Initiative has signed a new deal with the CBC following a mandatory review process.

The pubcaster’s media account has been with Initiative for the past nine years, and was previously with m2, another agency within Interpublic Group’s IPG Mediabrands network.

Helen Galanis, president at Initiative Canada, said that the CBC prepared her team for a rigourous and lengthy review process.

“They were rightly looking for thought leadership and someone who could take them forward in the evolving media world,” she said.

She added that Initiative was in the process of reworking the business while the review was underway, making key hires like Noah Vardon, who joined as VP of client advice and lead on the CBC account last summer. Nish Shah, VP of strategy, has also been heavily involved with the CBC account since he joined a year ago, said Galanis.

Initiative will work to lead media strategy and execution supporting the CBC’s programs, like Anne, Murdoch Mysteries, Baroness von Sketch Show and Workin’ Moms.

The CBC spent $101.8 million on sales and promotion in 2015, according to the latest CRTC report on the numbers. That was down 7.85% from the previous year.

Image: Shutterstock