Source : Globe & Mail

Ending months of speculation, CBC management has confirmed that it is not renewing the contracts of two of its star, veteran foreign correspondents, Don Murray in London and Patrick Brown in Beijing.

Despite their long careers sending dispatches from around the world as CBC staff employees, both had been working as correspondents under part-time contracts since 2006. These contracts had been renewed yearly.

CBC spokesman Jeff Keay confirmed that their contracts weren't being renewed, but said, "We hope to continue working with them." He added that Murray and Brown "are two of our best-known correspondents, whose work has been outstanding." The CBC gave no other specifics or reason for the decision, calling it "confidential information."

However, Tony Burman, the former editor-in-chief of CBC News and now managing director of Al-Jazeera's English-language news service, said the CBC's rationale is to save money, even though the salaries of both total less than $200,000 a year, a fraction of CBC News's $170-million budget.

"I think it's shameful that two of the CBC's most distinguished foreign correspondents would be treated this way," he said in an e-mail.

Murray and Brown could not be reached for comment.

Burman added that a letter placed in the correspondents' files in 2006 said the renewal of their contracts would continue until both reached 65, still a few years away. There is a stipulation in the agreement, though, that these renewals would remain subject to senior management approval.

Keay said this isn't a retreat from foreign reporting.

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