CTV's Chief Anchor and Senior Editor Lloyd Robertson will be giving his trademark sign-off for the last time on Sept. 1, as the veteran journalist announced the date of his final nightly newscast today.
"Now I know there are some old codgers out there from the newspaper industry saying, ‘Is this guy really going to do it this time?' Well, yes, you can take this to the bank ... my last newscast, is Thursday, Sept. 1," Robertson said at CTV's Upfront Thursday afternoon.
Lisa LaFlamme's first broadcast as CTV's new national news anchor will be Monday, Sept. 5.
"I am ready and I am excited about the future," LaFlamme said.
LaFlamme thanked Robertson for his guidance over the years.
"He's taught me so much, not just about news judgment, but about longevity in this business and most importantly, about leadership," she said.
Robertson said LaFlamme has "proven to us without a shred of a doubt that she is the one to assume the mantle of anchor of CTV National News into the new and exciting era that will bring us together, on television and as a country, over the next several years."
In a career spanning more than 50 years, Robertson has become one of Canada's most recognizable public figures, and has won numerous accolades.
Robertson joined CTV in 1976 and has been chief anchor and senior editor since 1983. He was voted Canada's most trusted news anchor by TV Guide readers 11 years straight.
"He's been our guide through every major event, marking so much of our history and he's been such a regular fixture in the living rooms of our nation that he truly feels like a part of the family," Kevin Crull, president of Bell Media, said prior to a presentation honouring Robertson's career.
Although, Robertson won't be in the news anchor chair, he will continue working with CTV and Bell Media and will remain as co-host for the news features show W5.
Robertson and his wife Nancy have been married for more than 40 years and live in the Greater Toronto Area. They have four daughters.
