Congratulations are due for Knowledge Network president and CEO and BBC Kids president Rudy Buttignol, who has been appointed to the Order of Canada.

According to an Order of Canada news release, Buttignol was chosen for the civilian honour "for his contributions as a champion of Canadian documentary filmmaking and for his transformative leadership at the Knowledge Network.”

Buttignol, who will receive an insignia as a member of the Order of Canada at a later date, joined B.C. public broadcaster Knowledge Network in 2007. He helped turn the network into a digital media service with both television and web channels.

He is a founding chair of the Documentary Organization of Canada, founder of the Hot Docs Financing Forum, and as a TVOntario commissioning editor, he produced documentaries such as The Corporation, Manufactured Landscapes, and Hardwood.

He has also served on the boards of the Vancouver International Film Festival, Banff Media Festival, Canadian Media Fund, and Hot Docs International Film Festival.