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Peter Mansbridge prepares to deliver the news on The National after the launch of a revamped CBC News Network in 2009.Christopher Wahl

With fewer than 10 months left in Peter Mansbridge's 28-year tenure as anchor of CBC's The National, the field is wide open to would-be successors. There has never been a clear heir to Mr. Mansbridge's desk, nor has the CBC promised that the program will look or feel the same after he leaves it. But as the rumour mill grows, here are a few broadcasters who could be in the running for a promotion.

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The current darling of the CBC's hosting roster is arguably Rosemary Barton, 40, who took the reins of Power & Politics after Evan Solomon was toppled by scandal last year. She was only confirmed as the show's permanent host last January, but has built a reputation for asking powerful guests tough questions, is bilingual and has a deep understanding of the corridors of political power.

Among the fresher faces climbing the CBC's ranks is Montreal native Kim Brunhuber, 43, the former host of The National's Saturday newscast. Now posted to Los Angeles as a reporter, he has worked as a videojournalist in far-flung locales such as Afghanistan and Sierra Leone, and his CBC bio notes that he was among the earliest news anchors to "shoot, cut, and then introduce his own pieces to a national audience," demonstrating a certain versatility.

Another rising star is David Common, 40, host of World Report on CBC Radio, who has reported across all of the CBC's platforms from Regina, Afghanistan, Haiti and the Canadian Arctic. Though CBC may prove reluctant to follow the avuncular Mr. Mansbridge with someone who appears cut from similar cloth, Mr. Common's jack-of-all-trades reporting could vault him into consideration.

One obvious candidate to consider would be Ian Hanomansing. A Trinidadian-Canadian who hosts CBC News Network broadcasts out of the Vancouver bureau and reports for The National, he is experienced and well-known to CBC viewers. He is also rooted on the West Coast, however, and at the age of 55, might not be seen as ushering in a new generation to the newscast.

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