CBC/Radio-Canada on Monday announced Claude Galipeau, the national public broadcaster’s executive vice president of corporate development, has been elected as the new president of the Public Media Alliance (PMA), a global association of public service media organizations.
Galipeau is taking over as PMA president from Paul Thompson, CEO and editor-in-chief of Radio New Zealand, who did not stand for re-election but will remain on the PMA board. Thompson had served as president since 2016.
“At a time of great instability and uncertainty, international collaboration among public service media organisations is more important than ever — to remind us that the challenges we face domestically exist globally; that we are stronger and likelier to succeed in overcoming them by working together; and that standing up for public service media is a cornerstone of defending democracy,” Galipeau said in a statement.
“As the largest global association of public broadcasters, the Public Media Alliance will continue to foster such cooperation. I’m honoured to have been elected president, and I look forward to working with my fellow board members, alongside Kristian [Porter] and the PMA team,” Galipeau said.
In his current role as CBC/Radio-Canada’s executive vice president of corporate development, Galipeau oversees the public broadcaster’s strategy, public affairs and regulatory affairs, and leads on partnering with other broadcasters and news organizations, as well as cultural groups, creators and international players. He has previously held senior leadership positions with Yahoo, Syncapse, Rogers Media and Astral Media.
In a statement, Kristian Porter, CEO of the PMA, thanked Thompson for his leadership over the past decade and congratulated Galipeau on becoming the PMA’s new president.
“Having served as vice president for several years, [Galipeau] is already deeply familiar with the work of the alliance, and his support for us has already been a tremendous help,” Porter said. “His experience across the media industry and with CBC/Radio-Canada means there are few better to be steering the board in this moment of flux for many public media. I am confident that the future of PMA is in safe hands under his leadership.”
Porter also congratulated the vice presidents-elect, Frank-Dieter Freiling and David Sutton, and the other successful board nominees, and he welcomed new board members Karen Donders, Menesia Muinjo, Teresa Muñoz Guerra and Chris Liu.
“Public media worldwide are facing great challenges, but I firmly believe now is the time to expand our vision beyond national borders and to increase our collaboration with one another,” Porter said. “The Public Media Alliance exists to promote and support these collaborations, and enhance the networks between public service media. Our global board, representing eleven countries, and five continents, is a clear example of this.”
The PMA’s new board includes:
- David Sutton, senior executive of policy and regulatory affairs at Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
- Karen Donders, director of public value, talent and organization at Belgium’s Flemish public broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT)
- Claude Galipeau, executive vice president of corporate development at CBC/Radio-Canada
- Frank-Dieter Freiling, senior vice president of international affairs at Germany’s Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)
- Menesia Muinjo, chief news and programming officer at Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC)
- Paul Thompson, CEO and editor-in-chief of Radio New Zealand (RNZ)
- Teresa Muñoz Guerra, director of international, institutional and cooperation relations at Spain’s national public broadcaster Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE)
- Larissa Bieler, director of SWI swissinfo.ch (SRG SSR)
- Chris Liu, vice president of Radio Taiwan International (Rti)
- Phil Harrold, interim chief operating officer of BBC News at British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
- Jonathan Barzilay, chief operating officer of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
The board was elected by PMA members in January 2026 ahead of the PMA’s annual general assembly on Jan. 28. The president and vice president positions were elected internally by the board. Board terms are two years.
Photo of Claude Galipeau courtesy of CBC. Photo credit: Peter Power Photography.
