- Dial Twister
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
RadioAaron wrote:
That hill just got a bit steeper:
Ouch!
- cash
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
I haven't watch the late evening news in years. It's largely irrelevant,
- Chrisphen
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
This decision was actually made at the end of June, so Lisa has been sitting on this news for like the last month and a half.
I've seen a similar dismissal strategy before and I've never really understood it. What's the incentive for her keeping silent? Extra severance?
- TomTV
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
Initially I thought maybe it was ageism, but then I saw someone on twitter post this:
--------------------
Recent national anchor departures:
2011 - Lloyd Robertson retires as CTV anchor at age 77
2017- Peter Mansbridge retires as CBC anchor at age 69
2022- Lisa LaFlamme contract cancelled by CTV at age 58.
---------------------------------
So yeah, probably more of a money thing, if they'd renewed her contract she'd made more $ so why do that when you can bring in a cheaper replacement.
- paterson1
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
CBC.ca must love the fact that Lisa Laflamme leaving CTV National News has been the most read story on their site all afternoon and into the evening.
- RadioActive
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
It's typically considered good taste to wait at least a few days.
I don't disagree, but I think he had to say something.
He should have wished LaFlamme luck at the very least and thanked her for her years of informing Canadians and leaving CTV's National News in such good hands. But I wonder if silence would have been worse.Omar was interviewed on CTV News Channel and talked about Lisa being a mentor and friend to him, and her work at CTV.
They've posted that Q&A here.
- Hansa
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
This decision was actually made at the end of June, so Lisa has been sitting on this news for like the last month and a half.
I've seen a similar dismissal strategy before and I've never really understood it. What's the incentive for her keeping silent? Extra severance?
According to the Star article there were several years left in her contract.
- Media Observer
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
This decision was actually made at the end of June, so Lisa has been sitting on this news for like the last month and a half.
I've seen a similar dismissal strategy before and I've never really understood it. What's the incentive for her keeping silent? Extra severance?
According to the *Star article there were several years left in her contract.
*
Last edited by Media Observer (August 15, 2022 9:42 pm)
- Storm
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
It was covered on CBC's The National this evening including excerpts from her video. Included in the piece was her replacement being Omar Sachedina.
- MJ Vancouver
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
It was covered on CBC's The National this evening including excerpts from her video. Included in the piece was her replacement being Omar Sachedina.
Global National did the same.
- Radiowiz
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
I thought it was CBC's National that was in trouble?
Not anymore! 
Both CBC and Global will now benefit from better ratings...unless one of those two stations pick up Lisa...(?)
That would be interesting...
- dieter
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
Global ran a portion of Lisa's taped farewell on their newscasts. CTV did not. Don't know about CBC.
- Tomas Barlow
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
She’s a woman in her 50’s. That’s a no-no in television no matter what your ratings are.
I knew someone at CTV Toronto years ago who said there were big discussions regarding “What to do about Christine Bentley when we go HD.”
Ken Shaw wasn’t discussed as being a problem of course.
- Mavridis
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
Oh my god, you guys are ridiculous. First, Lisa LaFlamme doesn’t need a job; she made more than all of you combined. And what’s the benefit for Global, City or CBC to hire her? Have you seen what they’re billing for a :30 spot during a newscast these days? How will they make their money back? Lisa was part of a package deal no one at Bell wanted. And as soon as Wendy Freeman was gone, Lisa was vulnerable. Also, just because the marketing says ‘Canada’s Number 1 Newscast’ doesn’t mean it was a ratings smash. CTV National been bleeding viewers for a decade. If any of y’all happen to know any managers at Bell/CTV, ask about the ‘Radius’ audience research report they did in the winter/spring (EVERYONE there has seen it). It’s become increasingly difficult to attract new viewers to that newscast and keep the ones they’ve got - and there was one main reason why. Lisa had a good run. She did solid work. Getting fired sucks. But 8 months from now, someone will stop her on the street and tell her that they watch her every night. Most people just don’t care about the news business the way folks here do.
- ED1
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
Canadaland talked to one source at CTV who gave a few more details about what happened:
- Calhame
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
John Moore just did a segment on her depature very supportive of her
- RadioActive
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
Greg Brady is back and he did an elongated segment about LaFlamme's departure along with his producer.
As far as I know, he's the first one to say the name "John Derringer" on a Corus station since the Q107 personality was pulled off the air and later, fired. He admitted that it was an odd situation when he talked about another company's high profile media personality's issue but didn't talk about the one going on at his own. But he essentially explained it away, saying 'you wouldn't go on social media and talk about somebody in your office if you were representing the company, so I won't either.'
But hey, at least he acknowledged the Derringer story happened, which is more than you heard on Corus in the past three months.
Brady then went onto criticize Bell Media for letting LaFlamme go, while his producer insisted over and over again that it was all about LaFlamme being an older woman and that TV always tries to weed them out. The Canadaland story linked above would tend to cast some doubt on that, but she was insistent that was the main and perhaps only reason.
- paterson1
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
Just checking this morning, and the Laflamme story is still the most read on CBC.ca, and with over 4000 comments. The Canadaland story was very interesting and if only half of it were true, it's pretty disturbing. Sounds like the highly paid and highly educated suits at CTV/Bell are a pretty insecure bunch.
- RadioActive
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
Broadcast Dialogue, which normally simply covers the industry, has come out with a rare editorial, lamenting not only the way the dismissal of LaFlamme was handed, but also what it portends for the industry and the future state of broadcast news in general.
"Layoffs aren’t new, neither is the lack of civility, nor the shareholder return focus of media companies owned by publicly-traded entities.
"What is new is the near certainty now that most journalists and other media workers will be packaged out prematurely, cutting short careers and in the process the earned wisdom, experience and knowledge that have historically been the guiding editorial lights in newsrooms everywhere.
"As a reporter friend commented recently “the institutional memory of our newsroom is walking out the door day by day.”
LaFlamme buyout evidence no one immune as broadcast journalism finds it place in digital age
- betaylored
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
John Moore just did a segment on her depature very supportive of her
It's at 17:17 of the podcast of Moore In The Morning.
RA asked earlier in this thread if John would have the courage to discuss it, good to see we weren't disappointed.
Also interesting insight into the new boss at 1010 in the clip.
- Chrisphen
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
Are any of CFRB's stable of on-air PR professionals working crisis management for Bell on this issue? Will they declare it if they are and recuse themselves from the topic of Bell v Laflamme if it comes up?
- betaylored
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
Just had a chance to read the Canadaland story about Melling.
It possibly speaks to some of what John Moore said this morning in the Morning Wrap.
Here's Lisa LaFlamme on the Humble and Fred podcast.
Re: Kevin Newman's words posted below by zed... Mic drop. Pun intended.
Last edited by betaylored (August 16, 2022 6:41 pm)
- zed
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
Here's a terrific take by Kevin Newman. He nailed it!
- cash
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
Oh my god, you guys are ridiculous. First, Lisa LaFlamme doesn’t need a job; she made more than all of you combined. And what’s the benefit for Global, City or CBC to hire her? Have you seen what they’re billing for a :30 spot during a newscast these days? How will they make their money back? Lisa was part of a package deal no one at Bell wanted. And as soon as Wendy Freeman was gone, Lisa was vulnerable. Also, just because the marketing says ‘Canada’s Number 1 Newscast’ doesn’t mean it was a ratings smash. CTV National been bleeding viewers for a decade. If any of y’all happen to know any managers at Bell/CTV, ask about the ‘Radius’ audience research report they did in the winter/spring (EVERYONE there has seen it). It’s become increasingly difficult to attract new viewers to that newscast and keep the ones they’ve got - and there was one main reason why. Lisa had a good run. She did solid work. Getting fired sucks. But 8 months from now, someone will stop her on the street and tell her that they watch her every night. Most people just don’t care about the news business the way folks here do.
I agree nightly newscasts will be gone in a few years.
- mike marshall
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
Here's a terrific take by Kevin Newman. He nailed it!
…and here’s a comment below the Kevin Newman story above.
This is weird, funny or however you’d care to frame it —
J. Rock
>> This kind of thing has been a tradition at CTV long before Bell took it over. Harvey Kirk found out he was fired by watching the news. Lots of people in other jobs there have been treated similarly. I worked there years ago and I remember a guy who had his seasonal pay pro-rated over the year. They canned him but never told him. He noticed his checks had stopped coming. He made some inquiries and found out he hadn't had a job for some time. ClassyTV! <<
Another reason to shake your head re this whole story. And how about the suit at CTV who brags about
destroying careers. This guy is a leader? The upper suits at Bell should fire his ass yesterday.
Last edited by mike marshall (August 16, 2022 7:51 pm)
- AspectRatio
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
A Brian Lilley piece backing up much of what we've seen written here and elsewhere, but also suggesting some indication of poor behavior from the LaFlamme (and producer) side:
- betaylored
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Re: Lisa LaFlamme out at CTV
former CTV employee Anwar Knight shares his thoughts