Appointment to CBC/Radio-Canada Board of Directors

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 7, 2011) - The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, today announced the appointment of Pierre Gingras to the Board of Directors of CBC/Radio-Canada.

"Mr. Gingras will be a great addition to the Board of Directors," said Minister Moore. "His innovative approach, his strong administrative background, and his impressive track record in the public sector will certainly benefit the CBC/Radio-Canada."

Mr. Gingras was a Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Blainville from 2007 to 2008. He was Mayor of Blainville from 1993 to 2005, and a municipal councillor from 1989 to 1993. In 1991, with the support of several citizens, he founded the Parti de l'action civique de Blainville and served as its leader until 2005. Previously, Mr. Gingras worked in the printing industry.

Mr. Gingras has worked with several organizations, notably as chair of the Laurentides Regional Development Council (1997–2001) and as a member of the board of directors of the Municipalité régionale de comté (MRC) of Thérèse-De-Blainville for 12 years. Actively involved in the community, he has been a member and vice-president of the youth services program of the Blainville Optimist Club, chair of the Carrefour action municipale et famille, and chair of the Quebec branch of the World Family Organization.

CBC/Radio-Canada is the national public broadcaster and one of Canada's largest cultural institutions. It offers regionally and culturally diverse programming by, for, and about Canadians in English and French across the country, in eight Aboriginal languages across the North, and in seven languages internationally. The Corporation strives to make Canadian content available when, where, and how Canadians want it: on radio, television, satellite, Internet, and emerging digital platforms. For more information, visit www.cbc.ca.

(This news release is available on the Internet at www.canadianheritage.gc.ca under Newsroom.)