Massive Firings at Citytv

[artudo123]

OK I'm looking for press releases but I have just been informed that 30-40 people have just been given the boot at Citytv both on and off air. From what I've heard some BIG names have been released from Citytv and they are Anne Mrocsowski, Pam Seatle, Laura Dibatissta, and some new faces too. Michael Serapio, Marriane Dimain, and a couple producers who have been there since the 80s. There was no warning whatsoever and I'm being told more are to come.

[1weasel]

blogTO is saying there are 2 positions in graphics, 4 producers, 2 assignment producers, 2 camera ops, 4 editors and 1 cg being cut.

[Edit to add press release]

Citytv Restructures Television Operations To Improve Business and Better Serve Audiences
TORONTO, Jan. 19 /CNW/ - Citytv announced today a restructuring of its television operations in order to focus on areas of the business that deliver the best results and better serve changing audience patterns.

"Today's changes, although difficult, are necessary to align our operations with the economic and regulatory realities of our industry," says Leslie Sole, CEO, Rogers Media Television. "We are improving our core business by tightening our operations and concentrating on the strengths of our top performing local programs."

Citytv will continue to produce Breakfast Television and CityLine for all markets and CityNews at Six and CityNews Tonight in Toronto. Shifting viewer patterns coupled with the overall state of the economy required the company to rethink its programming lineup.

"We believe in local television," commented Jamie Haggarty, EVP Television Operations, Rogers Media Television. "We remain committed to innovation and development of our stations to increase our impact on our local markets. We will focus on quality over quantity."

[Everfresh]

Unbelievable. Yet another sad day in the industry.

[Mayhem]

Was anyone surprised by this move? Although I would have thought Gord Martieanu would have been the first to go.

[TVGord]

I can't believe the "news" release contains NOTHING about the job losses. Talk about burying the lead! This is VAPORIZING the lead!

[Donovan's Monkey]

5 PM and Noon newscasts cancelled... oops, I mean "restructured" into non-existence.

http://www.680news.com/news/local/ar...-restructuring

Edit: And more layoffs and cancellations at other Citytv stations across the country.
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/media/story/2...v-layoffs.html

[Mayhem]

How long do you think before they put up the "For Sale" sign?

[Everfresh]

Lunch Television has also been cancelled. Noon News gone in Calgary and CityNews International will no longer be produced.

[Everfresh]

I can't believe the "news" release contains NOTHING about the job losses. Talk about burying the lead! This is VAPORIZING the lead!

Looks like approx 50 people were let go (twitter)

[Mayhem]

Just reading the twitter feeds. In a window of 10 minutes they already dump the Anne Mrocsowski profile on the citynews site and digitally edit her photo out with Gord and Mark.

[artudo123]

I almost had a heart attack after hearing the veterans including Anne were fired but lets remember those people are the first to go because they are the highest paid. As sad as it is the station can find newer, younger people to do the same job that cost about half as much to the company. I wasn't actively thinking of Citytv but CTV, Global, CBC, and the Toronto Start to name a few let go of dozens of people. Citytv didn't do it when they did but I think we all knew that they couldn't help but cut people eventually and we were all tapping our foot asking when. Cutting one of your 6pm weekday anchors is a big thing though and Anne along with others must be devastated. This is a big deal but Rogers obviously wants to lessen the blow and yes make it sound better than what it is.

[Brad]

From what I can see, here are the on-air people who were let go from the Toronto station:

Anne Mroczkowski
Farah Nasser
Jee-Yun Lee
Laura DiBattista
Marianne Dimain
Merella Fernandez
Michael Serapio
Pam Seatle

[UPDATE]
Looking at the CityNews website, with the cancellation of the noon and 5pm newscasts, Dwight Drummond is back to being just the Crime Specialist. For Francis D'Sousa, his title reads Anchor/Reporter, but no specific newscast to anchor. Maybe he'll be a floater/fill-in anchor.

[Mayhem]

Maybe this is a prelude (hopefuly) to a sale.

[lunarworks]

CP24's probably been eating their lunch. What a great deal CTV got when they decided to keep that: They hung onto a good portion of Citytv's audience and mimicked their style. It's pretty obvious they had hoped it would kill-off what was left of Citytv, and it seems to be working.

Also, with that many newsroom layoffs, I guess CityNews Channel is pretty much not happening now.

[TVViewer]

Horrible news. :(

The biggest joke out of all of this is how Rogers says "We believe in local television". Just a few months ago Rogers went before the CRTC and said there is no crisis in local television, well Rogers if there is no crisis why are you laying off all these amazing talented people? Why are even more newscasts getting cut? I didn't even think it was possible to make more cutbacks at the Citytv stations outside Toronto but Rogers found a way.

I thought the one good thing about Rogers owning Citytv would be that they wouldn't be able to make cutbacks like this because they are trying deceive the CRTC, but Rogers just simply waited until the hearings were over before they made their massive cut-backs.

If this doesn't prove the conventional broadcast model is broken, I don't know what does. You don't cut programming that is making money or breaking even.

Thanks for proving LocalTVMatters point Rogers, it's just sad it had to happen this way.

[Mayhem]

Anyone else notice it's mostly women they laid off.

[Everfresh]

Anyone else notice it's mostly women they laid off.

Yes. What is up with that?

Kind of odd coming from a company who announced upon gaining ownership of Citytv that they would be primarily targeting a female audience.

[Mayhem]

Horrible news. :(

The biggest joke out of all of this is how Rogers says "We believe in local television". Just a few months ago Rogers went before the CRTC and said there is no crisis in local television, well Rogers if there is no crisis why are you laying off all these amazing talented people? Why are even more newscasts getting cut? I didn't even think it was possible to make more cutbacks at the Citytv stations outside Toronto but Rogers found a way.

I thought the one good thing about Rogers owning Citytv would be that they wouldn't be able to make cutbacks like this because they are trying deceive the CRTC, but Rogers just simply waited until the hearings were over before they made their massive cut-backs.

If this doesn't prove the conventional broadcast model is broken, I don't know what does. You don't cut programming that is making money or breaking even.

Thanks for proving LocalTVMatters point Rogers, it's just sad it had to happen this way.

This definitely gives LocalTVMatters a boost; but don't forget TVViewer that Rogers still has to go back to the CRTC in a few months to renew the station licences, so they'll get grilled then. ;)

[lunarworks]

Anyone else notice it's mostly women they laid off.

That's because, from what I remember, Citytv's former news director hired mostly women.


Anyway, rumour has it this is a cost controlling measure resulting from the Leno situation. They have to bring-in a bunch of new programming to fill the spot his gigantic chin is leaving. Guess it's gonna be another episode of Law & Order: Leno Victims Unit.

[Everfresh]

CP24's probably been eating their lunch. What a great deal CTV got when they decided to keep that: They hung onto a good portion of Citytv's audience and mimicked their style. It's pretty obvious they had hoped it would kill-off what was left of Citytv, and it seems to be working.

Also, with that many newsroom layoffs, I guess CityNews Channel is pretty much not happening now.

Starting tonight CP24 will be dumping their 5pm talk block and launching 2 half hour newscasts at 5pm and 5:30pm