Veteran TV programmer Bill Roberts is leaving ZoomerMedia after 12 years running VisionTV, S-VOX and most recently ZoomerMedia TV.

Roberts will exit as president and CEO on Oct. 31.

In a statement, Roberts said he looked forward to a “brief period of ‘under employment'” from November 1, before getting back into Canadian broadcasting.

Moses Znaimer, founder of Citytv, used the acquisition of VisionTV and other assets like One: The Body, Mind & Spirit Channel from S-Vox to get back into broadcasting himself in 2012 as head of ZoomerMedia.

VisionTV, a multi-faith and multicultural channel, is seen in around 10 million Canadian households.

“For every success we had (ratings growth, financial turn-around, improved stake holder relations, increased BDU rates) – often in the face of very long odds – I owe a debt of enormous gratitude to my talented executive team, to the dedicated employees of VisionTV, to my generous industry colleagues, and of course to our loyal viewers,” Roberts said Monday.