CTV News anchor and senior editor Lloyd Robertson says he will stay on for one more season before retiring in the latter half of 2011. (Aaron Harris/Canadian Press)

CTV News chief anchor and senior editor Lloyd Robertson announced Thursday he will retire in the latter half of 2011.

Robertson, 76, ended Thursday night's broadcast noting that 34 years ago this fall, a then 42-year-old anchor from CBC News "did what many thought the unthinkable and jumped from the public network" to join CTV.

"So why are we reminding you of this tonight? Well, I thought it was an appropriate way of letting you know that I have agreed to stay on for another TV season to make it 35 years at CTV," Robertson said. "But that will be the final year. That means I’ll be stepping aside in the latter half of 2011."

"So I’ll be around for a while yet."

Robertson said CTV will announce on Friday the name of his replacement.

A release from CTV says Robertson will then move on to other roles within the network, including a position as co-host of current affairs series W5.

Robertson joined CTV in 1976 and has been chief anchor and senior editor since 1983.

With files from The Canadian Press