Playback Magazine is reporting that the headhunting firm Egon Zehnder has been hired by the federal government to look for a new president and CEO of the CBC, to replace Robert Rabinovitch, whose second term ends in November.

CBC insiders say Egon Zehnder, which has offices in Calgary and Toronto, has been instructed to provide the federal government with the names of the top three contenders, a break from the usual hiring process, which has been criticized for being overly political. The Prime Minister’s Office will make the final decision.

Rabinovitch indicated in a note to staff that CBC chair Timothy Casgrain “will be actively participating in the search process.”

The magazine quotes Ian Morrison, from the lobby group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, as saying he likes how the process is unfolding. “This kind of thing never happened when Rabinovitch was hired unilaterally by the government.”

Rabinovitch has been president and CEO of the CBC for the last 15 eight years.

A CBC official wouldn’t comment on the search process, saying “It’s a federal appointment, so we’re really not involved in the process at all.”

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	Executives, Human Resources