TORONTO – TV viewers in eight Ontario cities will lose their over-the-air access to TVO this summer after the provincial broadcaster announced plans to decommission eight transmitters to help save money.
TVO said that it will cease transmitting from Belleville, Chatham, Cloyne, Kitchener, London, Ottawa, Thunder Bay and Windsor on July 31, 2017. The move, which it says will impact less than 1% of Ontario households, will not affect viewers in these cities who have paid TV subscriptions.
One transmitter in Toronto will be retained for the purposes of the CRTC licence and to minimize distribution costs, TVO continued. Decommissioning the over-the-air transmitters, and the subsequent elimination of seven transmitter maintenance positions, is expected to generate $1 million in ongoing annual savings.
“This announcement reflects the reality of today’s media environment”, said CEO Lisa de Wilde, in a statement. “TVO has to make tough choices about where to allocate resources in order to move forward with the strategic priorities of digital learning and high-quality current-affairs journalism, as well as cover inflationary pressures. TVO’s audiences overwhelmingly receive our content through cable, direct-to-home satellite or online platforms.”
