CTV has announced that Michael Melling has been appointed head of CTV News, succeeding Wendy Freeman who stepped down from the role at the end of December after more than 25 years with the network.
Melling assumes responsibility for all news, information and current events programming including CTV News, BNN Bloomberg, CP24, as well as current affairs shows W5, Power Play and Question Period.
Melling started with the network in 2003 as a lineup editor and writer at BNN Bloomberg, moving on to a five-year reporting stint with CTV from 2005-09. He’s since held successively senior roles from News Director for Southwestern Ontario to Regional News Director for CTV Ontario, to General Manager roles in Kitchener and Toronto. Most recently, he’d been serving as GM of CTV News Toronto, CP24 and BNN Bloomberg.
“Michael has been a dynamic presence at CTV, leading the growth and digital transformation of CTV News Toronto, CP24 and BNN Bloomberg,” said Karine Moses, Senior Vice President, Content Development and News, Bell Media, in a release. “As audiences want to consume news on different devices, wherever they are, Michael has been instrumental in developing our multi-platform approach, paving the way for the future of news in Canada.”
As part of his new role, Melling is tasked with helping lead Bell Media’s digital transformation strategy to ensure CTV News is well-positioned for the future. In its announcement, Bell Media credits Melling with helping drive the growth of the network’s digital news formats over the last few years, as well as CP24’s evolution as an all-news brand.
“I am thrilled to lead CTV News and continue growing its presence across the country as the news source that Canadians rely on and trust,” added Melling. “I look forward to working with our talented team to tell the stories that mean the most to Canadians.”
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