CBC executive Barbara Williams to retire after 40-year career in Canadian media

By: Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press Posted:

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TORONTO - Longtime broadcasting executive Barb Williams is retiring.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/10/2025 (379 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO – Longtime broadcasting executive Barb Williams is retiring.

CBC says Williams will wrap a four-decade career in Canadian media next year when she ends her run as executive vice-president of English Services.

Williams joined the public broadcaster in 2019, just before a global pandemic upended the TV industry and as new technologies forced a digital transformation. 

Barb Williams, head of English-language services at CBC, speaks during the CBC's annual upfront presentation at The Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, Wednesday, May 29, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin
Barb Williams, head of English-language services at CBC, speaks during the CBC's annual upfront presentation at The Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, Wednesday, May 29, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin

Before joining the CBC, Williams was chief operating officer and executive vice-president of Corus Entertainment and before that was president of Shaw Media and executive vice-president of content at Canwest Broadcasting.

CBC says Williams will continue her post into the new calendar year to ensure a smooth transition for her successor.

CBC says that search “will begin shortly.”

CBC/Radio-Canada president and CEO Marie-Phillipe Bouchard credited Williams with ensuring the public broadcaster reached audiences across various devices and platforms as Canadians consume content in new ways.

“Barb’s dedication, integrity, and passion for public broadcasting has propelled CBC forward,” Bouchard said Wednesday in a release.

“Her presence will undoubtedly be missed by all who had the pleasure of working with her. I am incredibly grateful for her immense contribution.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2025.

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