Bell Media has confirmed that Michael Melling will not be returning to his role as Head of CTV News following an independent investigation into the network’s newsroom. Melling has been reassigned to the position of VP of Shared Services within the company.
The investigation was sparked by the sudden and unceremonious departure of Lisa LaFlamme from CTV News over the summer, with insinuations on social media suggesting that Melling may have had an issue with LaFlamme’s decision to go grey during the pandemic.
Sources say that it was Melling who pushed for the ouster of LaFlamme, an award-winning journalist who was at the time in her 35th year at CTV News and had been the chief anchor and senior editor of the channel’s flagship news program for well over a decade.
The two reportedly clashed a few times. One instance was reportedly over LaFlamme asking for more budget and resources for their Ukraine war coverage than Melling wanted to provide. And the other was allegedly over Melling attempting to shuffle off LaFlamme’s executive producer Rosa Hwang into a role at the local Toronto news channel, CP24.
The third-party review was conducted by leading employment lawyer Sarah Crossley, according to an internal memo seen by the Star.
“The goal of this review was to gather information about the culture, environment and practices in the CTV National newsroom, with a view to identifying any issues, concerns or areas for improvement so that we could then work to address them,” the memo also said.
Melling had only been in his role as VP for News since January and had been on leave since the launch of the investigation in August.
Richard Gray, who had been serving as Interim Head of CTV News, will now take on the role on a permanent basis. He has a background in news management, having served as News Director at various stations and as Regional VP and General Manager for Bell Media properties in various regions.
The company has committed to implementing an action plan to address the issues raised by the investigation and create a more inclusive and positive work environment.
Information for this briefing was found via the Toronto Star, Broadcast Dialogue, and the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
