The president and CEO of BCE and Bell Canada, the parent company of the CTV network, says the decision to terminate Lisa LaFlamme’s contract had nothing to do with her age, gender or gray hair.
Mirko Bibic says the decision to take the anchor off the air reflects the significant transformations taking place in the country’s broadcast industry.
In a post on Linkedln, he writes that the days of viewers waiting until 11 p.m. to get their news are over.
This change (the departure of Ms. LaFlamme) is necessary because Bell Media “must offer [ses] journalists the resources they need on all the platforms where the news is viewed”.
Mr. Bibic’s message caps a difficult week in which Bell Media has faced growing anger over the departure of Ms. LaFlamme.
An internal memo from Bell Media said Friday that Michael Melling, vice president of news, was taking time off immediately to spend time with his family.
Mr. Bibic confirmed that Mr. Melling had been “subject to various allegations” and that he had taken time off “pending the results of the workplace assessment which is in progress”.
In a letter to the board of directors of BCE and Bell Canada, several Canadian personalities condemned the abrupt departure of Lisa LaFlamme, pointing out that it highlights the sexism and ageism that women continue to face in the workplace.
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