Is local TV news under siege? Maybe, maybe not

By Lesley Hunter

TORONTO – Can local television news be profitable? Or is it a public service that should be funded as such?These were just two of the many questions that were debated at a panel discussion Tuesday evening that examined the role and the state of local television news in Canada, hosted by the Canadian chapter of the Radio and Television News Directors Association at Ryerson University.CHCH TV news director Mike Katrycz spoke about his station’s move to air back-to-back news shows with a local focus throughout the day, a format change that came about after the station was purchased by Channel Zero last...