Bell Media Completes Acquisition of Majority Interest in Pinewood Toronto Studios

– Nanci MacLean named President, Geoff Grant appointed General Manager –
– Randy Lennox, Nikki Moffat, and Arjan Stroomberg join the Pinewood Toronto Studios Board of Directors –

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TORONTO, May 15, 2018 /CNW/ - Bell Media is pleased to confirm the completion today of its previously announced plan to acquire a majority stake in Pinewood Toronto Studios. Nanci MacLean has been named President of Pinewood Toronto Studios, in addition to her role as Vice-President, Bell Media Studios, while seasoned production operations director Geoff Grant has been appointed General Manager.

With the partnership now finalized between Bell Media and Comweb Studio Holdings, Castlepoint, and the City of Toronto, Randy Lennox, President, Bell Media; Nikki Moffat President, Radio and Local TV and Senior Vice-President Finance, Bell Media; and Arjan Stroomberg, Director, Corporate Strategy and M&A for BCE have been appointed to the board of directors for Pinewood Toronto Studios, effective immediately. They join current directors William Bryck of CreateTO; Alfredo Romano, President of Castlepoint Numa; and Paul Bronfman, CEO of Comweb and Chairman of Pinewood Toronto Studios.

"We are happy to officially welcome Pinewood Toronto Studios as a new and important part of Bell Media Studios and our end-to-end content creation chain," said MacLean. "I am also thrilled that Geoff Grant is joining Pinewood as our General Manager. With his tremendous experience and stellar reputation for excellence, I'm confident he will take this incredible facility to all-new heights."

Reporting to MacLean in his new role, Grant will oversee daily operations of the studio, ensuring overall delivery and quality of services while enabling the growth and evolution of the studios.

"I am very excited to join the team at Pinewood Toronto Studios as we embark on our ambitious plan to expand this world-renowned production facility," said Grant. "I look forward to working closely with Canadian and international content creators at this superior production facility as we continue to advance this homegrown success story."

A 25-year veteran of the media industry, Grant's most recent role was Director, TV Operations, Bell Media. Grant was responsible for Bell Media's largest broadcasting complex, Bell Media Studios North, located in Scarborough, Ont. There, he oversaw all operational duties across the facility's productions, master controls, distribution, on-air presentation, and production services operations. Productions at Bell Media Studios North include Canada's #1 newscast CTV NATIONAL NEWS and all studio productions for Canada's most-watched specialty network, TSN. In addition, Bell Media Studios North hosts many of Bell Media's specialty channels and various external productions.

Grant is a current contributor to the Durham College Program Advisory Committee and continually seeks ways to inspire and enhance newcomers to the field of broadcast and entertainment.

Sales and marketing for Pinewood Toronto Studios will continue to be managed by Pinewood Group led by Megan Guy, Vice-President, Pinewood International.

About Pinewood Toronto Studios
Pinewood Toronto Studios is the destination facility for domestic and international film and TV producers shooting in Toronto. The contemporary 330,000 square foot (29,600 square metres) purpose-built production lot is located on a 33.5-acre (13.5 hectares) site, minutes from downtown Toronto. Its eleven stages, including one of North America's largest purpose-built sound stages – the 46,000 sq. ft. (4,274 square metres) Mega Stage – are soundproofed, clear-span and equipped with power and supporting infrastructure to accommodate productions of all sizes and budgets.

About Bell Media
Bell Media is Canada's leading content creation company with premier assets in television, radio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media. Bell Media owns 30 local television stations led by CTV, Canada's highest-rated television network; 30 specialty channels, including TSN and RDS, and four pay TV services, including The Movie Network and Super Écran. Bell Media is also Canada's largest radio broadcaster, with 215 music channels including 109 licensed radio stations in 58 markets across the country, all part of the iHeartRadio brand and streaming service. Bell Media owns Astral, an out-of-home advertising network of more than 30,000 faces in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Québec, and Nova Scotia. Bell Media also operates more than 200 websites; delivers TV Everywhere with its CraveTV and GO video streaming services; operates multi-channel network Much Digital Studios; produces live theatrical shows via its partnership with Iconic Entertainment Studios; owns a majority stake in Pinewood Toronto Studios, one of the largest purpose-built production studios in Canada; and owns Dome Productions Inc., a multi-platform production company. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. For more on Bell Media, please visit www.bellmedia.ca.

SOURCE Bell Media