TORONTO - CTV National News anchor Lloyd Robertson announced his retirement Thursday night with slightly moistened eyes and a little quiver in his throat.
Speculation that Robertson would be leaving after this year’s Vancouver Olympics had been around for months, but the sudden timing of last night’s brisk and somewhat awkwardly understated announcement came as a surprise.
“It was a night 34 years ago this fall when the Canadian television news landscape underwent a seismic change,” Robertson said at the end of the CTV National News. “A 42-year-old anchor from the CBC did what many thought the unthinkable and jumped from the public network to join Harvey Kirck at the desk here on CTV.”
After a clip of Robertson’s first night at CTV was shown, the 76-year-old Robertson continued: “Yes, that was in 1976. So why are we reminding you of this tonight? Well, I thought it was an appropriate way of letting you know that I have agreed to stay on for another TV season, to make it 35 years at CTV. But that will be the final year. That means I’ll be stepping aside in the latter half of 2011.”
As for his replacement, Robertson added, “(On Friday) CTV will announce the name of the anchor who will become my immediate backup and will take full-time possession of the anchor chair later next year.”
Among those rumoured to be in the running to replace Robertson have been CTV’s Tom Clark and Lisa LaFlamme, as well as former Global anchor Kevin Newman. CTV said that after Robertson steps down he will continue with various roles at CTV, such as co-hosting of the current affairs series W5.
“Lloyd is a great newsman, an institution and the most trusted anchor in Canada,” said Ivan Fecan, president of CTV, in a statement. “We are all sorry to see him step down as anchor, but we are buoyed by the fact that he will remain in the CTV family for as long as he likes and I personally hope that will be a very long time.”
bill.harris@sunmedia.ca
