Thursday, February 22, 2024

Vice Media laying off people!

 Vice Media plans to lay off several hundred employees and no longer publish material on its Vice.com website, the company’s CEO said in a memo to staff Thursday.

Vice, which filed for bankruptcy last year before being sold for $350-million to a consortium led by the Fortress Investment Group, is also looking to sell its Refinery 29 publishing business, CEO Bruce Dixon said in his memo to staff.

It’s the latest sign of financial problems buffeting the media industry. Digital sites the Messenger, BuzzFeed News and Jezebel have all shut down in the past year, and legacy media outlets like the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal have also seen job cuts.

Once a swashbuckling media company geared to a younger audience with an immersive storytelling style that encompassed digital, television and film outlets, New York-based Vice was valued at $5.7-billion in 2017. (AP)

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Heather Butts New CTV Weekend Anchor

.Heather Butts has been named the new weekend anchor for CTV National News.

Currently the television news program's Toronto correspondent, Butts will take on the role previously held by Sandie Rinaldo, who has been CTV National News' weekend anchor for over 35 years.

Rinaldo now anchors the early evening edition of CTV National News on weekdays at 5:30 p.m. ET

Friday, December 8, 2023

CBC President to testify about job cuts

Members of Parliament have called CBC president Catherine Tait to testify about her announcement the public broadcaster would cut 10 per cent of its work force, while not ruling out bonuses for executives.

The House of Commons heritage committee unanimously agreed on Thursday to have the president of the public broadcaster address the cuts and potential bonuses.

The committee summoned Tait to appear at its first meeting in the new year following the holiday recess, but a date has yet to be set.

MPs on the committee also agreed to report to the House that given the job cuts, it would be inappropriate for the CBC to grant bonuses to executive members. (CP)


Tuesday, December 5, 2023

CBC to lay off hundreds, cut production cost

 Facing diminishing advertising revenues and demands for budget cuts from the federal government, CBC/Radio-Canada announced Monday it would shed about 10 per cent of its work force and reduce production, in an effort to address a budget shortfall of $125-million in the next fiscal year.

Catherine Tait, the public broadcaster’s president and chief executive officer, said during a meeting with staff Monday afternoon that a total of 800 jobs, including 200 vacant positions, would be cut.

The broadcaster said in a news release that the CBC and Radio-Canada would each be losing 250 positions. The remaining 300, it said, would come from technology and infrastructure “and other corporate divisions.”

Some of the 600 union and non-union layoffs, it said, “will begin immediately,” with the rest to take effect over the next 12 months. (Globe and Mail)

Sunday, November 5, 2023

TVO strike ending!

Dozens of workers at Ontario’s public broadcaster will return to their jobs Monday after voting this weekend to accept a new collective agreement and end a strike that’s stretched on for nearly three months, the Canadian Press reports.

TVO says the accepted offer includes a wage increase of 7.7 per cent over three years — three per cent retroactive to 2022, 2.75 per cent in 2023 and 1.75 per cent in 2024.

“Everyone at TVO is looking forward to having our team at full strength once again and focusing our efforts on delivering the important educational content and current affairs journalism TVO is known for,” CEO Jeffrey Orridge said in a news release. (CP)

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