Corus says it is adding news gathering roles
By Connie Thiessen
Unifor says the latest round of layoffs at Corus will impact 43 unionized workers across the country, with most of those job losses in Alberta.
The union says an estimated 28 positions are set to be eliminated in Alberta, two in British Columbia, five in Winnipeg, two in Saskatoon, three in the Maritimes, and three in the Ontario region.
Corus confirmed to Cartt’s sister publication Broadcast Dialogue on Thursday it’s centralizing television production for its Global News stations in Edmonton and Calgary in Toronto as part of programming changes “to improve efficiency” and “support long-term sustainability.”
“As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen and sustain our news divisions, we have made some changes designed to improve efficiency and to support high-quality journalism,” a Corus spokesperson told Cartt. “Corus is not only committed to but is Canada’s leader in local news, providing more local news hours in Alberta than any other television news organization and we will continue to maintain local news delivery with separate local content, studios, and jobs in Calgary and Edmonton. While some roles have been impacted as we centralize aspects of control room functions, we are adding additional roles in news gathering.”
The spokesperson did not say how many positions are being cut.
Coming a week after Rogers Sports & Media announced the elimination of 230 jobs and the closure of six radio stations, Unifor is condemning the layoffs, saying the job cuts “are the latest sign of a broadcasting sector under mounting pressure from media consolidation, delayed government action, and financial uncertainty.”
“This is a domino effect of policy failures and corporate decisions that have steadily weakened local journalism and now, media workers are paying for it,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “We warned that consolidation would come at the expense of local news, particularly in Western Canada, and that is exactly what we’re seeing.”
Unifor points to approval of the Rogers-Shaw merger, noting that it warned that redirecting $13 million in support that previously flowed to Corus-owned stations would disproportionately impact local news operations, particularly in western Canada. While Rogers committed to reinvesting in local news, the union says the latest round of layoffs at both companies suggests their concerns were well-founded.
The union is also concerned about the timing of the layoffs, ahead of a proposed recapitalization transaction that would see existing lenders forgive $500 million in debt in exchange for a 99% equity stake in newly-formed parent company, NewCo, ending control by the Shaw Family Living Trust and positioning investment firm Canso Investment Counsel Ltd. as the largest single shareholder with a 44.85 per cent voting stake.
“Announcing significant job cuts before the ownership transaction is finalized raises serious questions, where it appears workers are being forced out before new ownership even takes effect,” the union stated, which is also critical of federal delays in delivering Independent Local News Fund (ILNF) dollars under the Online Streaming Act, ongoing delays in extending journalism tax credits to broadcasters, and the uncertainty caused by federal backtracking on Canadian content spending requirements for foreign streamers that would have reduced contribution rates for traditional broadcasters to 25 per cent of annual revenues.
“The media sector has been sounding the alarm for years,” said Payne. “The support mechanisms promised through the Online Streaming Act would have helped keep blood flowing in these newsrooms. Every month of inaction puts more local journalism and more Canadian jobs at risk.”
Among those caught up in this week’s layoffs is Global Edmonton anchor Scott Roberts, who announced in a post to Instagram Thursday that he was among the cuts.
“Thank you to everyone who invited me into their homes over the past four years. This truly is an incredible city that immediately made me feel part of the community again. I hope I played some role in keeping you informed and engaged. It’s been a privilege. Thinking of all my colleagues impacted by the layoffs,” wrote Roberts.
He had been with the station since the fall of 2022 when he succeeded the retiring Gord Steinke as co-anchor of Global News Hours at 6. Prior to that, he was an anchor with CTV Vancouver where he was part of a round of layoffs in March of that same year at Bell Media.
With a file from Ahmad Hathout
