Meet the faculty

Phil Raby joined Durham College in 2008 following two decades as a reporter, photographer, video journalist and live television producer. His past employers include CHEX Television, Citytv and CablePulse24. Phil is also an experienced freelance travel and automotive journalist with national exposure. Himself a product of the community college system, Phil holds an advanced diploma in Journalism from Centennial College, as well as a Bachelor of Education from Brock University and a Master of Education from Ontario Tech University. In addition to his role as program coordinator, he teaches Photography, Mobile Reporting, News Writing, Emerging Digital Platforms and Field Placement Seminar. Phil is also on the board of directors for the Canadian Media Educators association.

Craig Robertson joined Durham College in 2013 at the inception of the Broadcasting program following more than 20 years as an on-air host. After graduating from Seneca College’s Radio Broadcasting program, Craig started his career with Radio Canada in Germany, followed by hosting jobs for CHUM Group in Peterborough (CKPT), Durham Radio in Oshawa (KX96 and 94.9 The Rock) and currently at 105.9 The Region in Vaughan as their freelance fill-in host. He is also an experienced musician who gigs around Ontario frequently, either solo or with his band. Craig currently teaches On-Air Hosting and Show Preparation, Talk Radio and Radio Programming.

Tina Cortese is an award-winning broadcast executive, producer and journalist. She was instrumental in building and growing news programming as the General Manager and Vice President of Citytv Toronto.  Tina was a valuable member of the launch team for one of the most widely recognized news channels in the country, CP24.  A two-time Gemini award-winning producer, Tina also served as executive producer for Breakfast Television, CityLine and multiple national New Year’s Eve specials at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto. Currently, Tina is station manager for 105.9FM in York Region.  She has also worked as news anchor and news director for Corus Radio and weekend news anchor at Bell Media’s NEWSTALK 1010. Tina joined Durham College in 2016 and holds a degree in Radio & Television Arts from Ryerson University, a Master of Education degree from UOIT and a certificate in Public Relations.

Andrew Ryan brings nearly three decades of Canadian journalism experience to the DC Broadcasting program. He is a graduate of the Ryerson Journalism program (BAA) and holds his Honours Bachelor of Arts degree (HBA) from University of Toronto. In 2019, Andrew wrapped a distinguished career at The Globe and Mail where he worked as an editor, features writer, reporter and columnist, and amassed more than 5,000 bylines over 20 years. Before that, Andrew held several key positions at TV Guide Canada, including Sports Editor, Associate Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He also spent two years working at CTV as a senior manager and publicist. Andrew joined Durham College as an instructor in January, 2017, and currently teaches Writing For Broadcast and Interviewing & Research. You can find him on Twitter at @AndrewRyanTV.

Shawn Whalen teaches our Sales, Marketing and Promotions course. With more than a dozen years in the broadcasting industry, mostly as a promotions and marketing director and radio host, Shawn brings his experience and passion for broadcasting to Durham College. He’s worked for media companies in Toronto, Kingston, Timmins and Ottawa for a variety of stations and formats. As a marketing professional, when he’s not in the classroom, he owns and operates Clear Image, a marketing and design company based in Toronto and serving clients throughout North America.

Geoff Coulter is a veteran of the television, theatre and video communications industry and brings more than 30 years of production experience to all facets of television and video production. He’s an award-winning producer and director with hundreds of video and television productions to his credit. A graduate of Ryerson University’s Radio and Television Arts program (BAA), Geoff also serves as an instructional designer for the media department at the York Region School Board. He’s also a professional actor and voice-specialist and can regularly be seen and heard in the Region of Durham. Geoff joined Durham College in 2015 and currently teaches On-Air Hosting and Show Preparation.

Patrick Hunt is a broadcast journalist with more than a decade of radio experience. While a student in Seneca College’s radio broadcasting program, Patrick started out at CJFB in Caledon where he worked as a producer, host and hockey, and lacrosse play-by-play announcer. He joined 680 News and later Corus’s Barrie/Collingwood stations before moving to Durham Radio in 2012. You can now hear him daily as an afternoon news anchor and co-host on CKDO and 94.9 The Rock. His years of experience, both in front of and behind the mic, serve him well in the Introduction to Broadcast Technologies course he has taught since joining Durham College in 2016. He also has a BA in Political Science and you’ll sometimes see him on TV moderating debates or appearing as a guest or panelist.