TORONTO-
A Bell Media executive is taking a leave of absence from work amid fallout from the ousting of Lisa LaFlamme as anchor of the company’s flagship newscast.
An internal memo from Bell Media says Michael Melling, vice president of news, is taking time off immediately to spend time with his family.
Bell Media, the parent company of CTV News, has come under fire after LaFlamme announced in a social media video last week that his contract had been terminated.
In the video, the longtime CTV National News anchor said she was taken aback by the company’s decision.
Bell Media said terminating LaFlamme’s contract after 35 years was a business decision and that it wanted to move the role of main news anchor in a “different direction”.
The dismissal raised questions among media observers about whether sexism and ageism played a role in the reshuffle.
Bell Media said in its statement that it takes allegations of discrimination “very seriously” and is taking steps to launch an internal, third-party workplace review in the newsroom within the next few weeks.
Friday’s internal memo said Melling’s decision to take the leave “reflects our desire to support the newsroom and do our best to help the team weather the current circumstances.”
Richard Gray, currently regional general manager of the Eastern region, will take over as interim vice president of news, supported by Karine Moses, senior vice president of content development and news, the memo said.
Since her departure, Wendy’s, Dove and Sports Illustrated have shown their support on social media for LaFlamme, who has been open about not dyeing her hair gray.
Wendy’s changed the hair of its redhead mascot to gray, while Dove announced it would donate $100,000 to Catalyst, a Canadian organization that helps create better workplaces for women.
Sports Illustrated retweeted its cover featuring 74-year-old model Maye Musk.
LaFlamme’s departure and her replacement were both announced on August 15, frustrating viewers who thought she should have had a proper endorsement and career retrospective.
Bell Media said it “regrets” the way LaFlamme’s departure was handled, as it “may have left viewers with the false impression” that his storied career was not valued.
LaFlamme said in her video that she found out in June that Bell Media was ending her contract with CTV National News, but kept it under wraps until details were finalized. Omar Sachedina was appointed to replace her.
In a town hall meeting with staff last week, Moses said LaFlamme rejected the opportunity to bid farewell to the air.
In a recording of the meeting obtained by The Canadian Press, she told employees that LaFlamme was not simply being pushed out of the company.
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, without giving details of other job opportunities Bell Media has. presented at LaFlamme.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on August 26, 2022.