branding and expansion of Knowledge Network “that resulted in the tripling of donor revenues to over $6 million annually and started the Knowledge Endowment Fund, now valued at over $22 million.”

The board also notes that in 2007, Buttignol discontinued in-house production to work exclusively in partnership with independent producers from B.C. and Canada on the creation of original programming.

“Rudy has been a pivotal leader during a significant period of transition in the broadcast industry,” said Maurine Karagianis, Knowledge Network Corporation board chair, in a statement.

The board says it’s “looking at new opportunities to build on Knowledge Network’s success as the organization evolves and adapts to changes in the broadcast industry and the changing needs of British Columbians.”