Lisa LaFlamme’s Ousting Has Nothing To Do With Age, Gender Or Grey Hair: Bell Media Head

etcanada.com:

The decision to end Lisa LaFlamme’s contract with CTV National News had nothing to do with her age, gender or grey hair, the head of Bell Media’s parent company said. “The narrative has been that Lisa’s age, gender or grey hair played into the decision,” Mirko Bibic, president and CEO of BCE Inc. & Bell Canada, wrote in a LinkedIn post. “I am satisfied that this is not the case and wanted to make sure you heard it from me.” Instead, removing the longtime anchor reflects massive changes to traditional broadcasting in Canada, he said. “The days when viewers wait until 11 p.m.

to get their news are gone,” Bibic said. “While some may resist change, it is necessary and we need to confront this … Bell Media needs to provide our journalists with the resources they need on all platforms where news is consumed.” Read more: LaFlamme ouster: Open letter to Bell outlines sexism, ageism faced by women at work His post caps a week of growing fallout from LaFlamme’s departure that saw Bell Media vice-president of news Michael Melling take a leave from his job as of Friday.

Melling has been the subject of “various allegations” and is on leave pending the outcome of a workplace review, Bibic said. “To address concerns raised regarding the working environment in the newsroom we have begun an independent review involving confidential interviews with all newsroom employees who choose to participate,” he said. “Any necessary changes that become evident will be implemented swiftly to ensure a respectful, unified workplace.” Meanwhile, a long list of high-profile Canadian artists, politicians, business leaders and philanthropists issued an open letter on Saturday condemning LaFlamme’s abrupt dismissal.