The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » Bell Media drops the axe....more swings coming

Johnny B · November 16, 2015 10:38 pm

https://cartt.ca/article/job-cuts-continue-bell-media

TORONTO – Bell Media began its latest round of job cuts Monday, which the company said will continue on a “building-by-building basis through much of November”.
At the company’s Queen Street West location in downtown Toronto, some 35 unionized jobs were declared surplus effective February 25, 2016, including 9 writer/producer positions and 9 web developers. As Cartt.ca reported last week, the company plans to eliminate about 380 employees at the manager level and below in its Toronto and Montreal operations.
“Change like this is never easy for any company, especially one that has had such a strong track record of past success”, said Bell Media president Mary Ann Turcke in a note to employees Monday. “But our industry is evolving quickly, and our company must do so as well in order to continue to lead.”
Turcke added that she will provide an update and answer questions at a national video town hall slated for the end of the month.

Last edited by Johnny B (November 16, 2015 10:43 pm)

Johnny B · November 17, 2015 12:04 pm

CFRB's Mike Toth is a confirmed victim.

Radiowiz · November 17, 2015 1:20 pm

Bob Willette is also gone now as the job of MD @ Virgin radio 999 Toronto is no more.
(I'm guessing this means one Music Director for all Virgin radio properties now?)

November 17, 2015 2:37 pm

Johnny B wrote:
Mike Toth is a confirmed victim

"Casualty" is usually used rather than "victim" (unless you are in a position to disclose the terms of his parachute)

Radiowiz · November 17, 2015 4:43 pm

CTV Ottawa's cuts: http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ctv-co-anchor-cfra-staff-laid-off-in-bell-media-job-cuts

Johnny B · November 17, 2015 5:30 pm

Ms. C. wrote:
Johnny B wrote:
Mike Toth is a confirmed victim
"Casualty" is usually used rather than "victim" (unless you are in a position to disclose the terms of his parachute)

Mike referred to himself as a 'victim' via Twitter

Johnny B · November 17, 2015 5:42 pm

RB's Dave Woodard also gone.

Last edited by Johnny B (November 17, 2015 10:37 pm)

Dale Patterson · November 17, 2015 8:05 pm

TSN's Off The Record is gone after 18 years.

ckg927 · November 17, 2015 8:30 pm

Dale Patterson wrote:
TSN's Off The Record is gone after 18 years.

Gone in its current form, yes. HOWEVER, Michael Landsburg is still around(as he said on Twitter: "I'm not dead nor am I disappearing."). OTR will now be worked into SportsCentre, TSN's website and its many other platforms.

Johnny B · November 17, 2015 10:43 pm

Gone from CTV News include - Bill Hutcheson, Dan Matheson, Suneel Joshi and Amanda Blitz.

Johnny B · November 17, 2015 10:57 pm

Former Global and Citytv Toronto weatherman Michael Kuss let go by CTV Vancouver - http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2015/11/17/bell-media-cuts-felt-at-ctv-vancouver-tsn-1040/

Glen Warren · November 17, 2015 10:59 pm

In addition...

Ann Rohmer (CP 24)

Mark Bunting (BNN)

and Ashley Rowe (CTV Toronto News) although she was not laid off. Rather, she quit, as she is heading to a job in Buffalo N.Y.

Radiowiz · November 18, 2015 12:07 am

Glen Warren wrote:
In addition...
Ann Rohmer (CP 24)

Is Animal Housecalls cancelled?

Glen Warren · November 18, 2015 12:25 am

Also, numerous Engineers and Technicians at Agincourt and 299 Queen...

And a number of writers and producers from TSN.

mace · November 18, 2015 12:28 am

Any idea where Ashley Rowe will end up in Buffalo? WGRZ/WIVB/WKBW. As an anchor or field reporter.

Radiowiz · November 18, 2015 10:41 am

grilled.cheese wrote:
Is anyone left?

Yes. Ken Shaw still has his job.

Last edited by Radiowiz (November 18, 2015 11:06 am)

November 18, 2015 12:07 pm

Radiowiz wrote:
Ken Shaw still has his job

and mike bullard

November 18, 2015 3:14 pm

So you put a company that knows precious little about network television...in fact any kind of television...or radio for that matter...in the drivers seat and the question was ONLY how long will it take before they collectively drive these OH-SO successful entities into a rock cut and then off of the cliff? They've nailed the rock cut head on. The cliff is just around the next corner. Then suddenly?

Poof!!!...and it's all gone.

Hello...operator?

Last edited by Old Codger (November 18, 2015 3:15 pm)

RadioActive · November 18, 2015 3:52 pm

The newspapers have finally caught up to this story. Interesting to note that The Toronto Star and The Sun both zeroed in almost solely on Michael Landsberg - who, ironically enough, wasn't fired! Only the CBC's yarn deals with some of the prominent personalities that lost their livelihoods.

Star: TSN cancels Off the Record, keeps host

Sun: Bell Media cuts staff, shows at TSN

CBC:Bell Media cuts claim high-profile people at TSN, CTV

And on CTVnews.ca? Not a single story that I could find. Guess when dozens of high profile news and sports people across the country are given the boot, it's not considered a real story at Bell Media. Go figure...

[Edit]

The Star now has a new article highlighting those let go:

Bell Media mass job cut affects TV personalities

Last edited by RadioActive (November 18, 2015 10:57 pm)

Leslieville Bill · November 18, 2015 9:34 pm

She was still on the air delivering the CP24 news this evening.

Radiowiz wrote:
Glen Warren wrote:
In addition...
Ann Rohmer (CP 24)
Is Animal Housecalls cancelled?

dieter · November 18, 2015 11:41 pm

As Leslieville Bill says, Ann Rohmer was on the air tonight. Maybe she's leaving on her own soon? As for CFTO, they get rid of Suneel Joshi and keep Joe Tilley, Lance Brown and Tom Brown? And on TSN last night, Jennifer Hedger said some kind words for the people let go. Did Lisa Laflamme, Ken Shaw or anyone at CTV say anything?

Johnny B · November 18, 2015 11:57 pm

Rohmer did not get canned she is retiring...or more likely pushed into retiring.

Radiowiz · November 19, 2015 12:41 am

dieter wrote:
As Leslieville Bill says, Ann Rohmer was on the air tonight. Maybe she's leaving on her own soon? As for CFTO, they get rid of Suneel Joshi and keep Joe Tilley, Lance Brown and Tom Brown? And on TSN last night, Jennifer Hedger said some kind words for the people let go. Did Lisa Laflamme, Ken Shaw or anyone at CTV say anything?

Animal Housecalls for next Tuesday is not marked "new" on my Rogers digital box.
Tuesdays @7pm, it usually is.

Last edited by Radiowiz (November 19, 2015 12:42 am)

Radiowiz · November 19, 2015 12:43 am

Johnny B wrote:
Rohmer did not get canned she is retiring...or more likely pushed into retiring.

Anne is only 57 years old. Compare that to the age of City TV's Gord Martineau.
Remember the brutal cuts Rogers made a good 5 years ago? Gord still has his job.

Last edited by Radiowiz (November 19, 2015 12:45 am)

Johnny B · November 19, 2015 10:33 am

This is sad...anyone of us could come up with a list of folks from either Bell or Rogers media properties that should be gone from radio, TV or print (the 'talent' on Rogers hockey broadcasts and HNIC comes to mind, as do sports and news anchors that are completely lost if the teleprompter goes bonkers)...this is all about bottom lines and business...you fire the tenured people making the most coin that you feel do not carry as much viewership/listenership/readership pull to cut as much cost as possible while minimizing public outcry...you replace them with new and younger faces that know how to read a teleprompter, cut and paste copy, work a website, social media and a computer and pay them 1/3 the salary...we all know this....what Bell did here was lay out a mass culling to get it over with...you know more is coming as the years progress, technology improves and competition heats up....it's a tough gig...that is if you can get it and especially keep it.

Last edited by Johnny B (November 19, 2015 10:38 am)

Radiowiz · November 19, 2015 11:34 am

Johnny B wrote:
This is sad.....you replace them with new and younger faces that know how to read a teleprompter

Who said anything about replacing? A lot of behind the scenes gone too, don't forget.
It may be a while before they replace anyone, if at all.

I've noticed that all of a sudden 680 news is REALLY stressing the words "Toronto's LOCAL news".

There's hint that the radio side of CTV will have a lot less local content. CFRB & CFRA will most likely simulcast, a lot more content along with a few other Ontario radio stations.

How about that job of Music Director at Virgin radio? Is it now one VR MD for all the stations or what? Or is the PD doing double duty at each station now?

It doesn't look like there will be any return to the hiring stage any time soon...

Johnny B · November 19, 2015 11:51 am

True...radio consolidation into the milquetoast cookie cutter shit it is becoming continues....any PD or BM that tells you it's all about unique content anymore is full of shit...a lot will depend on future offerings....look at TSN's and Sportsnet's multiple channels for example...there is a plethora of new on-air talent that it seems they plucked out of Yellowknife or straight from Humber College...you're also seeing more multiple hosts on the kid's channels....but you're right technology is replacing all sorts of folks and sharing content on multiple platforms is like how auto manufacturers cost effectively make cars...you make a frame that you can use for 90 percent of your models then you ad a few different body panels and knobs and voila you sell it as different.

Leslieville Bill · November 19, 2015 1:23 pm

Ms. C. wrote:
Radiowiz wrote:
Ken Shaw still has his job
and mike bullard

Ms. C, there is no justice in this life.

Last edited by Leslieville Bill (November 19, 2015 1:24 pm)

RadioActive · November 19, 2015 4:51 pm

mace wrote:
Any idea where Ashley Rowe will end up in Buffalo? WGRZ/WIVB/WKBW. As an anchor or field reporter.

The answer is WKBW. The Buffalo News says she could be teamed with Keith Radford and might appear as one of the main anchors on the 5, 6 & 11 - which would mean one of the Queen's City's major newscasts would be fronted by two Canadians (albeit with dual citizenships.)

Channel 7 hires reporter-anchor from CTV

RadioActive · November 20, 2015 12:53 pm

Another prominent casualty - sort of. Bob Fife, CTV's longtime political reporter who breaks a lot of stories for the network, has fled to the Globe and Mail. He wasn't let go, exactly, and will still be hosting "Question Period" on the weekends. But it's clear he read the tea leaves and he didn't like what they had to say.

Robert Fife joining The Globe as Ottawa bureau chief