As Shaw Communications completed its $2 billion purchase of Canwest Global’s broadcast assets on Wednesday, new group vice president of broadcasting and president of the rebranded Shaw Media business, Paul Robertson, was determined to get things done.

Of immediate interest to much of the Canadian media community is the approximately $200 million in tangible benefits Shaw proposed as part of the takeover. That money, to be allocated over the next seven years, represents a huge potential boost to the industry.

Said Robertson, “We’ll start to put those plans together and get that money working in the public interest.

“Being our first day, we’re now just starting to put the specific plans together in terms of how they roll out. But we want to get on with things as soon as possible. It’s very exciting, whether it’s the additional Canadian drama content or the digital offering, or the conversion of our analog towers to digital: all of these things are really exciting and our folks are chomping at the bit to go forward, so we’ll get right to it.

“Also in the public benefits there was an $18 million plan for innovating in interactive new media, so we’ll be looking to find unique new ways to experiment in these areas and find new ways to link to our audiences every minute of the day.”

Robertson, who most recently served as president of Corus Television, will have ultimate day-to-day control of Shaw Media’s conventional and specialty TV assets.

Executive moves announced yesterday will see Barb Williams overseeing TV series production and acquisitions at the newly-rebranded Shaw Media. Williams, most recently executive vice president of content at Canwest Broadcasting, will oversee the creation of Canadian original productions, purchases of U.S. and other international programming, and scheduling for Shaw Media’s Global Television network and 19 specialty channels.

Other Canwest Global alums making it into the Shaw Media executive suite include Andrew Akman as vice president of planning, Charlotte Bell as vice president of regulatory and government affairs, and Troy Reeb as vice president of news.

Other Shaw Media execs include: Michael French being named vice president of finance, Paul Burns serving as vice president of digital media, and Errol Dare becoming senior vice president of sales.

Carol Darling becomes vice president of engineering and broadcast systems, and Dervla Kelly is senior director of communications.

With files from Etan Vlessing.