Robert Hurst, one time president of CTV News, writes in an opinion piece in the Globe and Mail:
"Shame on the CBC for closing its local newscasts amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"This is a moment when news gathering and reporting is a critical public service. This is a moment when citizens need and crave information.
The CBC says it is “pooling our resources” into one core national news offering. What poppycock! Those resources are already pooled into the CBC News operation.
"What the CBC is actually doing is eliminating more than 75 hours a week of original local news reporting at a time of crisis.
"PEI Premier Dennis King is justifiably angry. The CBC is the only local newscast in Charlottetown and King says it is a “critical partner.”
"Across the country, thousands of local stories will now go unreported. For example, the failings of Ontario’s Telehealth emergency service will get only a passing mention on CBC News Network while that important story leads local newscasts. The CBC’s national audience will not have much interest any more in the Lynn Valley Care Centre, where 4 people have died from the coronavirus. But people in North Vancouver will want more, much more. Thankfully CTV and Global are active and vibrant in British Columbia."
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