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BCE Inc. is chopping 9 per cent of its workforce, together with layoffs at its media division, the place it’s promoting off 45 of its 103 regional radio stations.
The affected stations are in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
The corporate introduced Thursday in an open letter signed by chief government Mirko Bibic that 4,800 jobs “in any respect ranges of the corporate” can be lower.
Some staff have already been notified or have been to learn Thursday of being laid off, whereas the steadiness will likely be instructed by the spring. Bibic mentioned the corporate will use vacancies and pure attrition to reduce layoffs as a lot as attainable.
It marks the second main layoff on the media and telecommunications big since final spring, when six per cent of Bell Media jobs have been eradicated and 9 radio stations have been both shuttered or offered.
In a separate inside memo, Bell Media president Sean Cohan mentioned the corporate intends to divest 45 radio stations to seven consumers: Vista Radio, Whiteoaks, Durham Radio, My Broadcasting Corp., ZoomerMedia, Arsenal Media and Maritime Broadcasting. The gross sales are topic to CRTC approval and different closing situations.
“That’s a big divestiture. It’s as a result of it’s not a viable enterprise anymore,” mentioned Bell chief authorized and regulatory officer Robert Malcolmson in an interview with The Canadian Press.
“We’ll proceed to function ones which are viable, however it is a enterprise that’s going within the unsuitable course.”
The corporate mentioned fewer than 10 per cent of the overall job cuts have been at Bell Media particularly.
Malcolmson mentioned Bell Media is within the midst of a “digital transformation” for each leisure and information.
However whether or not or not prioritizing digital progress is viable for the corporate when it comes to producing revenue stays to be decided.
“We’re investing in it; we’ll see,” mentioned Malcolmson. “With out some type of regulatory helps, it’s robust.”
He blamed the federal authorities for taking too lengthy to supply reduction for media firms in addition to the CRTC for being too gradual to react to a “disaster that’s speedy.”
That extends to 2 items of laws supposed to assist Canada’s struggling media sector: Invoice C-18, also referred to as the On-line Information Act, meant to power tech giants to compensate Canadian information shops for his or her content material, and Invoice C-11, which updates the Broadcasting Act to require digital platforms resembling Netflix, YouTube and TikTok to contribute and promote Canadian content material.
Ottawa stays in a standoff with Fb dad or mum firm Meta over C-18, with the corporate persevering with to dam information hyperlinks on its platforms. In the meantime, the federal authorities capped the sum of money broadcast media can get from Google’s $100 million annual funds at $30 million, with the rest to go to print and digital information shops.
“In follow, it’s not going to do something. It’s underwhelming to say the least,” mentioned Malcolmson.
“We’ve been advocating for reform for years. It’s not coming quick sufficient and when it does come, it doesn’t present significant assist.”
Thursday’s job losses at Bell Media are additionally straight tied to regulator course on Invoice C-11, Malcolmson mentioned.
The CRTC held a listening to late final 12 months exploring whether or not streaming companies needs to be requested to make an preliminary contribution to the Canadian content material system to assist degree the taking part in subject with native firms. The fee hopes to implement new guidelines in late 2024.
However the Bell government mentioned the corporate wants speedy reduction, which might come from a fund it has proposed that might see streamers subsidize native or nationwide information.
“We hope they try this however we will’t wait two years for that to occur, so then you definitely see actions like this at this time,” he mentioned.
Bell has fought different regulatory selections over the previous 12 months that it says makes issues more durable for its struggling broadcast division.
That features an October software to the Federal Court docket of Enchantment searching for to overturn a CRTC resolution that renewed its broadcast licences for 3 extra years. It argued that call was made with out a public listening to and will end result within the regulator prejudging its requests final June to waive native information and Canadian programming necessities for its tv stations.
Bell Media’s promoting revenues declined by $140 million in 2023 in contrast with the 12 months earlier than, and the corporate’s information division is seeing greater than $40 million in annual working losses, Bibic said in his letter.
On Thursday, Bell mentioned it might additionally additional reduce community investments on its telecom aspect because it stays at odds with the CRTC over what it calls “predetermined” regulatory course.
Requested concerning the firm’s picture in gentle of continued cuts, Malcolmson famous the dimensions of Bell’s government workforce has been lowered lately and government salaries stay frozen.
“We have now an obligation each to our shareholders and to our staff to verify we handle the enterprise in a rational approach,” he mentioned.
Listing of divested Bell Media radio stations (New proprietor)
CHOR, Summerland, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CJAT, Path, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CKKC, Nelson, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CKGR, Golden, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CKXR, Salmon Arm, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CKCR, Revelstoke, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CJMG, Penticton, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CKOR, Penticton, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CJOR, Osoyoos, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CICF, Vernon, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CHSU, Kelowna, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CILK, Kelowna, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CKFR, Kelowna, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CKNL, Fort St. John, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CHRX, Fort St. John, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CJDC, Dawson Creek, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CKRX, Fort Nelson, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CFTK, Terrace, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CJFW, Terrace, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CHTK, Prince Rupert, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CKTK, Kitimat, B.C. (Vista Radio)
CKLH, Hamilton, Ont. (Whiteoaks)
CHRE, St. Catharines, Ont. (Whiteoaks)
CHTZ, St. Catharines, Ont. (Whiteoaks)
CKTB, St. Catharines, Ont. (Whiteoaks)
CKLY, Lindsay, Ont. (Durham Radio)
CKPT, Peterborough, Ont. (Durham Radio)
CKQM, Peterborough, Ont. (Durham Radio)
CFJR, Brockville, Ont. (My Broadcasting Company)
CJPT, Brockville, Ont. (My Broadcasting Company)
CFLY, Kingston, Ont. (My Broadcasting Company)
CKLC, Kingston, Ont. (My Broadcasting Company)
CJOS, Owen Sound, Ont. (ZoomerMedia)
CHRD, Drummondville, Que. (Arsenal Media)
CJDM, Drummondville, Que. (Arsenal Media)
CFEI, St-Hyacinthe, Que. (Arsenal Media)
CFZZ, St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que. (Arsenal Media)
CIKI, Rimouski, Que. (Arsenal Media)
CJOI, Rimouski, Que. (Arsenal Media)
CFVM, Amqui, Que. (Arsenal Media)
CIKX, Grand Falls, N.B. (Maritime Broadcasting)
CJCJ, Woodstock, N.B. (Maritime Broadcasting)
CKBC, Bathurst, N.B. (Maritime Broadcasting)
CKTO, Truro, N.S. (Maritime Broadcasting)
CKTY, Truro, N.S. (Maritime Broadcasting)
By Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Feb. 8, 2024.
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