TV5 president and CEO Marie-Philippe Bouchard is the frontrunner as the next head of CBC/Radio-Canada, according to multiple reports.

Quebec-based news outlets Le Devoir and Radio-Canada reported Tuesday (Oct. 15) that Bouchard has been selected to succeed outgoing president and CEO Catherine Tait, though Playback understands that the appointment has not been officially confirmed.

A spokesperson for Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge told Playback Daily in a statement that it is “currently in the process of selecting the new CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada and will make an official announcement once the decision has been finalized.”

Bouchard was appointed as president and CEO of Quebec specialty channel TV5 in 2016, overseeing the TV5 and Unis TV channels. Prior to joining TV5, she spent nearly 30 years at Radio-Canada in various senior roles, departing in 2016 as general manager of music and digital services.

She was also selected as part of the advisory committee to help Canadian Heritage in its review of CBC/Radio-Canada’s mandate. CBC News has previously reported that Heritage planned to announce the next president at the same time it tables its proposal for CBC’s modernized mandate, roughly sometime in the next two weeks.

Canadian Heritage launched its selection process for the next president of Canada’s national broadcaster in March, with Tait’s extended term ending on Jan. 2, 2025.

The selection process involves an independent advisory committee, which includes CBC/Radio-Canada chair Michael Goldbloom, Toronto International Film Festival CEO Cameron Bailey, Creative BC CEO Prem Gill and former SODEC head Monique Simard among its members.

The official appointment for CBC/Radio-Canada’s next president will be announced once it has been signed off and formalized by Governor General Mary Simon.

Tait’s term is coming to a close at a tentative time for the pubcaster following criticism of its decision to cut 600 jobs in 2023 and an ongoing campaign from the federal Conservative Party to defund it. In a recent keynote at Content Canada, Tait said she hopes her successor will “be more successful” in articulating the urgency to reject calls to defund the pubcaster.

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