TORONTO – CBC News will reorganize its entire newsgathering process, the Corp said today – “with particular attention to strengthening its ability to deliver on a 24-hour, seven day multiplatform news cycle.”
But it will have to do it with 70 fewer people and $7 million fewer dollars.
The reorganization will be designed to strengthen local coverage while maintaining its “commitment to national and international coverage as Canada’s leading news organization,” reads the press release.
"Despite the financial challenges we face as the result of a drastic decline in advertising revenue and the continuing erosion in real dollars of our public subsidy, we are proceeding with plans to re-engineer our operations. The efficiencies achieved will allow us to enhance our overall news service," said Jennifer McGuire, interim head of news, to staff in a country-wide internal meeting. "Canadians will be better served by these changes and will continue to receive their news with both the depth and context they demand."
While this news initiative has been underway for more than two years, it will have to be sped up since CBC News must now implement reductions of approximately $7 million and more than 70 positions as part of an overall austerity initiative throughout CBC/Radio-Canada, as we have previously covered.
"Re-engineering the news department will allow us to increase the number of hours of local news available on radio, television and online," added McGuire.
"At the same time, by looking at new ways of doing things, we will be able to introduce new elements to many of our flagship news programs such as CBC News: The National, The World at Six and World Report, and on Newsworld and CBCNews.ca."
Specific announcements of new programs and schedules will come later this year and through early 2010.
