Lisa LaFlamme to replace Robertson in 2011

CTV has announced that Lisa LaFlamme (and not Tom Clark, as C&C predicted) will replace Lloyd Robertson as chief anchor and senior editor of CTV National News when he retires in 2011. LaFlamme is current CTV News' national affairs correspondent.

Now I am all about respecting the lines of succession, but LaFlamme could easily be the least charismatic woman in broadcast journalism. What CTV News needs, now that old Lloyd is heading out the door, is a makeover - a fresh new format to ease it out of the stuffy, navy blue Lloyd Robertson era. I am not sure that LaFlamme is the candidate to do that.

But then again, I watch CBC News. Now, if Diana Swain were to pull a Lloyd and jump over to CTV after Lisa LaFlamme is ousted after half a season as anchor, I could easily be persuaded to jump too.

Lloyd Robertson to (finally) retire

Lloyd Robertson, the longest-serving news anchor in North America, has announced that he will retire from his position as chief anchor and senior editor of the CTV National News late next year.

Robertson took over the anchor's chair in 1976 after jumping over to CTV from CBC News, something that was thought unthinkable at the time but has become commonplace today. Following his retirement in 2011, Robertson will have served as chief anchor for 35 years, longer than any other broadcaster in North America.

No doubt there are many individuals who have been holding their breath for Robertson to retire, leaving his coveted position vacant. CTV plans to announce his replacement later today. Create & Commerce would like to officially put $20 on Tom Clark, the host of CTV News Channel's highly-rated political show Power Play with Tom Clark, replacing Robertson as chief anchor. Clark previously served as CTV's Washington bureau chief, as well as host for W5, CTV's investigative news magazine program.

UPDATES TO FOLLOW

Rick Mercer turns down job at Sun TV News

Apparently trying to score a coup for the new network, Quebecor Vice-President of Development Kory Tenycke offered Rick Mercer, the wildly-popular host of CBC's Rick Mercer Report, a job at Sun TV News, Mercer confirmed today.

Mercer seems like an unlikely personality for an openly-conservative news network, which will launch in January, but considering he hosts the highest-rated Canadian show in prime time, it is not so surprising that Tenycke would try to get him to jump ship. Mercer says that after considering the offer, he decided that he had no desire to part ways with CBC, a network he has been a fixture of for 15 years.

Of Tenycke, who he describes as a "smart fellow", Mercer said, "I never thought Kory had such good taste until he offered me a job."

Read the full story from the Toronto Star here.