Céline Galipeau steps down as anchor of Radio-Canada's flagship newscast after 17 years

Key facts

• Céline Galipeau has anchored Le Téléjournal de 22 h since January 2009.
• She will host a new weekly magazine on international news, airing Friday at 8 p.m. on ICI RDI and Sunday at 5 p.m. on ICI Télé and ICI Tou.tv.
• Her final evening newscast will be on June 18.
• Galipeau has spent 42 years at Radio-Canada, including stints as a correspondent in London, Paris, Moscow, and Beijing.
• She was the first woman to anchor the 10 p.m. weekday newscast.
• Radio-Canada has not announced her successor.
• The new magazine marks the first dedicated international news program at Radio-Canada since Une heure sur Terre ended in 2013.

A new chapter for a veteran broadcaster

Céline Galipeau, the face of Radio-Canada's flagship evening newscast for 17 years, is stepping down as anchor of Le Téléjournal de 22 h. She will host a new weekly magazine devoted to international news, the public broadcaster announced. Her final broadcast in the anchor chair will be on June 18. Galipeau, 64, has spent her entire 42-year career at Radio-Canada. She joined as a reporter in 1982 and later served as a correspondent in London, Paris, Moscow, and Beijing before succeeding Bernard Derome in January 2009. She was the first woman to hold the prestigious anchor role. "Le Téléjournal is my life," Galipeau said. "I worked on it as a writer for Bernard, I reported, I was a correspondent, and I became the anchor."

A surprise move driven by a new opportunity

Galipeau said she had not planned to leave the newscast this year. "If I hadn't received this offer, I would have stayed. It wasn't in the plans; we were already preparing for next season," she told colleagues. However, management had been discussing the new magazine format with her for some time. The new program, which does not yet have a title, will air live on Friday evenings at 8 p.m. on ICI RDI, with a rebroadcast on Sunday at 5 p.m. on ICI Télé and ICI Tou.tv. It aims to "showcase the on-the-ground coverage of correspondents and special envoys," Radio-Canada said. Galipeau emphasized the need for a dedicated international news program. "I think we need a rendezvous devoted to international news because of everything we are experiencing right now. Everyone is aware of the upheavals in the world, of this world order that is crumbling, the one we have known since the Second World War," she said.

A legacy of breaking barriers

Galipeau's tenure as anchor broke new ground for women in Canadian journalism. "I am proud to have broken the glass ceiling, but also proud that we have moved on in a certain way," she said. "At the same time, we must never take anything for granted and remain vigilant. There are other ceilings to break; we still need more diversity." Today, women hold anchor roles across all networks, a shift that Galipeau helped pioneer. Her departure from the evening newscast marks the end of an era, but she will continue to shape the public broadcaster's coverage of global affairs. Radio-Canada has not yet named her successor. The search is underway, with an announcement expected in the coming weeks.

A return to international focus

The new magazine will fill a gap in Radio-Canada's lineup. The broadcaster has not had a program dedicated solely to international news since Une heure sur Terre, hosted by Jean-François Lépine, ended in 2013. Galipeau's experience as a foreign correspondent makes her a natural fit for the role. from the field sporadically, most recently interviewing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on February 21. That interview, in which Zelenskyy warned that "Putin will not stop" with Ukraine, underscored the urgency of global coverage. Galipeau said her decision to leave the anchor desk was not driven by declining viewership for traditional television newscasts. "We can criticize and say it's over and outdated, but there are still many people who watch Le Téléjournal live and others through different means. I think it remains an important rendezvous," she said.

What comes next

Galipeau's new program is set to launch in the fall. Details on the format and title are expected in the coming months. She will continue to work for Radio-Canada, focusing on international reporting and analysis. For now, she is preparing for her final evening newscast on June 18. Reflecting on Bernard Derome's gesture of leaving a rose on her desk after his last broadcast in 2009, she said, "It feels like yesterday." The transition marks a significant shift for Canadian public broadcasting, as one of its most recognizable faces moves from a nightly anchor role to a weekly magazine format. The move signals Radio-Canada's commitment to in-depth international journalism at a time of global turmoil.

The bottom line

• Céline Galipeau will anchor her last Le Téléjournal de 22 h on June 18 after 17 years.
• She will host a new weekly international news magazine on Radio-Canada starting in fall 2025.
• Galipeau was the first woman to anchor the flagship evening newscast, breaking a glass ceiling in Canadian journalism.
• Radio-Canada has not yet announced her successor at Le Téléjournal.
• The new program is the first dedicated international news show at Radio-Canada since 2013.
• Galipeau's move was prompted by a specific offer from management, not by declining ratings.