There will be more changes to come like I mentioned, since Corus has no choice. It will be interesting to see how this effects what we see on air at 6 and 6:30.  But for now, these newscasts look the same for the viewer even though cuts have already started. 

CKWS' Bill Hutchins says goodbye.

https://x.com/CKWS_Hutch/status/1814103438613221493

RadioAaron wrote:

Corus actually ran the Kingston and Peterborough TV stations quite well. For the majority of the time they owned them, they ran more local news than required by their licenses. Older personalities were highlighted and allowed to retire rather than being pushed out.

Best of all, they would hire recent journalism grads, train them, and let them do real reporting. After a year or so, they'd promote them to bigger markets. CKWS was the only outlet doing any kind of investigative journalism, and the young reporters were quite good at it.

 

CTV’s Heather Butts was once a CKWS reporter.

From Bill Hutchins CKWS ANCHOR,

Some personal news to share - after 34 years at CKWS TV (Corus/Global Kingston) and over 27 years anchoring the 6pm news - I am signing off after some 7,000 newscasts. I’ve had the privilege of working with countless, talented journalists and other staff past and present.

It was truly my honour! I also want to thank viewers for their trust and loyalty by welcoming me into your living rooms every night.

I will always cherish those on both sides of the camera as I move on to a new chapter. The vast number of job cuts today mark the end of an era for CKWS TV and 70 years of local broadcasting history. Thanks for watching! Bill

Last edited by Centerline (July 19, 2024 5:57 am)

Someone I know in the CKWS coverage area reports that CKWS ran Global National at 6:00 and has a local newscast at 6:30 anchored from the CHEX studios in Peterborough.

Considering what these stations have been through over the past few weeks, the openings at least on these local newscasts look pretty good.  I saw a complete CKWS evening newscast little over a year ago and it was a better package than what either CTV Kitchener or London were doing and in a much smaller market.  

RadioActive wrote:

The CRTC has called for public comments to consider who should get the funding for local news from the Online News Act. (It's part of the ongoing forced compensation from foreign streamers and an agreement with Google into the Canadian broadcasting industry.)

What's the reason for the reconsideration of which networks should get a share of the money? An urgent request from Corus to help fund its beleaguered news programs on its network of stations across the country. 

"Corus Entertainment Inc. (Corus) has filed an application requesting that the Commission find that its Global stations are eligible for funding."

My guess is that they'll be allowed to share in the largesse. My question: if the powers-that-be find that Global should get access to a piece of that funding (and frankly, I can't see why they wouldn't, since this is exactly the reason it was created) what happens to all those newscasts they just cancelled and/or cut back on?

And what about all the people they just fired in about a week? Do any of them get their jobs back?

Do the newscasts in Kingston and Peterborough get reinstated to their old standard? 

I hope these questions are asked by the Commission before they give Global access to millions of dollars that might not go to restore what was just lost. 

The deadline for comment submissions is Sept. 23rd.

CRTC Release

There's actually two subsidies in play for Global News. There's a share of the up to $30 million annually for private broadcasters from Google's funding under the Online News Act. Then there is the Independent Local News Fund subsidy which will come out of the pockets of cable and satellite TV subscribers.

But I doubt either source will have caveats requiring restoration of previously cut local jobs and news programming; you just need to have enough local news programming to qualify for the subsidies.

CKWS and CHEX are pretty lucky to still even have Peterborough-anchored newscasts when Global could have easily just shifted the anchoring and weather to the Barber Greene Road central site, as they already do for their weekend newscasts and as they have already done for most of their other markets across the country. That's a cutback they have in their back pocket for the future, provided Corus can solve its $1-billion debt problem.

Kingston and Peterborough are both fortunate to have strong, established local newspapers that maintain a relevant online presence in terms of updated news. There are also a number of alternative news sources available online (see this and this) that can help fill the gap. People in these communities don't have to rely on the crumbs that Corus deigns to provide them in terms of local news content and if anything good comes out of this situation, it will be that more local news outlets will step up to the plate.

Hansa wrote:

Corus cuts radio, TV jobs in Kingston as part of cost savings
https://www.thewhig.com/news/corus-cuts-radio-tv-jobs-in-kingston-as-part-of-cost-savings

Special mention was made of the cuts in the House of Commons. But it was complimentary more than critical. I would have preferred the latter.

MP thanks Global Kingston, CKWS radio station for local journalism

DX wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

Hansa wrote:

Corus cuts radio, TV jobs in Kingston as part of cost savings
https://www.thewhig.com/news/corus-cuts-radio-tv-jobs-in-kingston-as-part-of-cost-savings

Special mention was made of the cuts in the House of Commons. But it was complimentary more than critical. I would have preferred the latter.
MP thanks Global Kingston, CKWS radio station for local journalism

The video speaks volumes about the value the federal government places on the private sector local news industry. Mostly empty chairs behind MP Mark Gerretsen, one meagre "hear-hear" and then a smattering of applause at the end.
 

... and then off for a round of drinks and pats on the back for a job well done.