ALMOST 60 PEOPLE working for Citytv across Canada lost their jobs last week as two news shows were cancelled.
It’s not something Leslie Sole, president of Rogers Media Television, had envisioned doing when Rogers Communications bought the five Citytv stations in 2007.
He and the company had envisioned taking Citytv back to its “fiercely local” roots, he told Cartt.ca on Monday in an exclusive interview. The company’s leadership was hopeful back then that the CRTC would reduce or eliminate its priority drama obligations so that the broadcaster could concentrate on local news in the cities it operates. Sole launched Citytv’s five…
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TORONTO – Coast to coast, the cable, radio, television and telecom industries are raising millions to help those people devastated by the earthquake which has destroyed Port Au Prince, Haiti, killed tens of thousands and left hundreds of thousands injured and homeless.
Besides these many examples of help already happened/happening, the aid continues with efforts below.
Rawlco radio stations News Talk 980 CJME (Regina) and News Talk 650 CKOM (Saskatoon) Wednesday raised $620,000 during the company’s “Day of Caring for Haiti”, which was matched dollar-for-dollar by the federal government, which announced early on it would…
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TORONTO – Reduced CRTC requirements and the recession are the real reasons behind the program cuts and layoffs at Citytv in Toronto, says the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP).
Canada’s largest media union confirmed that Rogers Television handed out layoff notices to 36 full-time employees and seven part-time employees at the Citytv flagship station in Toronto on Tuesday. Additional program cuts were also made at Citytv stations in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.
"Citytv viewers will notice a big difference", said Bob Huget, VP of CEP’s Ontario chapter, in a statement. "The CRTC has permitted major market television stations to reduce local programming…
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TORONTO – TVO has added an educational iPhone App, iTunes downloads and video on demand to its efforts to broaden its educational reach for kids.
Geared towards early learners, Melvin’s Marvellous Words is an interactive literacy game for pre-schoolers based on Ontario’s Kindergarten curriculum. It is available now via Apple’s App Store.
Parents can also download to own songs and music videos from some of TVO’s programming through iTunes via the TVO-iTunes partnership that encompasses international contracts in North America, Japan, Europe and Australia-New Zealand.
Ontario’s public educational media organization has also contributed programming to Rogers’ broadband portal Rogers On Demand Online.
"Parents can…
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HALIFAX – Just three months after his departure from EastLink, Dan McKeen’s career will continue in the same East Coast city in which it began.
The former co-CEO at Bragg Communications-owned EastLink was recently named senior vice-president of customer solutions at Bell Aliant. He left EastLink October 27, 2009 and begins his new job next Thursday.
In an interview with Cartt.ca, McKeen (who spent 24 years first at Halifax Cable, right out of university, which later was purchased by Bragg) is happy to be staying put, while looking forward to moving on. “This lets me work in the industry…
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TORONTO – Rogers-owned Citytv shook up its television operations Tuesday, cutting staff and local news shows in four of its five markets.
A Rogers spokesperson confirmed to Cartt.ca that the restructuring affected 6% of the Citytv workforce across Canada. A Toronto-based blog reports that 35 full time staff were let go from Citytv Toronto, including long time on-air personalities Anne Mroczkowski and Laura DiBattista.
Rogers blamed the move on the economy and “shifting viewer patterns”.
"Today’s changes, although difficult, are necessary to align our operations with the economic and regulatory realities of our industry," said Leslie Sole, CEO of Rogers Media Television, in a statement. "We are…
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TORONTO – Hours after Citytv announced that it was cutting news shows and staff, local news channel CP24 trumpeted the arrival of two new early evening news shows for its viewers in the Greater Toronto Area.
“Toronto deserves a 5 p.m. local newscast,” said station VP and GM Bob McLaughlin, in a statement. “CP24 now gives our viewers a chance to watch at home or listen in the car from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. LIVE AT 5 and LIVE AT 5:30 is all part of our ongoing commitment to give Torontonians the news when they want it.”
CP24’s lead…
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THE CANADIAN cable, broadcast and telecommunications industries have been quick to mobilize support of relief efforts in Haiti.
We at Cartt.ca are awed by the collective level of compassion and generosity, and offer our sincere congratulations to the companies who have pledged to aid the people of the tiny island ravaged by last week’s earthquake.
In addition to the efforts by Rogers and by Cogeco and Quebecor, below are some other initiatives that we have learned of:
– Telecom equipment supplier Ericsson is sending volunteers, all telecom experts, to set up a container-based mini GSM-system to enable mobile communication for aid workers…
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TORONTO – Rogers says that their new their broadband portal Rogers On Demand On-line is off to a “big” start.
With more than 46,000 Canadian registered to date plus almost two million page views last month, Rogers said that they will unveil new features and functionality like live streaming, social networking and wireless access features later this year.
“With over 1.8 million Rogers On Demand Online page views in just over one month, Canadians are telling us they are ready to take TV beyond the box and have already made Rogers On Demand Online a great Beta launch success," said David Purdy, VP…
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TORONTO – Rogers Radio is adding Aboriginal content to its programming lineup on select stations across the country.
A new weekly program called Bamoseda will feature national Aboriginal news, current affairs, community and culture features, as well as spotlights on entertainment. Bamoseda translates to "walking together" in the Anishinabe language.
“Rogers Radio is proud to expand the cultural diversity of our programming," said Paul Ski, CEO of the Rogers radio group, in a statement. "Bamoseda will offer unique and original programming to private radio and will provide relevant content in the communities we serve."
Bamoseda will air on the following Rogers stations:…
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