CFCF GM Don Bastien signs off

UPDATED Jan. 21 with comments from new CTV Montreal GM Louis Douville.

Don Bastien speaks at a recent CTV Montreal upfront presentation to advertisers

While viewers concern themselves with a high-profile change behind the anchor desk, there’s another, perhaps more important, staffing change happening behind the scenes at CFCF.

Don Bastien, who as you can see from the photo above has been general manager of CFCF/CTV Montreal since 2001, is retiring. Today, coincidentally the 51st anniversary of the station, is his last day.

Louis Douville, the general manager at CJOH (CTV Ottawa), takes over starting Monday.

Bastien described his retirement to me as having “a touch of sadness” because of all the people he would be leaving. He’s been with CTV and related company Baton Broadcasting since 1972.

“That’s probably the most difficult part, when you’ve been interacting with them on a daily/weekly basis for all this period and all of a sudden that’s going to come to an end.”

Bastien’s planning to take it easy for a while, taking some time to catch up with life and family. They’re going to a ski trip in France next week, and he jokes that he might be playing golf “a little more than I did”. Beyond that, he plans to keep up with various philanthropic activities, and he’s been appointed to the board of St. Elias Mines of B.C., and he’ll be looking for other opportunities to keep active. But he says the days of a Monday-to-Friday 9-to-5 job are over.

http://blog.fagstein.com/2012/01/20/cfcf-gm-don-bastien-signs-off/

Following the article is some "veiwers thoughts".... I thought I would share...lol

Fagstein Post authorJanuary 23, 2012 at 2:50 pm

the staff were probably doing cartwheels on Friday.

Why?

1. Josh January 23, 2012 at 11:52 pm

   Because this guy was not liked. CFCF staff knew him as a numbers man, not a peoples man, he drew a big salary and did nothing but chop, no people skills, a real goof.

2. Montreal Critic January 24, 2012 at 1:26 pm

   The fact that this guy is joining the board of a mining company says a lot…

3. Zero Idea March 28, 2012 at 4:19 pm

   Since Donald Bastien has joined SLI out of Vancouver nobody has heard a peep from this guy or what the heck he is even doing there? Sur makes you wonder why he would join a Jr Gold company? I guess the CEO has decided to hide him away and work on any deals that might be fast appoarching? Sure wish I could find a job that is paid by sharholders and I don’t even have to show my face or talk about why I joined the company in the first place.