Lisa LaFlamme, a veteran journalist and former anchor of CTV National News, has reportedly nominated herself for an award at the upcoming Canadian Screen Awards after Bell Media (TSX: BCE), the parent company of CTV News, allegedly removed her name from its list of nominees.
According to records obtained by the Toronto Star, CTV News had originally planned to submit LaFlamme’s name for multiple awards, but her name was later removed from the submissions.
Sources familiar with the matter said that LaFlamme was hurt by the snub and decided to instead nominate herself for the best national news anchor award. A jury of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television named her as one of the three finalists on Wednesday. Bell Media has not commented on the matter.
LaFlamme had her contract at CTV News canceled last year, in a move that she said left her “blindsided.” Her ouster, which was announced by CTV News’ parent company Bell Media through a press release, was received with anger and criticism — with many accusing the station of being ageist and sexist.
The anchor was one of the many who stopped dyeing their hair during the pandemic, embracing her natural color and transitioned into going grey. The move, which she said was “liberating,” was celebrated by women all over.
The Toronto Star obtained detailed award nomination forms that showed LaFlamme’s name was removed from categories, including best national news anchor and awards associated with CTV National News with Lisa LaFlamme. Her name was also not credited in a list of team members for “Best Live News Special,” even though she was the main host of CTV’s live coverage of the visit of Pope Francis to Canada in July.
LaFlamme declined to comment on whether she needed to nominate herself for the national news anchor award but called the recognition an “absolute honour” in an email to The Star.
“Media freedom is top of mind for me at this moment having just spent the last few weeks on a democracy project for Journalists For Human Rights in Tunisia and Kenya, among the many countries where journalists, specifically women, struggle to report the truth at risk to their own safety,” she wrote.
The eligibility period for this year’s Canadian Screen Awards is from September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022. LaFlamme, who won the award for the best national news anchor in 2022 and 2021, was ousted from her position at CTV News in mid-August last year.
Information for this briefing was found via The Toronto Star, and the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
