Sphere promotes to strengthen Kids and Family division whilst Cyr steps back
Sphere Media has announced it has promoted Judith Beauchemin and Marianne Culbert to leadership positions in its Kids & Family (K&F) division, while K&F creative director Ghislain Cyr, a veteran on the international animation scene, is set to retire.
Culbert has been promoted to vice-president of production, K&F/animation from her former role as head of production, K&F/animation. Beauchemin, meanwhile, has been elevated to executive vice-president operations, K&F from her previous role as vice-president of production and post-production, K&F. Both will continue to report to Marlo Miazga, president and executive producer, unscripted and K&F, and work alongside Andrea Griffith, vice-president of content and development, K&F.
Beauchemin’s remit has also been expanded to include the French-speaking territories. In her new role as executive vice-president operations, French market, she will also report to Renaud Chassé, president of creation and production, French content.
The management restructure reflects Sphere Media’s focus on expanding its role as a creative partner on multi-year, multi-million-dollar production service contracts, as exemplified by its ongoing relationship with US broadcaster BYUtv on the animated comedy adventure Saving Me, recently renewed for a third and fourth season. The K&F division is also building its slate of international co-productions along the lines of new kids’ series Bad Jelly, commissioned by TVNZ and WildBrain Television’s Family Channel and launched at MIPCOM in October 2024. Starring Miriam Margolyes and based on a story from legendary comedian Spike Milligan, the 13 x 22 mins series about the world’s wickedest witch is the first-ever Canada/New Zealand/UK animation co-production.
In other executive news, Cyr has announced his retirement as creative director, a position he has held since 2022, when Sphere Media acquired his Montreal-based animation studio Sardine Productions. Founded by Cyr in 2002, Sardine has produced a string of successful original series, including My Goldfish Is Evil!, Chop Chop Ninja and ToonMarty, which have sold into more than 200 territories.
Marlo Miazga said: “In today’s media market, flexible, smart, resilient teams are not just desirable but essential to an organisation’s ability to respond to the ever-accelerating rate of change and complexity. Over the past few years, we’ve survived — and even thrived — in the face of multiple challenges, and much the credit is due to the dream team of Beauchemin, Culbert and Griffith. This restructure gives Judith, Marianne and Andrea the authority and freedom to take their vision further, faster and across all disciplines, from development to creation to delivery. Ghislain will be sorely missed but we will be forever grateful for his astute advice and guidance. His legacy will live on in our commitment to excellence.”
Culbert, Griffith and Beauchemin will also be driving Sphere Media’s push into hybrid live-action/animation series, building on the success of Canadian public broadcaster TVO’s Burps, Butts and Bones. The 26 x 11 mins kids’ factual series features a freewheeling CGI animated skeleton, who addresses an urgent body-related question posed by a real-life kids while sharing odd and outrageous snack-facts about our amazing bodies.
