Tony Burman, editor in chief of CBC's English-language news, current affairs and Newsworld divisions, announced Tuesday that he is leaving after nearly 35 years with the public broadcaster.
In a note to staff, Burman announced that he will be leaving July 13.
"As CBC's editor in chief, I have done this job longer than I had planned, longer than anyone else at the CBC in decades and as long as any single individual should. It's time for a change … and I really look forward to directing my energy, my enthusiasm and my ideas to new projects," Burman said in his note.
The story was written rather weirdly. After reading it, I couldn't definitively tell if Burman, 59 years old and a CBC lifer, was leaving his current position or the Corpse altogether (which is what I surmised) or if these "new projects" to which he wants to direct his energy, enthusiasm and ideas would be executed within the public broadcaster.
A post on Inside The CBC indicated he was leaving the CBC. This excerpt from Burman's note was included:
Since so much of my life has been connected with the CBC, I obviously have mixed emotions about this, but mostly I have feelings of elation. And - can I say it? - liberation.
For other recent, executive-level departures, see this post.
Update
InsideTheCBC has an exit interview with Burman.
Ouimet has the entire memo.
Some snippets from the CP story:
(Burman) added the position he's vacating is an exhausting one.
"The reality of this job is that it's 24/7 and it has its toll. I really want to regroup and re-energize and focus on something other than: 'What do I do if the plane hits the tower?' " ...
Last year, Burman oversaw CBC News's introduction of a new look and attitude on all its platforms in response to demands that the public broadcaster try to be hipper and cooler. A survey of Canadians found that parts of the CBC News operation didn't appeal to young people.
Ian Morrison of the watchdog group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting said Burman's departure could be cause for concern.
"He was a bulwark of independence of the news service," Morrison said Tuesday.
"(His) position as chief journalist is the most senior protector of the independence of the radio and television news service from political interference from the senior management at CBC ... His departure makes the organization more vulnerable to that type of interference."
Last year, Burman oversaw CBC News's introduction of a new look and attitude on all its platforms in response to demands that the public broadcaster try to be hipper and cooler. A survey of Canadians found that parts of the CBC News operation didn't appeal to young people.
Ian Morrison of the watchdog group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting said Burman's departure could be cause for concern.
"He was a bulwark of independence of the news service," Morrison said Tuesday.
"(His) position as chief journalist is the most senior protector of the independence of the radio and television news service from political interference from the senior management at CBC ... His departure makes the organization more vulnerable to that type of interference." ...
Burman was coy about what his next move might be, declining to say whether he would make a leap to a private broadcaster like CTV. But he did say his heart was with public broadcasting.
"I am a public broadcaster of incredible passion," he said.