It was trebles all ‘round for Ian Hanomansing last month, after the veteran CBC bingo caller got tapped to co-host The National.
Alas, backslaps and high-fives came there none for Andrew Chang, who joins Hanomansing, Adrienne Arsenault and Rosemary Barton as the CBC’s new Thing With Four Heads.
In fact, Chang’s appointment went over like a cement flamingo in the CBC Vancouver newsroom, where the short-arsed egomaniac is held in low regard.
It all goes back to 2014. Chang had barely settled into his new gig as chief hog caller for local Vancouver news, when he started giving more senior colleagues lectures in Jernalism 101.
Given that TV news hacks have eggshell egos, Chang’s tin-eared missive was particularly ill-received, especially from a guy who’d spent nearly his entire 10 years at the Corpse as a rip ‘n reader.
The likes of Renée Filoppone, with a decade in the reporting trenches, was among those who took exception to the new boy shooting his mouth off, dictating to more experienced hands the Changian method for shooting live spots.
“Since I’ve arrived,” Chang pronounced, “I’ve seen many of you try to push your limits, experimenting with new ideas and really trying to add some dynamism to your on-cams. I’ve been loving it. It can really set you apart as a reporter (which is great for your career), and particularly when I think about our 6 o’clock newscast, it plays a role in setting the newscast itself apart from others.
“That being said, it’s easy to fall back into a routine — doing lives where you’re just standing in front of a camera, talking, for example — and I think we need to continually push ourselves to put on good TV.
“There was a rule in the Montreal shop — you don’t package a story without an on-cam, unless it’s an obituary. Full stop.
“So here’s what I’d challenge you to think about, next time you’re on-location: why are you there? (I know, I know, sometimes you ask yourself that question a million times and still can’t answer it.)”
(Blathers on in this vein for several hundred words. Read here, if you must. Chang memo)
Meanwhile, the four-host experiment on The National has yet to get off the launch pad and already there are rumours of dissatisfaction over remuneration.
Hanomansing, who’s been with the Corpse for 31 years, rates the top salary, an estimated $275,000. That includes clothing allowances, “ad rems” aka performance and excellence bonuses, etc. Arsenault has been with the Corpse 26 years, but as a senior reporter, so she’s around the $200K level. (The real money at CBC has always been in hosting on the main channel).
If there was any justice, Barton would be making significantly more than Chang. But with his sky high Q-Rating and the devotion of Corpse news supremo Jennifer McGuire, insiders tell Frank that he’s negotiated a $175,000-a-year deal, $10,000 more than Barton (despite the fact Rosie has 10 years more experience than Chang as a reporter, and she’s infinitely smarter.)
Alas, smarts has little to do with reading the news, as the last guy, Peter Mansbingo, the CBC’s million-dollar man, proved for 40 years.
Just never ends, does it?
I come up with 815k for the four salaries. Significantly less than The Corpse was paying Peterkins in the final years of his dictatorship. Thanks for the inside dope on Chang. More please. What a tool!
“…continue to push ourselves to put on good TV: Reminds me of the Russian vodka toast – “We will make the quota!”
I don’t need to be Criswell to predict the retooled newscast will be the bigggest flop in the CBC’s long history of producing them. I predict that after a week or two the ratings will be worse ,if that is possible, than Mansbingo.
Not one of them has any star appeal. They should be in a windowless back room doing fact checking, not on the screen. This is just a ho-hum group of average Jill’s and Joes with no apparent interests. They should be calling the numbers at the local church Wednesday Nite Bingo.
Is something happening during election coverage this 13 October 2019 by the CBC? Is Andrew Chang showing up, Rosemary Barton a feature? It the 5 citizens and the 4 talking heads with guest a fair appraisal of mood?
Why is a two-year-old article trending?
So the odious Andrew Chang’s ashes/old stories are trending in January 22, 2020 because The National newscast no longer has four hosts, but Andrew Chang and Adrienne Arsenault, and the others as regional heads.
See “CBC Pulls the Plug on The National!” [ Frankmag.ca/2020/01/cbc-pulls-the-plug/]
Can COVID-19 be spread by talking?
CBC.ca-Apr. 7, 2020
Andrew Chang explains how it can happen.
This particular slice of Frank journalism has been hanging around on this board for an inordinately long time.
Is something new expected to break?
Is Rosie Barton getting another bounce up because of her extraordinary grilling (along with puff balls) of Dr. Theresa Tam?
The interview topped the charts for embarrassment?
But that’s now a good thing at the CBC. It’s an example of socialism at work.
Rivet those rivets, Rosie. Rivet, rivet, rivet.
All important knews: Andrew Chang can use a clothes washer!!
2 days ago CBC News 1:15
“Andrew Chang explains that if you’re wearing a cloth mask during the COVID-19 pandemic the best way to disinfect it is to wash it.”
Rosemary Barton and 4 remote-at-home Political Panelists (What is the background to Andrew Coyne?)
Thurs 8 May, 2020 15 min
“Could a federal election be closer than we think?”
” Rosemary Barton hosts Chantal Hébert, Andrew Coyne and Althia Raj”
And this really is “Olde News”
“The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s nightly newscast, “The National,” has rebranded under the “Coronavirus Pandemic” banner, dedicating each newscast to the virus.
At the top of the Monday, March 16, 2020, episode, anchors Adrienne Arsenault and Andrew Chang reassured viewers of the program’s commitment to them and noting the changes that would likely follow to the broadcast.”
Alright then, back to sleep.
Could it be that Andrew “Look at Me!” Chang is becoming unbearable with his angled elbows and “I own this NewsDesk” stance?
But this is old news:
….”On CBC’s “The National,” Andrew Chang is working out of the Toronto studio while Adrienne Arsenault is in remote locations, including her home (last week she shot her segments from her backyard).”
Headline: Typically glam TV hosts keep kids, yoga pants out of the shot while working from home by Victoria Ahearn / The Canadian Press APRIL 3, 2020 03:00 AM
Since Jennifer McGuire is mentioned in Frank’s article’s last paragraph, as a strong supporter of Andrew Chang, and now that she is out in February 2020,( see Frank Mag: “The Corpse: McGuire pulled” ), are there stories of yet another run of the desk-chairs on CBC Titanic (RMS Lusitania?, SS Andrea Doria? )?
Aha! “Michael Enright leaving The Sunday Edition to host new CBC Radio program” May 24, 2020 12:00 PM ET
So one of the “Four Heads” will be taking over the Sunday Flag(ging) ship?
How come this topic has been up so long. Surely its self life has long ago expired. Time to move on.