Mike Killeen & Tamara Taggart gone from CTV

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Mike Killeen & Tamara Taggart gone from CTV

Postby flyonthewall » Mon Apr 09, 2018 2:36 pm

From the corner of Burrard and Robson comes word that Mike Killeen and Tamara Taggart are no long a part of CTV Vancouver.

Is this possibly where Steve Darling is headed????
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Re: Mike Killeen & Tamara Taggart gone from CTV

Postby Howaboutthat » Mon Apr 09, 2018 3:26 pm

From the Twitter feed of the Globe & Mail's Gary Mason: Breaking: BC CTV has just let go their two main anchors, Tamara Taggart and Mike Killeen. This is a shocking decision that's come right out of the blue. Reason given: station doing a "rebrand" and "refresh" Wow.
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Re: Mike Killeen & Tamara Taggart gone from CTV

Postby radiofan » Mon Apr 09, 2018 3:29 pm

CTV Vancouver fires news anchors Tamara Taggart, Mike Killeen
Scott Brown
Published on: April 9, 2018 | Last Updated: April 9, 2018 3:05 PM PDT


CTV has fired anchors Tamara Taggart and Mike Killeen as part of a shakeup in the Vancouver newsroom.
The duo had served as lead anchors on CTV News at Six since 2011, when they replaced Bill Good and Pamela Martin.

“On behalf of all of us here at CTV News Vancouver, a most sincere thanks to Mike and Tamara for keeping Vancouverites informed about their city each and every day,” Les Staff, News Director, CTV News Vancouver, said in a statement. “Mike and Tamara are consummate professionals, and we wish them the very best on what’s to come.”
According to the CTV Vancouver website, Taggart had worked at the station since 1997, with stints as co-host of Vancouver Breakfast as well as the weathercaster for CTV News at Five, CTV News at Six and CTV News at 11:30.
Killeen joined CTV in 2001. He served as an Olympics reporter and weekend news anchor before getting the job at the big desk.

Both were graduates of the broadcast communications school at the B.C. Institute of Technology
There was no announcement as to who would replace the outgoing anchors but a CTV press release said its news anchors “will evolve, including the departure of co-anchors Mike Killeen and Tamara Taggart and the shifting of other anchors into new timeslots.”

http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news ... ke-killeen
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Re: Mike Killeen & Tamara Taggart gone from CTV

Postby tuned » Mon Apr 09, 2018 4:28 pm

I'm surprised they lasted this long. Those two anchors have weighed down the show for a long time. Taggart was beyond annoying and Killeen was just bland.
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Re: Mike Killeen & Tamara Taggart gone from CTV

Postby slowhand » Mon Apr 09, 2018 4:30 pm

radiofan wrote:Les Staff, News Director, CTV News Vancouver, said in a statement. “Mike and Tamara are consummate

First read of that had me believing Bell hired or kept the guy for his name, which matched their strategy -- Less Staff -- and he was saying that Mike and Tamara are consumerables, as in: throw them away when you don't need them anymore.

I'm sure it is all just a big coincidence.
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Re: Mike Killeen & Tamara Taggart gone from CTV

Postby Richard Skelly » Mon Apr 09, 2018 5:20 pm

Six-plus years is a pretty good run by today’s cutthroat-broadcasting scene standards.

Both Mike and Tamara strike me as compassionate and caring individuals. Mike is much closer to a conventional retirement age than Tamara. I hope both quickly land on their feet.

And that they banked a percentage of their co-anchor salaries into personal savings. Anyone hauling down decent bucks in contemporary media should put some away for retirement and even more away for “rainy day” events.
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Re: Mike Killeen & Tamara Taggart gone from CTV

Postby GrumpyOldMan » Mon Apr 09, 2018 6:41 pm

Tamara’s dismissal is not a surprising development...some may say several years overdue. Plenty of internal frustration over her extended leaves. (I don’t know if that’s justified given her health scares)

Bell Media will try to strangle both of them with their boiler plate bare minimum severance. It will be tough for both to get back in the media game given declining viewership for all the newscasts.
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Re: Mike Killeen & Tamara Taggart gone from CTV

Postby kal » Mon Apr 09, 2018 11:02 pm

Will really miss Mike Killeen. Really the top of the class for news readers in this market.

It's been interesting to follow the evolution of his career from the days when he did reports on CKNW. I remember what I think may have been his first appearance on the station. He did a feature on dangerous goods traffic on Knight Street/Clark Drive on the afternoon talk show.

The Killeen-Taggart news did pull close to the ratings of the once mighty News Hour but surely all local TV news is suffering from a lack of viewers nowadays.
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Re: Mike Killeen & Tamara Taggart gone from CTV

Postby kal » Sun Apr 22, 2018 2:56 pm

Ironic that as last night's RTDNA awards CTV's 6 pm newscast should win the "Best 6 pm Newscast" award. Presumably that was won under the Killeen-Taggart banner.
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Re: Mike Killeen & Tamara Taggart gone from CTV

Postby Doug » Wed May 16, 2018 6:30 pm

kal wrote:Will really miss Mike Killeen. Really the top of the class for news readers in this market.

It's been interesting to follow the evolution of his career from the days when he did reports on CKNW. I remember what I think may have been his first appearance on the station. He did a feature on dangerous goods traffic on Knight Street/Clark Drive on the afternoon talk show.

The Killeen-Taggart news did pull close to the ratings of the once mighty News Hour but surely all local TV news is suffering from a lack of viewers nowadays.


Mike Killeen was a solid investigative and political reporter, but not a great anchor. It's too bad Bell Media didn't offer to re-assign him as their Victoria Bureau Chief and offer him B.C. news hits for CTV National News newscasts. Tamara Taggart was not a good anchor at all but, even still, it's too bad they didn't offer to relocate her to Toronto where she could join CTV's "The Social" as a new co-host and likely be a much better fit anyway.

Cheers,
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Re: Mike Killeen & Tamara Taggart gone from CTV

Postby VanRamblings » Thu May 17, 2018 5:41 pm

Doug, your absolutely right: Mike Killeen should have been re-assigned to Victoria. Bhinder Sajan is a daily embarrassment reporting out of our province's capital.

As to your comments regarding Tamara Taggart, yes - although she was a 'nice' person - she should never have been assigned the evening news anchor desk. Ms. Taggart is a lifestyle's reporter, not a news reporter, and as you suggest, a new home for her on CTV's "The Social" would have been a great place for her to land - although I can't imagine that she'd want to leave town.
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Re: Mike Killeen & Tamara Taggart gone from CTV

Postby Richard Skelly » Thu May 17, 2018 5:57 pm

I always root for good people working in an oft-cruel business to land on their feet.

Recently, while researching commentary for a CanCon music site, I boned up on early ‘70s pop-rockers Crosstown Bus. The original band largely assembled in the Interior before relocating to Vancouver. One bio claimed Mike Killeen was either an original member or early addition. Lots of personnel changes (including future BTO guitarist Blair Thornton and Trooper keyboardist Frank Ludwig) over their several-year existence. I couldn’t recognize Mike in the few promo shots available, but think he played drums. One band alum has assembled a new Crosstown Bus and, in recent years, they’ve gigged in the Okanagan and Nelson. And, no, I’m not suggesting Mike drop everything to hop on the Bus again!

As for Tamara...I’d doubt she’d relocate as her husband, David Genn, is a longtime member of 54-40. The band still actively records and remains much in demand. Their kids, especially a special-needs son, are also likely a key consideration in the pros and cons of relocating. Hopefully something good will unfold for Tamara locally.
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