News anchor Lisa LaFlamme 'shocked' after CTV replaces her with Omar Sachedina

The_Foxer

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They did the stupidest thing you can do in these circumstances - they played along with it and tried to 'fix' the situation. That is stupid.

What they should have done is simply to release a statement saying we appreciate her years of service but we're going in a different direction and sometimes that happens and let her give her on air goodbye and then never answered another question about it ever again. Instead - they make a big deal with their employees which just pisses them off more and they announce an investigation which strongly sends the message that they're not sure if they did the right thing. If asked it should have been a very simple "it's got nothing to do with sex or age in the slightest' and left it at that. And better yet just shut up.

The story would have gone away in a few days or a week and that would have been the end of it. Now they look like they're 'guilty' of something and trying to cover it up.

A simple fact in life is that most of the time people talk themselves into more trouble rather than talking themselves out of trouble.
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

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May 28, 2007
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Same thing happened to Jennifer Valentyne of Breakfast TV a couple of years ago. Just not sexy enough for the camera anymore I guess.....Justine will find all about that soon enough.
After her issues with Q107 she did quite a story of her perceptions of how women are treated in media. I have no reason to disbelieve her and I think the same applies here. Bell is trying very hard to put a different narrative out there but it sounds just like that ... a narrative.
 

spaminator

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Oct 26, 2009
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Dove soap winks at Lisa LaFlamme debacle in new campaign
Author of the article:Liz Braun
Publishing date:Aug 24, 2022 • 20 hours ago • 2 minute read • 5 Comments

Dove soap has launched a #KeepTheGrey social media campaign that appears to piggyback on the Lisa LaFlamme debacle at CTV.


The company tweeted recently, “Age is beautiful. Women should be able to do it on their own terms, without any consequences.


“Dove is donating $100,000 to Catalyst, a Canadian organization helping build inclusive workplaces for all women. Go grey with us, turn your profile picture greyscale and #KeepTheGrey.”

The Twitter post also shows the beige Dove logo turning grey and notes, “Women with grey hair are being edged out of the workplace, so Dove is going grey. Together we can support women aging beautifully on their own terms.”

Many social media users weighed in with their approval of the Dove campaign.

LaFlamme was unceremoniously dumped by CTV after 35 years as a broadcaster. She addressed the situation on Twitter, saying in a video she’d been blindsided by the decision and was shocked and saddened by what happened.


In the aftermath of LaFlamme’s video, it came out that senior CTV exec Michael Melling had at one point apparently asked in a meeting who had approved the decision to “let Lisa’s hair go grey.”

(Melling and LaFlamme had apparently also scuffled in the past over reporting and news issues.)

Like so many other women, LaFlamme stopped colouring her hair in 2020 — during the pandemic.

CTV has denied that age or gender had anything to do with LaFlamme’s termination.

Bell Media has announced an internal review of the situation.

Whatever else may have happened in the LaFlamme PR nightmare, the grey hair comment underlines the apparently iron-clad sexist/ageist malarky to which working women are still subjected.

The comment drew fast and furious comment from many.

Dove soap was clever to have moved quickly with their #Keepthegrey promotion.

Some would say Dove was opportunistic as well.



As one Twitter response said, “I hope you are not purchasing any advertising with @BellMediaPR as your positive initiative would seem to conflict with their firing of @LisaLaFlamme. Many people see their actions as reeking of both misogynistic and agism. IMO can’t think it would be helpful to your campaign.”

Another made the same point, tweeting: “Thankyou for your acknowledgement and respect of all women maturing in the workplace. P-L-E-A-S-E don’t spend the advertising dollars @BellMediaPR or via any Bell Media / CTV affiliate … it would be hypocritical. #FireMichaelMelling.”

Some responding questioned Dove’s use of a young woman, seemingly in her 30s, for a grey hair campaign; others pointed out that Dove’s parent company, Unilever, is run by mostly white men.



“I’d be more inclined to believe Dove’s “support” of women if their board of directors reflected gender equality. It does not & is, in fact, woefully lopsided with men. So, just another marketing ploy to maximize profits while pretending to be a SJW.”

Another response pointed out that Unilever, which makes Dove, also makes Fair & Lovely — a skin lightening product.

And one cynic tweeted, “nobody believes that corporations are doing “nice things” because of their morality. Corporations aren’t people. On the other hand, doing “nice things” for profit is a common thing, and it’s disgusting.”
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http://twitter.com/MarshWatching/status/1561829577839636480
 

The_Foxer

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That kind of thing can backlash on you pretty hard as a company. It's a safe bet Dove will want to advertize on some of the bell services and they'll wind up pissing off the people this was supposed to appeal to.
 

spaminator

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50 shades of grey being thrown at CTV and Bell Media over LaFlamme departure
Author of the article:Liz Braun
Publishing date:Aug 25, 2022 • 11 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
The new-look Wendy's logo in honour of Lisa LaFlamme.
The new-look Wendy's logo in honour of Lisa LaFlamme. PHOTO BY WENDY'S CANADA /Twitter
Will CTV claim the prize for biggest PR bungle of all time for the way they parted company with veteran news anchor Lisa LaFlamme after 35 years?


Could her termination rank as the all-time greatest tone-deaf, ham-handed, thick-skinned, short-sighted, cold-hearted, pig-headed, lily-livered, wrong-footed, brain-dead corporate decision of all time?


Maybe.

In addition to politicians, other high-profile media personalities and various celebrities, other companies are now weighing in on the Lisa LaFlamme debacle.

Dove soap launched a grey campaign via social media earlier this week.

Now Wendy’s restaurant chain in Canada has entered the fray.

Wendy’s has debuted a new profile picture on social media.

Their traditional logo — the drawing of Wendy Thomas, daughter of the brand founder Dave Thomas, with her red hair in pigtails and that ruffled collar that secretly spells ‘Mom’ — has been altered.



Wendy how has grey hair.

The message from @WendysCanada is simple:

“Because a star is a star regardless of hair colour. #LisaLaFlamme #NewProfilePic.”

The response from followers has been positive, with “This is awesome!” and “Wow! Respect! Thank you for supporting #LisaLaFlamme in this wonderful way!” being fairly typical.

There are several comments asking Wendy’s to stop advertising on CTV.

And there are a handful of responses from people angry that @WendysCanada is so “woke” — whatever that means.

A few tweets trashed CTV and Bell Media and called for Michael Melling’s head on a pike; Melling is the CTV exec who asked who had approved the decision to, “let Lisa’s hair go grey.”

And some tweets were more politically-inclined, like this one:

“How about taking a stand against the ways corporate media bosses are influencing the media agenda, supporting the privatization and exploitation of the economy, and controlling journalists – the real reason why LaFlamme was wrongly fired.”

Will the McDonald’s golden arches go grey next week?

Will the Starbucks Siren sport silver waves in future?

Stay tuned …
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The_Foxer

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She wasn't fired because she was old or because she had grey hair. This kind of weird opportunism has a strong chance of backfiring in the future. As to lisa - looking at all this i'd be pretty reluctant to hire her if i were a news agency unless i was specifically trying to tap into 'woke' populations primarily. I'm not sure this is going to help her.
 

spaminator

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In wake of Lisa LaFlamme's exit, brands should be wary when jumping on hot topics: Experts
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Tara Deschamps
Publishing date:Aug 26, 2022 • 16 hours ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation

TORONTO — Marketing experts say brands that have advertised themselves with a nod to CTV National News host Lisa LaFlamme’s recent dismissal should beware of blowback.


Companies that integrate news moments into their branding run the risk of being seen as opportunistic and should prepare for added scrutiny from customers and employees, when they take a stand on hot button issues, said retail analyst Bruce Winder.


“No one’s perfect, right? Every brand has skeletons in the closet…and this does very much open them up to scrutiny… so you better make sure your house is in order, before you start throwing this out there,” he said.

“There could be some blowback, if there’s anything hidden in the closets as it relates to anything both companies have done, so it’s a real high-risk move.”

Winder’s remarks come after fast-food chain Wendy’s changed the profile photo on its Canadian Twitter account Thursday to its mascot bearing grey hair instead of her usual red locks.


The tweet reads “because a star is a star regardless of hair colour,” using two star emojis, and includes LaFlamme’s name in a hashtag.



Media reports have tied LaFlamme’s ouster from Bell Media to her decision to stop dying her hair during the pandemic.

Earlier this week, Dove Canada alluded to LaFlamme’s dismissal after 35 years with the network in a campaign called Keep the Grey that proclaimed “age is beautiful” and said, “women should be able to do it on their own terms, without any consequences.”

Dove never referenced LaFlamme in its campaign, which donated $100,000 to women’s advocacy organization Catalyst and encouraged others to turn their profile photos to grey-scale.



“There is a lot of discussion about ageism right now and Dove wanted to harness that energy for good,” Laura Douglas, Dove Masterbrand Canada manager, said in an email.

“The campaign was launched in response to the widespread national conversation about grey hair and ageism in the workplace, and that it was not intended to be directed any one situation or organization.”

Neither Wendy’s nor Bell Media responded to a request for comment.

However, Winder felt the Wendy’s campaign was “probably a little shallow.” Dove’s, he said, was “deeper and more serious.”




“But still, both brands look a little bit opportunistic, like they’re taking advantage of what’s hot this week and what’s topical this week, and it looks like they’re trying hard,” he said.

Meanwhile, Joanne McNeish felt Wendy’s campaign didn’t make much sense because the brand has never been associated with ageism or grey hair.

“With Wendy’s, it’ll just sink like a stone,” said the associate professor of marketing at Toronto Metropolitan University.

“It doesn’t cost them much to give it a go, but they could have been so much more clever in how they did it.”

However, she noted Dove has long been linked to those topics and has run campaigns on greying hair for 15 years.

“These campaigns work the best when there’s a relationship and a foundation for the work you’re doing and the cause you’re supporting,” she said.


But associating a brand with any buzzy news story has both risks and rewards, she warned.

Companies can easily generate attention for their brands that can translate into sales, when a campaign really resonates with customers, but such ads also open firms up to a new level of examination.

“There is actually a real art form in understanding how to respond to these situations because sometimes these are really wonderful bonus situations where you get a big push in awareness, and maybe some sales, or they can be devastating if you find out something later or there’s another piece of the issue that wasn’t as clear to you,” McNeish said.

Companies need look no further than Pepsi to see the risks, Winder added.

The soda giant made a 2017 ad featuring model and “Keeping up with the Kardashians” star Kendall Jenner joining a protest and defusing tensions by handing a police officer a Pepsi.

Many saw the ad as trivializing the Black Lives Matter movement.

“So it’s very high risk,” Winder said. “It may resonate (and be) very popular for certain people, and certain people may see it as opportunistic and a little bit sleazy.”

Companies who take the risk have to be quick and tie themselves to the moment before it’s left the zeitgeist or other brands have beat them to it, McNeish said.

“There’s only room for a few to really get the big reward for being associated… so that’s why you need to be ready to jump on these situations.”
 

Tecumsehsbones

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In wake of Lisa LaFlamme's exit, brands should be wary when jumping on hot topics: Experts
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Tara Deschamps
Publishing date:Aug 26, 2022 • 16 hours ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation

TORONTO — Marketing experts say brands that have advertised themselves with a nod to CTV National News host Lisa LaFlamme’s recent dismissal should beware of blowback.


Companies that integrate news moments into their branding run the risk of being seen as opportunistic and should prepare for added scrutiny from customers and employees, when they take a stand on hot button issues, said retail analyst Bruce Winder.


“No one’s perfect, right? Every brand has skeletons in the closet…and this does very much open them up to scrutiny… so you better make sure your house is in order, before you start throwing this out there,” he said.

“There could be some blowback, if there’s anything hidden in the closets as it relates to anything both companies have done, so it’s a real high-risk move.”

Winder’s remarks come after fast-food chain Wendy’s changed the profile photo on its Canadian Twitter account Thursday to its mascot bearing grey hair instead of her usual red locks.


The tweet reads “because a star is a star regardless of hair colour,” using two star emojis, and includes LaFlamme’s name in a hashtag.



Media reports have tied LaFlamme’s ouster from Bell Media to her decision to stop dying her hair during the pandemic.

Earlier this week, Dove Canada alluded to LaFlamme’s dismissal after 35 years with the network in a campaign called Keep the Grey that proclaimed “age is beautiful” and said, “women should be able to do it on their own terms, without any consequences.”

Dove never referenced LaFlamme in its campaign, which donated $100,000 to women’s advocacy organization Catalyst and encouraged others to turn their profile photos to grey-scale.



“There is a lot of discussion about ageism right now and Dove wanted to harness that energy for good,” Laura Douglas, Dove Masterbrand Canada manager, said in an email.

“The campaign was launched in response to the widespread national conversation about grey hair and ageism in the workplace, and that it was not intended to be directed any one situation or organization.”

Neither Wendy’s nor Bell Media responded to a request for comment.

However, Winder felt the Wendy’s campaign was “probably a little shallow.” Dove’s, he said, was “deeper and more serious.”




“But still, both brands look a little bit opportunistic, like they’re taking advantage of what’s hot this week and what’s topical this week, and it looks like they’re trying hard,” he said.

Meanwhile, Joanne McNeish felt Wendy’s campaign didn’t make much sense because the brand has never been associated with ageism or grey hair.

“With Wendy’s, it’ll just sink like a stone,” said the associate professor of marketing at Toronto Metropolitan University.

“It doesn’t cost them much to give it a go, but they could have been so much more clever in how they did it.”

However, she noted Dove has long been linked to those topics and has run campaigns on greying hair for 15 years.

“These campaigns work the best when there’s a relationship and a foundation for the work you’re doing and the cause you’re supporting,” she said.


But associating a brand with any buzzy news story has both risks and rewards, she warned.

Companies can easily generate attention for their brands that can translate into sales, when a campaign really resonates with customers, but such ads also open firms up to a new level of examination.

“There is actually a real art form in understanding how to respond to these situations because sometimes these are really wonderful bonus situations where you get a big push in awareness, and maybe some sales, or they can be devastating if you find out something later or there’s another piece of the issue that wasn’t as clear to you,” McNeish said.

Companies need look no further than Pepsi to see the risks, Winder added.

The soda giant made a 2017 ad featuring model and “Keeping up with the Kardashians” star Kendall Jenner joining a protest and defusing tensions by handing a police officer a Pepsi.

Many saw the ad as trivializing the Black Lives Matter movement.

“So it’s very high risk,” Winder said. “It may resonate (and be) very popular for certain people, and certain people may see it as opportunistic and a little bit sleazy.”

Companies who take the risk have to be quick and tie themselves to the moment before it’s left the zeitgeist or other brands have beat them to it, McNeish said.

“There’s only room for a few to really get the big reward for being associated… so that’s why you need to be ready to jump on these situations.”
Worthless finger-wagging. Does Tara Deschamps, whoever she may be, think that the marketing departments of major corporations are babes in the woods who have never thought of this?
 

The_Foxer

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Worthless finger-wagging. Does Tara Deschamps, whoever she may be, think that the marketing departments of major corporations are babes in the woods who have never thought of this?
They frequently do not. They often become enclosed in their own little bubbles and make HORRIBLE decisions based on that kind of thing which blow up in their face. In fact - it RARELY works out to a corporation's advantage to pander to this kind of thing.

Look at Gillette and the pounding it took over the whole "Men are toxic" ad for example. Anyone could have told them that a media campaign calling it's largest target group "toxic" and bad people would negatively affect sales. But they just 'didn't think of it".


Other brands have suffered similarly

Totally true thing - i drove by a wendy's and went to macdonalds yesterday just because i was turned off by their entry into the political world. I'm looking for food, not taking a political position. I happen to agree that older people should get all the respect in the world and always have, and we all know it wasn't her hair colour that got lisa turfed. But i just don't want to have EVERY SINGLE THING IN THE WORLD be about politics. When I come here - yeah, lets talk politics. But when i just want a bite to eat and to get home - i don't need some social message and political stance in my face.

So no. They don't think about it. They FREQUENTLY don't think about it. And that's where we get the saying "Get woke go broke".
 

spaminator

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CTV exec Michael Melling taking leave after Lisa LaFlamme departure
Author of the article:Ling Hui
Publishing date:Aug 27, 2022 • 1 day ago • 1 minute read • 15 Comments

The vice-president of news for Bell Media, Michael Melling, is taking a leave from the company following the departure of CTV National News anchor Lisa LaFlamme.


According to an internal Bell Media memo, Melling “has decided to leave from his current role effective immediately to spend time with his family.”


“His decision reflects our shared desire to support the newsroom and do what’s best to help the team move past the current circumstances to focus on delivering the stories that matter to Canadians,” the memo read.



News of the executive’s timeout comes two weeks after LaFlamme announced in video posted on Twitter that she was “blindsided” by Bell Media when they terminated her contract.



The 58-year-old journalist said she “shocked and saddened” when was informed of the company’s decision on June 29.

Reports suggested the popular anchor, with a career in journalism spanning 35 years, was fired for clashing with Melling over several issues.

A Globe and Mail report said Melling questioned LaFlamme’s decision to let her hair go grey, which led many to sound off on ageism and sexism in the media and workplace.

CTV said the veteran journalist’s departure was a “business decision” to pursue a “different direction” for the chief news anchor role, while announcing on the same day that national affairs correspondent Omar Sachedina, 39, would step into the role.

The Bell Media memo on Friday said Richard Gray, currently regional general manager of the eastern region, will step in as acting vice-president of news, supported by Karine Moses, senior vice-president of content development and news.

The company said last week that it “regrets” the way in which LaFlamme’s departure was handled and was conducting a third-party workplace review.

– with files from Canadian Press
 

spaminator

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Open letter to Bell says LaFlamme ousting shows sexism, ageism women face at work
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Aug 27, 2022 • 17 hours ago • 1 minute read • 72 Comments
The truth appears to be that LaFlamme’s departure from the anchor chair of Canada’s most watched television newscast was due to a number of complex reasons.

An open letter signed by a long list of Canadian luminaries is taking aim at Bell Media’s abrupt dismissal of Lisa LaFlamme as anchor of the company’s flagship newscast.


In a two-page spread in today’s Globe and Mail, the missive signed by a who’s who of Canadian arts, business and politics — including Margaret Norrie McCain, Anne Murray and Jim Balsillie — says LaFlamme was a ratings leader for the company “until one thing changed: the colour of her hair.”


The letter to the board of directors and management of BCE and Bell Canada says the ousting of the award-winning TV news anchor in the prime of her career underscores the sexism and ageism women continue to face at work.

It says the “business decision” to dismiss LaFlamme has destroyed trust in Bell Media and questions how the company will “make things right.”

The letter comes a day after a Bell Media executive took a leave from his job amid the ongoing fallout from LaFlamme’s dismissal.

An internal Bell Media memo said Friday that vice-president of news Michael Melling would be taking leave effective immediately to spend time with family.
 

The_Foxer

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What a load of shit. And this goes to show what i was saying earlier - the WORST thing you can do is ever appologize to the woke left. That's just blood in the water to these people.

They should have let her go differently, Although it's worth noting they didnt' even fire her, or "oust" her or "dismiss" her, they just didn't renew her contract, but still - could have been handled better.

But once they were in this mess they should have simply said "It's got nothing to do with her being a woman Or grey. We want to go in a different direction and she's not a good fit for that and her producer's a bitch. So this is what we're doing and that's the end of that".

These jackoffs don't seem to realize all they're doing is making every employer out there a little nervous about hiring women or older women. I mean - if you can't even let their contracts go when you want without your company taking a hit, why would you want them in the first place?
 
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justfred

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Maybe what those who disagree with Lisa being let go, should do, is phone each CTV station and ask to speak to the manager, tell him/her that you are dissatisfied, leave a message that you would like phone call back if they are bus or not available. Do this every day.
 

bill barilko

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Maybe what those who disagree with Lisa being let go, should do, is phone each CTV station and ask to speak to the manager, tell him/her that you are dissatisfied, leave a message that you would like phone call back if they are bus or not available. Do this every day.
Why?

So you can tell everyone how injured your feelings are when you're ignored?

This Just In-no one cares.

She was a contract employee who's contract wasn't renewed and she'll almost certainly never work again which is proof positive that deep sixing her was the right decision.
 

Ron in Regina

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Why?

So you can tell everyone how injured your feelings are when you're ignored?

This Just In-no one cares.

She was a contract employee who's contract wasn't renewed and she'll almost certainly never work again which is proof positive that deep sixing her was the right decision.
She has name recognition. I’m sure she can find a spot in journalism elsewhere perhaps in a different capacity being a writer for a non-CBC newspaper, etc..?