Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge has confirmed the appointment of Marie-Philippe Bouchard as president and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada for a five-year term.

Bouchard (pictured), currently the president and CEO of TV5, will begin her term on Jan. 3 next year, succeeding outgoing president and CEO Catherine Tait.

Bouchard will become the first francophone woman to serve as president and CEO of Canada’s national public broadcaster, according to a news release.

She joined TV5 in 2016, overseeing the TV5 and Unis TV channels. Prior to that, she spent nearly 30 years at Radio-Canada in various senior roles including legal services, strategic planning and regulatory affairs, information and digital services and music.

Bouchard was also selected as part of the advisory committee to help Canadian Heritage in its review of CBC/Radio-Canada’s mandate. The results of the review have not been tabled by Heritage at press time.

Bouchard’s appointment comes at a critical time for the pubcaster, amid a campaign from the federal Conservative Party to defund it and signs of eroding public trust.

“Public service media all around the world serve as a precious public asset. As society changes at a fast pace, so must our public broadcaster, continuing to build trust in order to remain relevant to all Canadians,” said Bouchard in a statement.

The announcement confirms reports from outlets Le Devoir and Radio-Canada earlier this month that Bouchard had been selected for the role.

“In a critical time of modernization, I am confident that Ms. Bouchard will provide a steady hand and be a positive guiding force for Canada’s national public service media now and into the future,” said St-Onge in a statement.

Photo by Bénédicte Brocard