Michael Melling, the CTV News chief who took time off following the ousting of chief anchor Lisa LaFlammehas now been permanently replaced, CBC News has learned.
“We are pleased to announce that Richard Gray, Acting Vice President of News, is assigned to this position on a permanent basis. Michael Melling has been reassigned to Vice President of Shared Services and will not be returning to CTV News Operations. “, we read in an internal memo sent. to staff on Monday.
The memo was signed by Rob Malcolmson, senior vice president and chief legal and regulatory affairs officer, and Nikki Moffat, chief human resources officer and senior vice president, corporate services.
Melling was criticized for LaFlamme’s abrupt departure from CTV, which raised questions among media observers about whether sexism and ageism played a role in the upheaval. He became vice president of the news division at CTV’s parent company, Bell Media, in January.
Merger went on leave in august amid furor over LaFlamme’s exit, with an internal memo saying he had “decided to take time off from his current role with immediate effect to spend time with his family”.
Third party workplace review
The decision to reassign Melling follows an independent third-party review by CTV’s National Newsroom that began in late August and was conducted by labor lawyer Sarah Crossley, according to the latest memo.
“The purpose of this review was to gather information about CTV National’s newsroom culture, environment and practices, with a view to identifying any issues, concerns or areas for improvement so that we can then work to resolve them,” the memo reads. .
He said several key themes emerged from the review, including: “A culture where people are sometimes afraid to raise concerns for fear of reprisal or inaction”; “A need for greater civility and respect in the newsroom”; and “A desire to improve working conditions.”
According to the memo, an action plan has been developed to address the issues, with the goal of increasing trust, valuing work, and improving transparency and engagement.
The Canadian Association of Journalists has said it is seriously concerned about journalistic freedom at CTV National News following reports that an article scheduled for airing Wednesday night did not air after management weighed in. on its content.
Bell called LaFlamme’s ouster a “business decision”
In an Aug. 15 video statement, LaFlamme said she was “blindsided” by the news that Bell Media was ending its contract with CTV National News after more than 30 years.
Bell described the departure as a “business decision”, citing “changing viewing habits”. His replacement, national affairs correspondent Omar Sachedina, who joined the network in 2009, was announced the same day.
After days of criticism, the company released a statement saying it regretted the way the departure was handled as it “may have left viewers with the wrong impression” that LaFlamme’s storied career was not valued. .
Bell said it takes the discrimination allegations “very seriously” and will launch an internal, third-party workplace review in the newsroom.
A town hall with staff was also held where Melling and another Bell Media executive offered their perspective on the events.
Karine Moses, senior vice president of content development and news for Bell Media, said at the time that LaFlamme rejected the opportunity to bid farewell to the air. Moses also told employees that the anchor wasn’t just kicked out of the business.
She “was offered a lot of options to come back and do a lot of things, which she refused, and I respect that,” Moses said in a recording of the encounter obtained by The Canadian Press. She did not give details of other job opportunities that Bell Media presented to LaFlamme.
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