Bell Media, the owner of the CTV network, announced Friday that it will launch an independent assessment of the climate in the newsroom following the firing of anchor Lisa LaFlamme.
In a statement released on Friday, the company expressed regret over the way the news was communicated. ” [Cela a] may have given viewers the wrong impression of CTV’s regard for Lisa and her remarkable career,” reads the statement signed by Bell Media President Wade Oosterman and Senior Vice President of Content Development. and news, Karine Moses.
Ms LaFlamme said on Monday she was “caught off guard” when Bell Media terminated her contract with CTV National News after 35 years. She said she was stunned by this decision, which was announced to her in June.
This departure, described by Bell as the result of “a business decision”, raised several questions about the role that sexism and ageism could have played in this upheaval.
Bell Media said Friday it has “always taken any type of discrimination very seriously,” adding that measures will be put in place to “conduct an independent climate assessment in our newsroom.” The review will take place over the next few weeks.
The departure of Ms. LaFlamme and the name of her replacement were announced the same day. This frustrated many listeners who would have liked the anchorwoman to be given a more dignified farewell to her long 35-year career with the company.
An internal memo sent Thursday by a member of CTV management says that Lisa LaFlamme refused to say goodbye on the air.
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