Omar Sachedina is named as anchor at CTV Canada.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Lisa LaFlamme Removed as Chief News Anchor at Canada’s CTV Network
- Thread starter Y2kTheNewOldies
- Start date
Omar Sachedina is named as anchor at CTV Canada.
Now the Executive who made that decision at CTV is out.
This would have been the equivalent of CBS firing Walter Cronkite in 1976 because he had reached 60 years of age, even though his evening newscast was the most popular evening news program on American television at the time (which it was).
Like Cronkite in 1976 here in the States, LaFlamme's newscast was the most popular network news program in Canada when she got the axe.
If I ran CTV News, I would never have laid off LaFlamme. In fact, if she was nearing retirement age and told me she wanted to step down, I would have tried to talk her out if it.
I did hear that she went to London to do some reporting for the City TV network after the death of Queen Elizabeth, but I don't know if she's done any TV news work since, and if so, for whom.
Like Cronkite in 1976 here in the States, LaFlamme's newscast was the most popular network news program in Canada when she got the axe.
If I ran CTV News, I would never have laid off LaFlamme. In fact, if she was nearing retirement age and told me she wanted to step down, I would have tried to talk her out if it.
I did hear that she went to London to do some reporting for the City TV network after the death of Queen Elizabeth, but I don't know if she's done any TV news work since, and if so, for whom.
Or like the CBC firing Peter Mansbridge, or CTV firing Lloyd Robertson. Couldn't have happened.
Sexism, ageism, and lookism. (I'm not a "wokeist" but I know these things when I see them.)
It's not unusual to try introducing a younger anchor, even if you're #1. WLTW Lite-FM, one by one, replaced its DJs even when it was New York's top station. They had all been with the station for 10 years or more. Management realized it had to keep its successful AC format appealing to new listeners as its older listeners aged out of the 25-54 demographic.
So over time, the morning DJ, the afternoon DJ, midday and evening hosts were all moved out, even if they were #1. They didn't have to fire the overnight DJ. She died during this process. And with the new DJs, the station stayed at #1.
No one likes to hear about someone losing a job, especially if it's about age. But the age of viewers to Network TV news is already fairly old. How do you get younger people to watch? Not having a 60+ anchor may be one way. And as mentioned above, it happens to male anchors, not just female.
Walter Cronkite did have to leave CBS, to make way for Dan Rather. Everyone made it seem like Cronkite was leaving on his own terms. But everyone knew if he didn't leave, CBS management would have to do it.
So over time, the morning DJ, the afternoon DJ, midday and evening hosts were all moved out, even if they were #1. They didn't have to fire the overnight DJ. She died during this process. And with the new DJs, the station stayed at #1.
No one likes to hear about someone losing a job, especially if it's about age. But the age of viewers to Network TV news is already fairly old. How do you get younger people to watch? Not having a 60+ anchor may be one way. And as mentioned above, it happens to male anchors, not just female.
Walter Cronkite did have to leave CBS, to make way for Dan Rather. Everyone made it seem like Cronkite was leaving on his own terms. But everyone knew if he didn't leave, CBS management would have to do it.
But where radio is concerned, it's not readily apparent how old a DJ or announcer is. You don't see them.
Though it was television, Don Pardo kept doing what he had always been doing well into his 90s, and you would have had to be told, because he was rarely if ever seen, his forte was in voice-over rather than appearing on-screen.
- Status