Ivan Fecan

Who is Ivan Fecan?

Ivan Fecan is a Canadian media executive and philanthropist. Fecan was the president and CEO of Baton Broadcasting and its successor CTVglobemedia from 1996 to 2011, and CEO of the CTV Television Network from late 1998 to 2011.

Fecan was born in Toronto in 1954. He attended York University, receiving a BA in Fine Arts. In 1984, at the age of 31, Ivan was offered a job with NBC. He served as their vice-president of creative development for two years, before returning to Canada to become director of television programming for CBC Television in 1987. Some of the shows that Fecan ushered in during his tenure at CBC include Degrassi High, Road to Avonlea, The Kids in the Hall, Royal Canadian Air Farce and This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

Fecan left CBC and joined Baton Broadcasting in January 1994 as senior group vice-president, and became executive vice-president and chief operating officer in January 1995. Fecan became president and CEO of Baton in 1996. Fecan built Baton into a cross-Canada broadcasting powerhouse by purchasing or launching CTV affiliates in nearly every major market in the country The new CTV organization in 1999 purchased Netstar Communications, owners of TSN. This made CTV an important player in Canada's cable television industry.