TV Boss Reassigned After Canning Popular Anchor

Melling (Left) LaFlamme (Right)

On Monday, CTV (Canada) News announced that Richard Gray, the Interim VP of News, will be taking over the role on a permanent basis. This announcement comes after the departure of former Chief Anchor Lisa LaFlamme and the leave of absence taken by Michael Melling, the previous head of CTV News. Melling has now been reassigned to VP Shared Services and will not be returning to the news operations.

The decision to reassign Melling follows an independent third-party review of the CTV National newsroom, which was conducted by employment lawyer Sarah Crossley. The review aimed to gather information about the culture, environment, and practices in the newsroom, with the goal of identifying any issues or concerns that could be addressed. According to an internal memo sent to staff, several key themes emerged from the review, including a culture in which people are sometimes afraid to raise concerns, a need for greater civility and respect in the newsroom, and a desire to improve working conditions.

In response to these findings, an action plan has been developed to increase trust, value the work of employees, and improve transparency and engagement. It is not clear whether the review found any evidence of sexism or ageism in the shakeup that led to LaFlamme's departure. However, Melling's leave of absence and subsequent reassignment have raised questions among media observers about the role these factors may have played.