MONTREAL — CTV Montreal today announced Maya Johnson (above) will take over as anchor of its 5 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. newscasts, starting in March 2021.
Johnson is currently CTV News Montreal’s Quebec City bureau chief and fill-in anchor. She is assuming the permanent anchor role following the departure of long-time CTV Montreal anchor Paul Karwatsky, who recently announced he is leaving broadcasting to focus on autism awareness.
Currently on maternity leave, Johnson will remain in Quebec City to cover the winter session of the National Assembly before moving to her new role in Montreal as anchor of CTV News at 5 and CTV News at 11:30, at the end of March.
“2020 has been a turbulent year for everyone. I think our viewers have always considered our anchors a steadying, trusted presence in their homes — especially when there’s some kind of crisis,” said Johnson, in Bell Media’s press release. “I’m committed to continuing that tradition of stability during these trying times. It’s an honour to be entrusted with this position, and I’m proud to be working with an exceptionally talented team.”
“Maya has anchored our newscasts on many occasions and the response from Montrealers has always been very positive,” said Jed Kahane, news director at CTV Montreal. “We’re delighted to have her returning to her hometown to take up this new role, at a time when the community is relying on our work more than ever.”
Johnson began her career as a journalist when she worked at CTV News Montreal as a summer intern in 2005 while studying journalism at Concordia University. Within weeks of beginning her internship, Johnson became the youngest on-air reporter in the newsroom at the age of 21.
After earning her degree, Johnson was eventually hired as a permanent full-time reporter at CTV Montreal in 2012, and in 2016 she was named the station’s Quebec City bureau chief.
Some of the breaking news stories she has covered in Quebec include the train derailment and explosion in Lac-Mégantic in 2013 and the plane crash that killed former MP and political analyst Jean Lapierre in Îles-de-la-Madeleine in 2016. She also covered the shootings on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in 2014.
