Lisa La Flamme

The recent appointment of Lisa La Flamme as successor to CTV anchor Lloyd Robertson was about as much a surprise as someone announcing the radical idea of putting sugar on their cereal. Some years ago the Ryerson Review Of Journalism profiled her and anointed her heir apparent to Robertson. They seemed to imply that she was being shuffled from place to place until that position opened up. It reminded me of Prince Charles, who is cooling his heels until his mother dies and he becomes king.

I also found it interesting to read some of the comments posted about La Flamme, including one that seemed to damn her for being more emotional than Robertson. The last thing that CTV needs is a Lloyd Robertson in a dress and high heels. Journalists need to show emotion when the situation calls for it. I think back to that radio reporter, Herbert Morrison, who covered the Hindenburg disaster in 1937 at Lakehurst, New Jersey. As the airship caught fire and crashed he exclaimed, "Oh, the humanity and all the passengers."

I was going to make a few a few comments about the journalist as celebrity, but I'll leave that for another time. So I'll conclude by saying that, in my opinion, La Flamme has a good combination of having a certain sexiness, combined with being very intelligent and is not afraid to show emotion, who is also very professional. I think she'll do very well as anchor.