Ivan Fecan
Encyclopedia
Ivan Fecan is a retired Canadian
media executive. Fecan was the president and CEO of Baton Broadcasting and its successor CTVglobemedia
from 1996 to 2011, and CEO of the CTV Television Network
from late 1998 to 2011.
Fecan was born in Toronto in 1954. He attended York University
, receiving a BA
in Fine Arts.
In 1984, at the age of 31, Ivan was offered a job with NBC
. He served as their vice-president of creative development for two years, before returning to Canada to become director of television programming for CBC Television
in 1987. Some of the shows that Fecan ushered in during his tenure at CBC include Degrassi High
, Road to Avonlea
, The Kids in the Hall
, Royal Canadian Air Farce
and This Hour Has 22 Minutes
.
Fecan left CBC and joined Baton Broadcasting in January 1994 as senior group vice-president, and became executive vice-president and chief operating officer in January 1995. Fecan became president and CEO of Baton in 1996. Fecan built Baton into a cross-Canada broadcasting powerhouse by purchasing or launching CTV affiliates in nearly every major market in the country (thus enabling itself to be renamed CTV Inc.) The new CTV organization in 1999 purchased Netstar Communications, owners of TSN
. This made CTV an important player in Canada's cable television industry.
In 2000, CTV was purchased by Bell Canada Enterprises. BCE immediately merged CTV with The Globe and Mail
to form Bell Globemedia, later renamed CTVglobemedia, of which Fecan became president and CEO. Although BCE sold its controlling interest in the company in 2006, it then bought out the company's broadcasting assets entirely in 2011, at which point Fecan retired, and Bell executive Kevin Crull was named the new head of the renamed Bell Media.
He is married to Sandra Faire
, also a former CBC television producer who currently heads her own production firm, Sandra Faire & Associates.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
media executive. Fecan was the president and CEO of Baton Broadcasting and its successor CTVglobemedia
CTVglobemedia
CTVglobemedia , was one of Canada's largest private media companies. Its operations include newspaper publishing , television broadcasting and production , radio broadcasting , and their respective Internet properties.Originally established by BCE and the Thomson family in 2001 combining CTV Inc.,...
from 1996 to 2011, and CEO of the CTV Television Network
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
from late 1998 to 2011.
Fecan was born in Toronto in 1954. He attended York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
, receiving a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Fine Arts.
In 1984, at the age of 31, Ivan was offered a job with NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. He served as their vice-president of creative development for two years, before returning to Canada to become director of television programming for CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
in 1987. Some of the shows that Fecan ushered in during his tenure at CBC include Degrassi High
Degrassi High
Degrassi High is the third television show in the Degrassi series of teen dramas about the lives of a group of kids living on or near De Grassi Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It first aired from 1989 to 1991 and followed the kids from Kids of Degrassi Street and Degrassi Junior High through...
, Road to Avonlea
Road to Avonlea
Road to Avonlea was a television series which was first broadcast in Canada and the United States between 1990 and 1996. It was created by Kevin Sullivan and produced by Sullivan Films in association with CBC and the Disney Channel, with additional funding from Telefilm Canada.It was adapted from...
, The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1988 to 1994 on CBC in Canada, and 1989 to 1995 on CBS and HBO in the United States...
, Royal Canadian Air Farce
Royal Canadian Air Farce
Air Farce Live, also credited as Air Farce, previously Royal Canadian Air Farce, and Air Farce—Final Flight! for the final season, was a Canadian comedy series starring the comedy troupe The Royal Canadian Air Farce that previously starred in an eponymous radio show on CBC radio from 1973 to 1997...
and This Hour Has 22 Minutes
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
This Hour Has 22 Minutes is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. Launched in 1993 during Canada's 35th general election, the show focuses on Canadian politics, combining news parody, sketch comedy and satirical editorials...
.
Fecan left CBC and joined Baton Broadcasting in January 1994 as senior group vice-president, and became executive vice-president and chief operating officer in January 1995. Fecan became president and CEO of Baton in 1996. Fecan built Baton into a cross-Canada broadcasting powerhouse by purchasing or launching CTV affiliates in nearly every major market in the country (thus enabling itself to be renamed CTV Inc.) The new CTV organization in 1999 purchased Netstar Communications, owners of TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
. This made CTV an important player in Canada's cable television industry.
In 2000, CTV was purchased by Bell Canada Enterprises. BCE immediately merged CTV with The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
to form Bell Globemedia, later renamed CTVglobemedia, of which Fecan became president and CEO. Although BCE sold its controlling interest in the company in 2006, it then bought out the company's broadcasting assets entirely in 2011, at which point Fecan retired, and Bell executive Kevin Crull was named the new head of the renamed Bell Media.
He is married to Sandra Faire
Sandra Faire
Sandra Faire is a Canadian television producer. Formerly a producer with CBC Television, where she created and produced variety entertainment programs such as The Joyce Davidson Show, Video Hits and Comics!, since 1997 she has owned and operated her own private production firm, Sandra Faire &...
, also a former CBC television producer who currently heads her own production firm, Sandra Faire & Associates.