Bell Media is ending multiple television newscasts and making other programming cuts after its parent company announced widespread layoffs and the sale of 45 of its 103 regional radio stations.
In an internal memo to Bell Media employees on Thursday, it said news stations such as CTV and BNN Bloomberg would be affected immediately.
The radio stations being sold are in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada
BNN Bloomberg reports.
The memo, signed by Dave Daigle, vice-president of local TV, radio and Bell Media Studios, and Richard Gray, vice-president of news at Bell Media, said weekday noon newscasts at all CTV stations except Toronto would end. It is also scrapping its 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts on weekends at all CTV and CTV2 stations except Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.
Daigle and Gray said "multi-skilled journalists" would replace news correspondent and technician teams reporting to CTV National News in Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, while other correspondent changes would be made in Ottawa.
Earlier in the day, Bell Media's parent company BCE Inc. announced it was cutting nine per cent of its workforce.
The company, in an open letter signed by chief executive Mirko Bibic, said 4,800 jobs "at all levels of the company" would be cut. Fewer than 10 per cent of the total job cuts are at Bell Media specifically.
Daigle and Gray also said W5 will shift from a standalone documentary series to a "multi-platform investigative reporting unit" featured on CTV National News, CTVNews.ca and other news platforms.
The job cuts mark the second major layoff at the media and telecommunications giant since last spring, when six per cent of Bell Media jobs were eliminated and nine radio stations were either shuttered or sold.
In a separate internal memo, Bell Media president Sean Cohan said the company intends to divest 45 radio stations to seven buyers: Vista Radio, Whiteoaks, Durham Radio, My Broadcasting Corp., ZoomerMedia, Arsenal Media and Maritime Broadcasting. The sales are subject to CRTC approval and other closing conditions.
"That's a significant divestiture and it's because it's not a viable business anymore," said Bell chief legal and regulatory officer Robert Malcolmson in an interview with The Canadian Press.
"We will continue to operate ones that are viable, but this is a business that is going in the wrong direction."
List of divested Bell Media radio stations (New owner)
The memo, signed by Dave Daigle, vice-president of local TV, radio and Bell Media Studios, and Richard Gray, vice-president of news at Bell Media, said weekday noon newscasts at all CTV stations except Toronto would end. It is also scrapping its 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts on weekends at all CTV and CTV2 stations except Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.
Daigle and Gray said "multi-skilled journalists" would replace news correspondent and technician teams reporting to CTV National News in Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, while other correspondent changes would be made in Ottawa.
Earlier in the day, Bell Media's parent company BCE Inc. announced it was cutting nine per cent of its workforce.
The company, in an open letter signed by chief executive Mirko Bibic, said 4,800 jobs "at all levels of the company" would be cut. Fewer than 10 per cent of the total job cuts are at Bell Media specifically.
The job cuts mark the second major layoff at the media and telecommunications giant since last spring, when six per cent of Bell Media jobs were eliminated and nine radio stations were either shuttered or sold.
In a separate internal memo, Bell Media president Sean Cohan said the company intends to divest 45 radio stations to seven buyers: Vista Radio, Whiteoaks, Durham Radio, My Broadcasting Corp., ZoomerMedia, Arsenal Media and Maritime Broadcasting. The sales are subject to CRTC approval and other closing conditions.
"That's a significant divestiture and it's because it's not a viable business anymore," said Bell chief legal and regulatory officer Robert Malcolmson in an interview with The Canadian Press.
"We will continue to operate ones that are viable, but this is a business that is going in the wrong direction."
List of divested Bell Media radio stations (New owner)
- CHOR, Summerland, B.C. (Vista Radio)\
- CJAT, Trail, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CKKC, Nelson, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CKGR, Golden, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CKXR, Salmon Arm, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CKCR, Revelstoke, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CJMG, Penticton, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CKOR, Penticton, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CJOR, Osoyoos, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CICF, Vernon, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CHSU, Kelowna, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CILK, Kelowna, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CKFR, Kelowna, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CKNL, Fort St. John, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CHRX, Fort St. John, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CJDC, Dawson Creek, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CKRX, Fort Nelson, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CFTK, Terrace, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CJFW, Terrace, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CHTK, Prince Rupert, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CKTK, Kitimat, B.C. (Vista Radio)
- CKLH, Hamilton, Ont. (Whiteoaks)
- CHRE, St. Catharines, Ont. (Whiteoaks)
- CHTZ, St. Catharines, Ont. (Whiteoaks)
- CKTB, St. Catharines, Ont. (Whiteoaks)
- CKLY, Lindsay, Ont. (Durham Radio)
- CKPT, Peterborough, Ont. (Durham Radio)
- CKQM, Peterborough, Ont. (Durham Radio)
- CFJR, Brockville, Ont. (My Broadcasting Corporation)
- CJPT, Brockville, Ont. (My Broadcasting Corporation)
- CFLY, Kingston, Ont. (My Broadcasting Corporation)
- CKLC, Kingston, Ont. (My Broadcasting Corporation)
- CJOS, Owen Sound, Ont. (ZoomerMedia)
- CHRD, Drummondville, Que. (Arsenal Media)
- CJDM, Drummondville, Que. (Arsenal Media)
- CFEI, St-Hyacinthe, Que. (Arsenal Media)
- CFZZ, St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que. (Arsenal Media)
- CIKI, Rimouski, Que. (Arsenal Media)
- CJOI, Rimouski, Que. (Arsenal Media)
- CFVM, Amqui, Que. (Arsenal Media)
- CIKX, Grand Falls, N.B. (Maritime Broadcasting)
- CJCJ, Woodstock, N.B. (Maritime Broadcasting)
- CKBC, Bathurst, N.B. (Maritime Broadcasting)
- CKTO, Truro, N.S. (Maritime Broadcasting)
- CKTY, Truro, N.S. (Maritime Broadcasting)
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