TORONTO – Friday’s episode of Canada AM will be its last after CTV said early Thursday that it is pulling the plug on the long running morning show.
Co-hosts Beverly Thomson (left) and Marci Ien (right) will remain with the company, with Thomson moving to CTV News Channel and Ien to Bell Media In-House Productions to develop new projects. Sports and weather anchor Jeff Hutcheson (centre) announced his retirement last month.
“As the television landscape continues to evolve, so too must our programming. We look forward to building upon the success of Canada AM as we move forward,” said Bell Media’s president of entertainment production and broadcasting Randy Lennox, in a statement. “We invite viewers and fans to join us as we say goodbye tomorrow and acknowledge the lasting legacy this series and its talent – both now and in the past – have had on Canada’s broadcasting industry.”
CTV said that it will soon announce a new program for the early morning timeslot, and in the meantime will simulcast live CTV News Channel programming from 6:00 – 9:00 AM starting Monday.
Since its debut in 1972, Canada AM has interviewed some of the most newsworthy individuals from within Canada and around the word, aired live during some of the world’s biggest news stories through those years, and has also helped to build the Canadian star system by introducing viewers to actors, artists and showcasing hundreds of performers as part of the AM Sound Stage series.
“We are incredibly thankful to our viewers from coast-to-coast-to-coast who have been with us on this journey and a heartfelt part of our TV family all these years,” said Thomson, Ien, and Hutcheson in a joint statement. “We are extremely proud of Canada AM. It has been our privilege to be part of this historic Canadian series that brought us the opportunity to work with such an incredible team.”
