It matters very much. You need someone who can show empathy, remain cool, calm and collected and who has the charisma and delivery of an actor and who can also ask the hard questions and stay unbiased and objective. Peter Mansbridge embodied these qualities and was the evening soundtrack to at least 2 and 1/2 generations of Canadians. Few can say so much. The CBC will be scrambling as they have no obvious replacement of similar caliber and the changing news landscape including fragmented audiences (Millennials ditching of news hours for 24/7 online news "soundbites" and opinion columnists masquerading as news) and CBCs chronic under funding of its news bureau leading to less in-depth coverage of national and international news in favour of panels and fluffy cheap special interest stories waters downs the quality. Peter was a captain that helped the National avoid the shoals. As he stands down the National may well go adrift in dangerous waters.