From the Inkless emailbox:

Tom Clark and CTV to Part Ways

Toronto, ON (September 7, 2010) – Tom Clark, host of CTV News Channel’s POWER PLAY WITH TOM CLARK and former CTV News Washington Bureau Chief, has moved on to pursue other opportunities, it was announced today.

In his almost four decade long association with CTV, Tom Clark has become one of Canada’s most respected journalists. In that time, he served as CTV’s China Bureau Chief, CTV Washington Bureau Chief, host and senior correspondent of CTV’s W5, as well as reporting from seven war zones, natural disasters and political upheavals. Clark witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the student uprising in Tien An Men Square. He covered almost every federal election in Canada since 1974.

“CTV is extremely proud of its long association with Tom Clark, and wishes him well in his future endeavours,” said Robert Hurst, President CTV News.

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Wells here again. I have no inside information about what happened here, although Tom seemed to have the wind knocked out of him after Lisa Laflamme was named as Lloyd Robertson’s replacement. Two of his producers left their jobs over the summer, so I suspect this was coming for a while.

I was an occasional guest on both the CBC and CTV dinner-hour broadcasts and generally preferred to be on Clark’s set. He has central-casting TV anchor looks, so his competence and genuine interest in the subjects he’s covering have been too often underestimated.

What’s striking about the news release is that it doesn’t say a word about who might replace Tom Clark at Power Play With Tom Clark. Probably they’d have to change the title. I wonder whether CTV will even look for a replacement. The 15-minute headline wheel must be a tempting alternative. That would be too bad.