Local journalism in Atlantic Canada in trouble as company known to ‘slash and burn’ buys dozens of newspapers

Local journalism in Atlantic Canada in trouble as company known to ‘slash and burn’ buys dozens of newspapers

If you want to understand the struggling local news landscape, look no further than Atlantic Canada, where a takeover has kept the region’s largest newspaper publisher in operation, but still leaves local journalism in a tenuous state. Toronto-based Postmedia, whose titles include the National Post and the Montreal Gazette, has taken over the financially insolvent SaltWire … Read more

Sarah McLachlan thought Angel was ‘too slow and depressing’ to become a hit

Sarah McLachlan thought Angel was ‘too slow and depressing’ to become a hit

Sarah McLachlan can only think of one time in her career when she set out to write a single for pop radio — and it was only because she didn’t have a choice. When the Canadian superstar signed with her first American label, they didn’t think they could sell an album with just her signature … Read more

Corus Entertainment ‘aggressively’ cutting costs, laying off more employees as revenue slumps

Corus Entertainment ‘aggressively’ cutting costs, laying off more employees as revenue slumps

As revenue slumps from a “challenging advertising environment,” Canadian media company Corus Entertainment — which houses brands like Global News and YTV — is “aggressively” cutting costs, continuing layoffs and shutting down parts of its business. In the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Monday, co-chief executive officer John Gossling said that by the end of August, Corus expects it will have … Read more

Bell Canada CEO Mirko Bibic defends job cuts in Commons committee testimony

Bell Canada CEO Mirko Bibic defends job cuts in Commons committee testimony

As members of Parliament accuse Bell Canada of corporate greed, the head of the company is defending its decision to cut thousands of jobs, citing a shift in Canadians’ viewing habits away from traditional TV. Liberals, Conservatives and New Democrats grilled CEO Mirko Bibic during often combative exchanges at a meeting of the House of … Read more

Telecom execs insist wireless prices going down as MPs voice concern over costs

Telecom execs insist wireless prices going down as MPs voice concern over costs

The chief executives of Canada’s three largest telecom companies stressed that phone and internet prices are coming down during an appearance before MPs on Monday, noting that increased data usage and high spectrum costs may be some reasons Canadians feel otherwise. The three CEOs — Rogers Communications Inc.’s Tony Staffieri, BCE Inc.’s Mirko Bibic and … Read more

Bell CEO, other execs called to committee to answer questions about job cuts

Bell CEO, other execs called to committee to answer questions about job cuts

Members of Parliament have invited several top executives from BCE Inc. and Bell Canada to testify later this month about the company’s decision to cut about nine per cent of its workforce this year. The House of Commons heritage committee agreed to invite BCE Inc. CEO Mirko Bibic to address the cuts, which will have impacts … Read more

Bell Media planning cuts to CTV, BNN Bloomberg following BCE layoffs, sale of 45 radio stations

Bell Media planning cuts to CTV, BNN Bloomberg following BCE layoffs, sale of 45 radio stations

Bell Media is ending multiple television newscasts and making other programming cuts after its parent company announced widespread layoffs and the sale of 45 of its 103 regional radio stations. News stations such as CTV and BNN Bloomberg would be affected immediately, according to an internal memo sent to Bell Media employees on Thursday. The … Read more