Leonard Asper has resigned as president and CEO of Canwest Global Communications.

A statement from the Winnipeg-based company on Thursday indicated that the son of late Canwest founder Izzy Asper is relinquishing his duties to ‘avoid any concerns regarding potential conflicts on interest.’ It also said that Asper will continue as a consultant to Canwest until the restructuring process has been concluded.

The company’s broadcasting businesses including Global Television will continue to be managed by president and CEO Peter Viner.

Calgary-based Shaw Communications last month inked a deal to grab control of Canwest’s TV and broadcasting assets.

From Playback Daily