CBC announced Friday that Tony Burman will become its first Editor-in-Chief of CBC News, responsible for overseeing the continued integration of English radio, television and on-line news.

The integration of news operations, says CBC Radio Vice-President, Jane Chalmers, will make optimal use of its news talent and allow for the production of top quality special reports.

We hope to "end duplication as much as we can. By pooling our tremendous journalistic capacity, I think we can break new ground in providing public service," Chalmers added.

To guide the integration process, project teams will meet during the next six weeks to discuss future operational and programming options for CBC English News.

In a staff memo, Chalmers and CBC Television Vice-President Harold Redekopp said, "news integration does not mean that all journalists will be expected to file for all media, nor that all our information programs will look and sound the same."

"It does mean that all of our information programs will be able to draw on the full and formidable journalistic resources of CBC News to provide Canadians the coverage they need, when and where they need it."