The CBC revealed its decision on how to replace Peter Mansbridge as host of The National on Tuesday ... with four hosts sharing the duties.

TORONTO • A revamped edition of The National will be more nimble, multiplatform and “truly national” when four new but recognizable hosts who vary in age and background take the helm of CBC’s flagship newscast this fall, the public broadcaster vowed Tuesday.

Adrienne Arsenault, Rosemary Barton, Andrew Chang and Ian Hanomansing have been tasked with shepherding in the refreshed version of the The National as the network attempts to break free of the traditional solo news anchor following the retirement of Peter Mansbridge. All four journalists, who will be stationed at various locations across the country, have a storied history with the CBC and have contributed to The National over the years.

Arsenault, 50, a senior correspondent, will be based in Toronto; Barton, 41, known for her hard-hitting interviews on Power & Politics, will remain in Ottawa; Chang, 34, will stay at the Vancouver studio; and Vancouver-based Hanomansing, 55, long considered a frontrunner to replace Mansbridge, will relocate to Toronto.

“If there are four of us, we’re not all going to be on the show every night all the same,” Barton said. “We are all going to be able to pitch things, go after breaking news, travel.”

The CBC also plans to change some of the show’s format to make it feel more timely in a digital age when news breaks on social media.

The new National, which will debut Nov. 6, will have a digital component and air live across all six time zones, allowing the hosts to track developing stories in real time. Traditionally, the newscast tapes at 9 p.m. ET and is broadcast live in the Atlantic Provinces, and repeats the same broadcast for the West Coast, unless a major breaking story is unfolding.

“I think what it means is the stories don’t get locked into the format. The stories dictate the format,” said Arsenault.

“That’s where we’re really going to be able to be flexible, because depending on the nature of the story, we’re going to be able to shift and move just to give it the context that we need, and you can’t do that in a traditional cast.”

Being spread out will also allow the hosts to jump in and anchor directly from the scene of breaking news in their respective areas.

“To not simply report from there but to own a part of the program, that’s going to completely change the dynamic of what The National is, it’s going to change the feel of it, it’s going to change the flavour of it,” said Chang.

GOING TO COMPLETELY CHANGE THE DYNAMIC OF WHAT THE NATIONAL IS.