* After 14 years with MuchMusic, vp and gm Denise Donlon is leaving to become president of Sony Music Canada, effective Nov. 17.

Replacing Donlon is veteran Much/Chum Television programming executive David Kines, who worked alongside her managing operations and programming for MuchMusic and MuchMoreMusic. In early October, Kines was appointed vp and gm of civi, Chum’s newly licensed, Victoria-based tv station, but when Donlon gave her unexpected notice, plans changed.

Howard Slutsken, Global Television Network’s national program director, is replacing Kines as the new vp and gm of civi, making a return to the company where he spent the first 10 years of his career.

* Chris Dalton has been named the new president and coo of Blackwatch Communications.

William Mariani, the founding president and ceo, will take on the role of chairman and ceo.

Prior to joining Blackwatch, Dalton served as president for the Motion Picture Bond Company for Canada and the u.k.

Marie-Christine Dupont has been appointed business affairs and legal advisor at Blackwatch. Dupont comes from Fraser Milner Casgrain, where she worked in the area of entertainment law and financing.

* George Rossi has been appointed Cinar Corp.’s new senior vp and cfo. He also becomes a member of the company’s senior management committee.

Rossi, a chartered accountant, is the former president of Omni Media usa, a subsidiary of Astral Group.

* John Xinos has been named director, theatrical distribution, Equinox Entertainment. Xinos is the former executive director of booking, Eastern Canada, at Famous Players.

Danielle Lachance has been named director, French television at Equinox. A former print journalist and reporter for Radio Mutuelle, Lachance comes to Equinox from Videoville Showtime, where she handled French-language tv distribution.

* James Wood, a former promotions producer with MuchMusic, has been appointed production supervisor for Chum’s Star! The Entertainment Information Station.

StarNews presenter Larysa Harapyn adds associate producer of StarNews Daily to her title.

* JR Shaw, one of the pioneers of the Canadian broadcasting industry, is this year’s recipient of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Gold Ribbon for Broadcast Excellence. He will accept the award – the cab’s highest honor – Nov. 14 in Calgary at the cab’s annual convention, Broadcasting 2000.

* William Barron has been appointed interim business unit director for Telefilm Canada’s Western region, effective immediately. Barron takes over from Lauren Davis, who is taking parental leave.

* Vancouver’s Blue Zone Entertainment coo Catherine Warren has been named to the board of directors of the WTN Foundation, a national organization devoted to advancing women in the broadcasting field. *