Lisa LaFlamme Named Anchor of CTV NATIONAL NEWS

- 22-year news vet to assume full-time nightly news responsibilities in mid-2011 -

TORONTO, July 9 /CNW/ - CTV announced today that Lisa LaFlamme will succeed Lloyd Robertson as host of CTV NATIONAL NEWS next year. The announcement follows last night's revelation from Robertson that he will step down in mid-2011. LaFlamme, who began her broadcast career at CTV's CKCO affiliate in 1988, is currently National Affairs Correspondent for CTV News. She will be featured in the anchor chair on CTV NATIONAL NEWS frequently during a year of transition, in addition to Robertson, before she assumes the full-time anchor title later next year.

"To follow in the footsteps of Lloyd Robertson is an enormous honour and extremely humbling," said LaFlamme. "He is an institution, the very foundation that fair and honest journalism is built on, and has personally taught me so much about this business that I love. I remain dedicated to upholding the solid tradition that Lloyd has created and preserving CTV NATIONAL NEWS as Canada's most trusted news source."

"I am so proud of Lisa and so very happy for her," said Lloyd Robertson. "She's an extraordinary talent and a wonderful human being. Canadians will appreciate it's the right choice."

"CTV is fortunate to have the strongest news team in the country, so it was natural to promote from within," said Ivan Fecan, President and Chief Executive Officer, CTVglobemedia, and Chief Executive Officer, CTV Inc. "Lisa is a first-rate journalist. We've all seen her hard news coverage around the world and here at home, most recently with the G20. In addition, we've seen her as a skilled interviewer and a warm host, especially at Vancouver 2010. This is Lisa's time and I am sure she will bring all her experience to the anchor position, maintaining CTV NATIONAL NEWS as Canada's No.1 national newscast."

(xx) Media Note (xx) Download photos of Lisa LaFlamme at www.ctvmedia.ca.

For almost a decade, LaFlamme has been on the road as a hard news journalist, covering the most important stories unfolding at the time, from wars and elections, to natural disasters, from some of the world's most dangerous locations.

Since 9/11, she has covered every angle of its aftermath - from New York to Afghanistan to Iraq. LaFlamme was on the ground in New York City covering the immediate after effects of the 9/11 attacks on World Trade Centre. Since then she has been in and out of Iraq several times covering the American invasion, elections, the Saddam Hussein trial and the region's ongoing civil unrest. In 2006, LaFlamme spent two months in Afghanistan reporting on the Canadian mission while embedded with Canadian troops on a gruelling 12-day mission to track the Taliban. She has returned to the country three more times to report to Canadians on our mission there.

Never far from the heart of the story, LaFlamme was in Rome to report on Pope John Paul II's sickness and eventual passing; has reported from Sri Lanka on the devastation from the Tsunami that hit South Asia; was in New Orleans to cover the impact Hurricane Katrina had on New Orleans; and was one of the first reporters on the ground in Haiti where she covered a devastating flood that killed close to 2,000 in one small town. Most recently, she reported from the environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, from the World Cup in South Africa, and from the heart of the G20 riots that shook Toronto.

LaFlamme follows in the footsteps of colleague Sandie Rinaldo as a trailblazer for women in Canadian news broadcasting. As one of Canada's top journalists, she has been a regular fill-in anchor for Canada's No.1 national newscast since 2003. She recently played an integral part of CTV's national broadcast team at Vancouver 2010 as co-host of OLYMPIC DAYTIME. A graduate of the University of Ottawa, LaFlamme began her broadcasting career in 1988 at CTV's CKCO affiliate in Kitchener-Waterloo, her hometown.

LaFlamme has received five Gemini nominations in the Best News Anchor category and has won several RTNDA awards. Most recently, she received an honourary Doctor of Laws degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario and was awarded the Distinguished Canadian Award from the University of Ottawa, along with Julie Payette, Rick Mercer and Michael Burgess.

    
    Career Summary:
    ---------------
    -   2010 - Appointed successor to Lloyd Robertson as full-time anchor of
        CTV NATIONAL NEWS
    -   2003-2010: National Affairs Correspondent, CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH
        LLOYD ROBERTSON
    -   2001-2003: Co-Host of CANADA AM
    -   2000-2001: Parliamentary correspondent, CTV News
    -   1998-2000: Prime News Anchor for CTV Newsnet (now CTV News Channel)
    -   1997-1998: Consumer Reporter, CTV News
    -   1997-1998: Weekend Anchor/Reporter for CTV Newsnet
    -   1991-1997: Reporter and News Anchor for CKCO
    -   1989-199: Radio News Reporter for CFCA/AM109
    -   1988: Joined CKCO as copy writer and script assistant.
    

CTV, Canada's Olympic Network, is also Canada's largest private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV is Canada's most-watched television network. CTV Inc. also owns radio stations across the country and owns or has interests in leading national specialty channels, featuring news, sports, factual, arts, entertainment, music, youth and fashion programming. Official broadcaster of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and London 2012 Games of the Olympiad, CTV Inc. is owned by CTVglobemedia Inc., Canada's premier multi-media company, which also owns Canada's national newspaper, The Globe and Mail. More information about CTV may be found on the network's website at www.ctv.ca.

For further information: Scott Henderson, Vice-President, Communications, CTV Inc., 416.303.5440 or [email protected] OR Emily Young Lee, Senior Manager, Communications, CTV Inc., 416.705.3110 or [email protected]