Massive Firings at Citytv

[DavidToronto]

Michael Serapio has been on the News Network side of CBC.

I have seen him during the first hour of CBC Toronto which
is actually the News Network on mainstream CBC.

He's been there for a few weeks actually.

[vanessab]

Any word on what Laura DiBattista is doing these days?

[Mayhem]

Rogers is hiring again for Citytv Winnipeg; there looking for a photojournalist, news reporter and a general manager.

[TVViewer]

I guess that means their current general manager was fired/quit. Hopefully they are adding additional reporters (they only have 3) instead of looking for replacements.

Anyways, I wouldn't want his or her job:

"Build a three year plan to increase viewership and grow revenues by 50%"

Good luck doing that with less staff than the other local stations and no other local content outside of BT.

[Mayhem]

I guess that means their current general manager was fired/quit. Hopefully they are adding additional reporters (they only have 3) instead of looking for replacements.

From what I know Citytv Winnipeg GM transfer to a Rogers own radio station before the cutbacks.

Anyways, I wouldn't want his or her job:

"Build a three year plan to increase viewership and grow revenues by 50%"

Good luck doing that with less staff than the other local stations and no other local content outside of BT.

Or if you sum it up as another commenter put it on another site: "Boiler stoker on the Titanic would be a better gig than GM of CityTV."

There are also three other postings for Calgary and Edmonton Citytv. It seems strange that they start hiring again just after they layoff people.

I get this sense that their cleaning these stations up to sell, we know Bluepoint is still in the market to buy local stations, so it's not out of the realm of possibility if Rogers decides to dump Citytv.

[TVViewer]

Rogers is hiring again for Citytv Winnipeg; there looking for a photojournalist, news reporter and a general manager.

Well that didn't last very long now did it.

Rogers isn't done yet, Winnipeg media blog www.Chrisd.ca is reporting that Rogers has laid off 5 people from Citytv Winnipeg (two shooters, one editor and two writers) now 5 people doesn't seem like a lot but when you consider how Citytv Winnipeg barely had any employees to begin with, it is.

This is despite the fact that Citytv Winnipeg receives funding from the LPIF. It is unfortunate that money losing small market stations that don't receive any LPIF funding like Global Montreal have more employees and a larger news team than an LPIF eligible station in a market with the same amount of english viewers.

[Mayhem]

Well that didn't last very long now did it.

Rogers isn't done yet, Winnipeg media blog www.Chrisd.ca is reporting that Rogers has laid off 5 people from Citytv Winnipeg (two shooters, one editor and two writers) now 5 people doesn't seem like a lot but when you consider how Citytv Winnipeg barely had any employees to begin with, it is.

This is despite the fact that Citytv Winnipeg receives funding from the LPIF. It is unfortunate that money losing small market stations that don't receive any LPIF funding like Global Montreal have more employees and a larger news team than an LPIF eligible station in a market with the same amount of english viewers.

I posted that last March. And it wasn't permanent full time either, all the ones I posted where contract. Some (nice) companies file contract workers as "layoffs" so they can apply for EI benefits while they search for another job.

[TVViewer]

I posted that last March. And it wasn't permanent full time either, all the ones I posted where contract. Some (nice) companies file contract workers as "layoffs" so they can apply for EI benefits while they search for another job.

I know, I wasn't trying to imply that the employees they hired in March were the ones let go (as the 5 employees let go this week had different positions) i'm just pointing out that it didn't take long for them to fire employees less than a year after they hired new people.

[Mayhem]

I know, I wasn't trying to imply that the employees they hired in March were the ones let go (as the 5 employees let go this week had different positions) i'm just pointing out that it didn't take long for them to fire employees less than a year after they hired new people.

I'm surprise they haven't shutdown the station yet. It's obvious they don't care or would care if they had to explain why they shutdown the station in front of the CRTC.

My solution would for Rogers would be to sell the western stations off to private owners under the agreement that they'll stay within the Citytv network for at least ten years. That way Rogers can foucs on its core market and keep getting content for its VOD service while the other owners of the western stations have a brand and content already for them.

[HT Gearhead]

You mean like the original A Channel before it got bought up and ruined?