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February 17, 2022 3:26 pm  #1


Hearing Told Approval Of Rogers/Shaw Deal Will Kill Local News

With all the craziness going on in truck-blocked Ottawa, this was almost overlooked. But a government hearing has been warned that approval of the controversial Rogers/Shaw deal could lead to a slashing of jobs and newscasts at Global. 

"Matthew Hatfield, the campaigns director of Open Media, said the merger would also cut funding towards Global News, previously funded by Shaw.

"Rogers will instead be redirecting the funds to City News, forcing Corus to seek financial support from the independent local news fund (ILNF).

"The fund supports smaller local news productions, and Hatfield said Corus could absorb between 60 and 80 percent of the funds, taking away from smaller outlets.

“To afford the purchase, Rogers is taking on immense levels of debt — debt that needs to be paid off by cutting costs or raising prices,” Hatfield said. “Given that local news is already barely economically viable, that’s not going to come in increasing news prices. It will come from slashing programming and jobs.”

Given the recent decision by the CRTC on Internet prices, and the lobbying power of Bell & Rogers, does anyone else get the feeling that this has already been decided and these hearings are just a bit of political theatre? 

Local news will suffer if Rogers, Shaw merger approved, Canadian Heritage committee told

 

February 17, 2022 5:02 pm  #2


Re: Hearing Told Approval Of Rogers/Shaw Deal Will Kill Local News

Tim Brown 2016 wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

Given the recent decision by the CRTC on Internet prices, and the lobbying power of Bell & Rogers, does anyone else get the feeling that this has already been decided and these hearings are just a bit of political theatre?

Yes.
 

Yep!
 

 

March 1, 2022 8:09 am  #3


Re: Hearing Told Approval Of Rogers/Shaw Deal Will Kill Local News

Another warning about this merger - with CKWS Kingston singled out as a market where local news could disappear. Yet the reporter also notes at the end that the deal is expected to be approved by the CRTC. Which likely won't surprise anyone.

If I were at City TV, I might look forward to the thumb's up. But if I'm at Global, maybe it's time to polish that resume. 

Global News will take a huge hit if the Rogers-Shaw deal goes ahead — and local news like Kingston’s CKWS will be on the front line

     Thread Starter
 

March 1, 2022 9:33 am  #4


Re: Hearing Told Approval Of Rogers/Shaw Deal Will Kill Local News

RadioActive wrote:

Another warning about this merger - with CKWS Kingston singled out as a market where local news could disappear. Yet the reporter also notes at the end that the deal is expected to be approved by the CRTC. Which likely won't surprise anyone.

If I were at City TV, I might look forward to the thumb's up. But if I'm at Global, maybe it's time to polish that resume. 

Global News will take a huge hit if the Rogers-Shaw deal goes ahead — and local news like Kingston’s CKWS will be on the front line

Ask the students @ Queen's University what they think of CKWS news. 


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

March 1, 2022 5:31 pm  #5


Re: Hearing Told Approval Of Rogers/Shaw Deal Will Kill Local News

RadioActive wrote:

Another warning about this merger - with CKWS Kingston singled out as a market where local news could disappear. Yet the reporter also notes at the end that the deal is expected to be approved by the CRTC. Which likely won't surprise anyone.

If I were at City TV, I might look forward to the thumb's up. But if I'm at Global, maybe it's time to polish that resume. 

Global News will take a huge hit if the Rogers-Shaw deal goes ahead — and local news like Kingston’s CKWS will be on the front line

Large companies such as Corus, Rogers and Bell should not be in the business of small market local television. The US model of having the networks own stations in large markets while outsourcing stations in smaller markets to smaller operators seems to work quite well. Just look at how well served Erie, PA is for local news - a market similar in size to Kingston, flanked on three sides by the much larger Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo markets - and they have two ownership groups that run local television (one for WICU and WSEE, and one for WJET and WFXP).

If Corus doesn’t want to operate a station like CKWS or CHEX, they should sell them and let them remain affiliated with a network. Though that model is rare in Canada, it is still done in Thunder Bay, Lloydminster, and Riviere-du-Loup.

Last edited by MJ Vancouver (March 1, 2022 9:59 pm)

 

March 1, 2022 7:57 pm  #6


Re: Hearing Told Approval Of Rogers/Shaw Deal Will Kill Local News

MJ Vancouver wrote:

If Shaw doesn’t want to operate a station like CKWS or CHEX, they should sell them

They did.

CKWS and CHEX and other Global stations are owned by Corus.
 

 

March 1, 2022 9:58 pm  #7


Re: Hearing Told Approval Of Rogers/Shaw Deal Will Kill Local News

In Phase wrote:

MJ Vancouver wrote:

If Shaw doesn’t want to operate a station like CKWS or CHEX, they should sell them

They did.

CKWS and CHEX and other Global stations are owned by Corus.
 

That’s what I meant - will edit that.

 

March 1, 2022 10:00 pm  #8


Re: Hearing Told Approval Of Rogers/Shaw Deal Will Kill Local News

MJ Vancouver wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

Another warning about this merger - with CKWS Kingston singled out as a market where local news could disappear. Yet the reporter also notes at the end that the deal is expected to be approved by the CRTC. Which likely won't surprise anyone.

If I were at City TV, I might look forward to the thumb's up. But if I'm at Global, maybe it's time to polish that resume. 

Global News will take a huge hit if the Rogers-Shaw deal goes ahead — and local news like Kingston’s CKWS will be on the front line

Large companies such as Shaw, Rogers and Bell should not be in the business of small market local television. The US model of having the networks own stations in large markets while outsourcing stations in smaller markets to smaller operators seems to work quite well. Just look at how well served Erie, PA is for local news - a market similar in size to Kingston, flanked on three sides by the much larger Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo markets - and they have two ownership groups that run local television (one for WICU and WSEE, and one for WJET and WFXP).

If Shaw doesn’t want to operate a station like CKWS or CHEX, they should sell them and let them remain affiliated with a network. Though that model is rare in Canada, it is still done in Thunder Bay, Lloydminster, and Riviere-du-Loup.

Nobody would want them. The linked article points out that Canadian OTA channels, as a whole, haven't made money since 2012.

The situation in the US is much different, where there is far more regulation, including fee-for-carriage and only local network affiliates being allowed on cable/satellite. 
 

 

March 4, 2022 12:36 am  #9


Re: Hearing Told Approval Of Rogers/Shaw Deal Will Kill Local News

No mention of television concerns;  but Minister says Rogers will not be allowed to acquire all of Shaw's wireless spectrum licenses.

https://clearthis.page/?u=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-rogers-will-not-be-allowed-to-acquire-all-of-shaws-wireless-spectrum/

 

March 4, 2022 1:21 am  #10


Re: Hearing Told Approval Of Rogers/Shaw Deal Will Kill Local News

Media Observer wrote:

No mention of television concerns;  but Minister says Rogers will not be allowed to acquire all of Shaw's wireless spectrum licenses.

https://clearthis.page/?u=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-rogers-will-not-be-allowed-to-acquire-all-of-shaws-wireless-spectrum/

Hopefully Quebecor will take ownership of Freedom Mobile.
I may not be the biggest fan of that company, but it's a lot better than Rogers wiping out Freedom. Last thing we need is the Freedom to pay more.   


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

March 4, 2022 8:41 am  #11


Re: Hearing Told Approval Of Rogers/Shaw Deal Will Kill Local News

Pending approval, Rogers could consider turning those Global repeaters in Eastern Ontario into Citytv.
OR
Turn CHEX and CKWS into Citytv and leave the Global repeaters in place.

 

March 4, 2022 8:48 am  #12


Re: Hearing Told Approval Of Rogers/Shaw Deal Will Kill Local News

andysradio wrote:

Pending approval, Rogers could consider turning those Global repeaters in Eastern Ontario into Citytv.
OR
Turn CHEX and CKWS into Citytv and leave the Global repeaters in place.

Why would Rogers have any say over a Corus owned property? 


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

March 16, 2022 4:48 pm  #14


Re: Hearing Told Approval Of Rogers/Shaw Deal Will Kill Local News

     Thread Starter