TORONTO –
The pressure going through conventional TV information organizations is well-established however a swath of layoffs that lower a number of of CTV’s best-known information personalities was a shock to many, together with nationwide reporter Joyce Napier.
Till final week, Napier served as reporter and Ottawa bureau chief for “CTV Nationwide Information,” however abruptly discovered herself jobless when father or mother BCE Inc. introduced Wednesday it was shedding 1,300 positions all through the corporate, consolidating media operations and shutting international bureaus.
The cuts raised rapid questions on how the technique will have an effect on the standard of reports protection and what’s in retailer for CTV’s flagship night newscast.
Reached in Toronto after the announcement, a realistic Napier mentioned she’s “philosophical” concerning the finish of a seven-year run with the media large, which like many firms faces a protracted promoting droop, fracturing audiences for conventional TV information and increasing tech rivals.
Whereas workers anticipated “a restructuring” was within the works, particulars had been “very a lot a thriller,” she mentioned. Her feedback had been echoed by one other laid-off journalist and a former colleague nonetheless with the corporate, neither of whom would go on the report.
“The warnings had been there, the issues of the higher-ups had been expressed in that the monetary scenario of Bell Media wasn’t ultimate,” mentioned Napier, fast so as to add that many devoted, hardworking colleagues stay to steer the ship.
“You needn’t even learn between the traces to know that one thing was coming (however) I didn’t ever suppose it was this magnitude.”
Excessive-profile cuts embody senior political correspondent Glen McGregor, chief worldwide correspondent Paul Workman, London information bureau correspondent Daniele Hamamdjian and Los Angeles bureau chief Tom Walters.
Overseas bureaus in London and Los Angeles will shut, whereas the Washington, D.C., workplace is scaling again “to focus extra absolutely on necessary information from the usA. and the impacts on Canada,” vice-president of reports Richard Grey mentioned in a letter to workers, including main tales will nonetheless be coated “on-location world wide when wanted.”
Nonetheless, digital information continues to develop and workers can be added elsewhere, Grey added.
He mentioned videographers will instantly be stationed in Regina and St. John’s, N.L., and later this yr in Fredericton and Charlottetown — strikes that may put CTV Nationwide Information journalists “in each province for the primary time ever.”
A request to CTV Information for remark and additional particulars was declined.
Whereas the complete scope of Bell Media’s plans have but to be disclosed, an business advisor with Pivotal Media mentioned the modifications recognized to this point will virtually definitely reshape its flagship newscast, “CTV Nationwide Information With Omar Sachedina.”
“If you happen to eradicate half of the veteran faces which were there for a decade plus, after all, it will look completely different. How they fill that vacuum stays to be seen,” mentioned Jennifer Burke, a former anchor for CTV Information Channel who anticipated extra information footage from outdoors sources.
“As a substitute of Paul Workman reporting out of London or Daniele reporting out of London, they will simply take an American feed as a substitute, an American reporter. And that is been completed for years. However what we’re dropping in that’s Canadian context, and the way no matter story is unfolding across the globe impacts Canada.”
Marissa Nelson, a vp with the Minneapolis-based media consulting agency Magid, mentioned TV information networks throughout North America are going through stress to evolve with their viewers however Canadian firms lag far behind their U.S. counterparts.
Whereas she hasn’t examined Bell Media’s operations, she mentioned the survival of conventional shops relies on embracing newer digital fashions equivalent to ad-based video-on-demand (AVOD) and free ad-supported TV (FAST).
“Canadian organizations want to maneuver way more shortly to streaming, AVOD, FAST and all of these platforms,” mentioned the Toronto-based Nelson, previously of CBC and the Toronto Star.
“Whereas we’re seeing broadcasters in Canada begin to make these shifts, it is not in a wholesale method that we want as a result of promoting is lowering so shortly. One factor is altering actually, actually shortly and the opposite aspect — the business, the content material creation aspect — is altering at a a lot slower tempo.”
Nelson mentioned a variety of what networks stream lately is content material made for conventional TV broadcast that has been repurposed for digital platforms.
But when legacy shops can solely cater to at least one service, she urges them to do the reverse — design streaming content material that, if wanted, will also be repurposed for linear tv.
“They should perceive what audiences — millennial audiences, particularly — need out of native and nationwide information, and reorient the group to serve that want,” mentioned Nelson, including there isn’t any one-size-fits-all repair.
“You realize, it is not conventional TV packages. And it varies from place to put.”
Brent Jolly, president of the Canadian Affiliation of Journalists, mentioned he apprehensive modifications at Bell Media will result in native information deserts and fewer senior reporters who can navigate complicated tales and mentor younger journalists.
He additionally apprehensive the standard of CTV’s information protection will undergo if fewer workers are anticipated to keep up the identical output.
“Fewer journalists means extra laborious work to get the identical product out each single day. And that has a private value, and it takes a toll on individuals after some time,” he mentioned.
From a public relations perspective, Burke mentioned the best way the high-profile job cuts had been introduced is unlikely to take a seat nicely with viewers nonetheless angered by CTV’s shock cut up with former chief anchor Lisa LaFlamme, who introduced her personal departure on social media final August.
Bell Media weathered weeks of blowback and at one level mentioned it “regrets” the best way LaFlamme’s exit was dealt with. The debacle additionally sparked an unbiased third-party overview of office tradition within the CTV nationwide newsroom.
“You can argue that how Lisa was let go was a tipping level for Bell Media,” mentioned Burke.
“Did that presumably contribute to a loss in promoting income? After which did that in flip contribute to (this) layoff?”
Jolly apprehensive that journalism and information are more and more being handled as a commodity.
“It is one thing that is being devalued by society as we’re deepening our relationship with tech platforms and relying on the web to avoid wasting us from info vacuums,” he mentioned.
“The general public is the one who suffers on the finish.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed June 17, 2023.
CTV Information is a division of Bell Media, which is a part of BCE Inc.