TORONTO - Bell Media is rebuilding its TV operations with a massive executive overhaul that hands the reins to former Universal Music Canada boss Randy Lennox.

The media giant behind channels including CTV, TSN, HBO Canada and Space says Lennox will take over the newly created position of president of entertainment production and broadcasting, effective immediately.

That puts him in charge of all independent and in-house entertainment productions for conventional, specialty, pay television and digital media.

Bell Media president Mary Ann Turcke made the announcement by press release Tuesday, on the heels of word that several other executives were leaving, including Phil King, who was president of CTV and sports and entertainment programming.

Turcke has put her stamp on the team since being named Bell Media president in April.

"The industry is reinventing itself and it's important for all the players to be reinventing themselves as well," broadcasting analyst Jeff Kagan said from Atlanta, Ga.

"It shows that they're awake, it shows that they understand the industry is changing and it shows that they understand that they need change. And that's all good."

Also gone from Bell Media, a division of BCE Inc. (TSX:BCE) are: Charles Benoit, president of television and radio for Quebec; Chris Gordon, president of radio and local TV; and Adam Ashton, senior vice president for English TV and business operations.

Bell Media said Lennox was not available for an interview Tuesday and that the company would not be commenting on the changes.

In April, Turcke replaced Kevin Crull, who sparked widespread criticism for demanding that CTV journalists limit airtime given to an announcement by Jean-Pierre Blais, chairman of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

Blais had just announced the advent of a pick-and-pay cable system, a potential game-changer slated to be in place by the end of next year. It would allow consumers to purchase smaller cable packages and individual channels instead of larger bundles.

"It's going to wreak havoc on not only their channels but many other channels as well," Barry Kiefl, president of Canadian Media Research TV, predicted from Ottawa.

"I think there are a number of channels that are packaged with others that, were they to be on their own, are just going to close up."

He said that includes Bell Media's Book Television and a slew of its youth-oriented channels, including Much and MTV.

"They're all in big trouble," said Kiefl, suggesting Bell Media throw its efforts behind digital ventures.

"That is where YouTube and the Internet services and all of the streaming music services are really taking the market and I can imagine that some of those channels are just going to collapse. Unless they take the newfound freedom to put other kinds of programming on."

In outlining Lennox's qualifications, Turcke touted his ability to gain market ground while the music industry endured a myriad of technological and marketplace challenges.

Some of the Canadian music stars he's credited with launching include Justin Bieber, Shania Twain, Drake, Diana Krall, Nickelback, and The Weeknd.

"Randy joins us at a pivotal time as the media industry experiences significant change," Turcke said in the release, touting his "passion for creative multimedia content."

Kagan said charting a new course for Bell Media certainly won't be easy.

"Things are changing and it's not like we know exactly what the rules of success are going to be going forward for the next decade or two," Kagan said.

"Every company is trying to reinvent itself and the companies that are going to be successful are the ones that are going to guess right."

News from © The Canadian Press, 2015