Bell Media layoffs ‘directly caused’ by the CRTC: Unifor

The union representing employees at 17 local TV and radio stations owned by BCE Inc.’s media division is blaming the telecom for “penny-pinching” and the CRTC for lax licensing conditions after a round of Canada-wide job cuts this week. CTV stations across the country will see their workforce reduced by an estimated total of 50 jobs, according to Unifor. The union’s media council Jake Moore said in a Friday press release that the CRTC didn’t listen to it when it renewed English-language broadcasters’ licences for five-year terms in May. “We warned the CRTC that tough licencing conditions would be required if big media companies were granted five-year licences for local news. They didn’t listen,” he added. Unifor said it was not pleased with the lack of focus on staffing of local newsrooms, and said in the release that the CRTC did not impose licencing conditions that might have protected local positions. "This latest round of layoffs isn't just Bell Media's penny-pinching, this one has been directly caused by the CRTC," Moore said in the release. In an email, Bell Media spokesman Scott Henderson confirmed the cuts at local TV and radio stations nationwide, but declined to go into details. The press release noted the axed positions will terminate CTV’s remaining local sports broadcasts (to end in Toronto on Dec. 27), CFTO in Toronto, and on-air and technical staff in at least 15 TV and radio stations including Ottawa CTV 2 hosts Melissa Lamb, Business News Network (BNN) host Michael Kane, and CFTO sportscasters Joe Tilley and Lance Brown. “Like other Canadian broadcasters, we are confronting rapid change in the media marketplace including new broadcast technologies and viewing options and fast-growing international competition,” Henderson said in an emailed statement. “As the media marketplace evolves, local radio and TV stations are facing significant declines in advertising, their only source of revenue.” Henderson noted the company is investing in new content production and digital platforms like its streaming service CraveTV. He added it is now hiring 40 digital media specialists to support growth in Crave, iHeartRadio and its TV Everywhere products. CLARIFICATION: While Unifor initially said that Lianne Laing of Ottawa CTV was among those laid off, the union issued a correction on Tuesday stating that Laing "left Bell Media on her own accord to pursue other opportunities in advance of the impending layoffs."

Bell Media layoffs ‘directly caused’ by the CRTC: Unifor

Brief | November 17, 2017

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Bell Media layoffs ‘directly caused’ by the CRTC: Unifor

Brief | November 17, 2017

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