This Morning Live is no more

Global Quebec’s morning show This Morning Live signed off for good this morning. There had been rumours for months now that the show was being cancelled, but no official announcement.

In this video, host Tracey McKee breaks down on air along with other TML staff who, I guess, are now out of a job.

In TML’s place, Global Quebec will be bringing back an evening newscast, News Final, 11pm daily, seven days a week. It will be one hour long, except on Saturdays when it’s a half-hour before Saturday Night Live.

As far as I can tell, this is the only regional programming that will be added to replace the cancelled morning program, and that’s assuming the weekend newscasts will be local ones and not national ones. No official announcement has been made yet. News Final starts Monday, March 3.

The addition of News Final adds 6.5 hours a week to Global Quebec’s regional programming schedule, far below the 15 hours a week TML represented. Added to Global Quebec’s regional evening newscast, this means 9 hours a week of regional programming.

Violating its license?

Here’s the problem: Global Quebec’s CRTC broadcast license (as approved in 1997 when the network launched and renewed in 2001) requires 18 hours of regional programming a week (“regional” meaning “Montreal, Quebec City and Sherbrooke”). Unless I missed some license amendment or I’m missing 9 hours of regional programming that’s suddenly going to appear, this would put Global Quebec in violation of its license, which is up for renewal in August.

25 thoughts on “This Morning Live is no more

  1. H.

    Unreal that a show of such magnitude is cancelled just like that!!!!!!! I turned the T.V. on on February 28th to get the news somehow, yet I could not find any English channel with Montreal news. It is very sad. Why was the show cancelled? what is the explanation behind it? where is the logic? why break something solid?

    I always opened the T.V. before getting out of bed in the mornings! the alarm clock goes off, T.V.goes on, and there’s Andrew reporting the news. Soon after the whole crew would join in and my bedroom was full of happy people from Global This Morning evey morning! why steal such precious show from Montrealers?

    I wish someone would answer my questions.

    For me, the only other way to get Montreal news would be to brush off on my French or turn the radio on instead of the T.V. Unreal how selfishly decisions are made these days!!!!!!!!!!

    H.

    Reply
  2. Kimberly W

    I think it’s a crying Shame ,the crap they would rather keep.I have watched the Morning show since day 1.

    You guys made it easy for me to get up and go especially on Mondays .With your wit and sense of Humour .I loved watching the global morning news better than any news program.Is there not
    someone that can help put you back up on the air.

    Someone in high place can pull strings I mean pleaseeeeeeeee come off it.

    There are corp. with money out there .We all know money talks and bullshit walks
    we all know that this is a bunch of bull and political junk!@!!

    I will miss you ,now the last few days I don’t even bother to put the tv on in the morning,
    totally disappointed ….I was shocked and I just never seen or heard how a morning
    new show can go off the air …this day and age,it just does not make sense to me at all.

    Kim

    Reply
  3. Marc

    I’m really going to miss this program. Next best thing is the news at 6 am with Herb Luft on CFCF but it’s just a newscast, not a whole morning show. They should ditch the Toronto-centric Canada AM and to pick up the TML pieces and give us a good morning show.

    Lezlie Robinson is black, at least one of her parents is.

    Reply
  4. Fel-X

    The real reason why “This Morning Live” was cancelled was simply because Global (the national entity) needed money to make the jump to HD. As you may know, or not, all tv stations must become HD at some point.

    And since Global must make something like 10-12 stations HD, it takes some serious money. So, the way that they found to have that money is to make employee cuts in all of Canada. For example, in Global Quebec, they closed the Quebec City station and fired around 30 employees from the Montreal one. Basically, they cut the “TML” team and the technical crew.

    The local programmation is still there (in the form of the 6 p.m. news) but with a reduced crew (less journalists, no more technical team). And the show is produced and aired from Vancouver (while filmed from Montreal).

    Tonight, Jamie Orchard will be hosting the 6 o’clock news for the first time in her virtual set.

    Reply
  5. Fagstein Post author

    Actually, unlike the U.S., the CRTC has not mandated an analog TV shut-off date, and stations are free to broadcast in analog for as long as they wish.

    Also, digital television is not necessarily HDTV. DTV can also include low-definition signals. But most broadcasters are using a two-birds-with-one-stone approach, and upgrading to HDTV while they’re upgrading to DTV anyway.

    The CRTC is certainly encouraging HDTV, but not forcing it yet.

    Reply
  6. Cynthia Bishop

    I was SHOCKED and DISAPPOINTED to turn on the T.V. and NO NEWS ! Global TV is my FAVORITE STATION..sob…sob..sob..sob..I will MISS those FANTASTIC PEOPLE of This Morning Live..

    GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF THEM..YOU WILL BE MISSED !

    Reply
  7. a great fan

    i was certaintly moved by the last show, i never thought in a million years that a news show as strong as
    TML would go off the air. I am very disappointed and my morning news will never be the same. thanks for a wonderful 10 years

    Reply
  8. Fel-X

    Yeah, you’re right.

    But since Global is buying most of it’s “Prime Time” programmation from the U.S. (like FOX), I guess they don’t have a real choice but to make the jump.

    Reply
  9. Pingback: Fagstein » The new, dirt-cheap Global Quebec

  10. mtl taxpayer

    i cant belive they would pull this show! there is so many other shows they they could of and should of have pulled. now instead we are left with ctv (cfcf12) and their quick look at all the horrible stuff going on in montreal and lets not forget canada am which is hosted by a lady with the emotion of a rock, some guy who thinks he’s gods gift to t.v. (by the way your not, you are the worst anchor ever!) and a fat weather guy who is so so so not funny! montreal actully had somthing happy and healthy to watch no matter what the weather, traffic or what ever they made us smile and they were able to keep us smiling the whole day by not only giving us the news but a sense of ,they are just like us, sharing stories of home children and well… just life. I thank you all for all you did for us as a community thank you for always being happy so early in the morning and for making me just as happy your stories touched us as i know our stories touched you. MONTREAL WILL MISS YOU ALL VERY MUCH THANk-YOU FOR JOINING ME FOR BREAKFAST OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS!

    Reply
  11. Amy (not real name)

    All of our shows (now only news) will be directed and the cameras controlled from Vancouver. I was told that it was because of the hours of difference regarding time zones that TML was cancelled. I guess it’s too much to ask the director to start working at 1am.
    I guess they didn’t want to pay night rates.

    Reply
  12. TVViewer

    Global Quebec is still in in violation of its license. However they are not breaking the rules as much as you say. Under CRTC rules, local programming doesn’t have to be Live, and they are allowed to rerun local programming.

    News Hour Final which will air from 11pm-12am weeknights will rerun every weekday (plus Saturday) morning from 6-7am. That’s 6 hours right there.

    In the end, Global Quebec has 15 hours and 30 minutes of local news. I’m guessing that’s enough since if they were to break the rules, the CRTC would have said something.

    Reply
  13. Kris

    I just cant believe it!
    I miss TML, like cfcf is depressing & canada A.M. is boring!
    Man im gonna miss you guys at Global you made my day…I so enjoyed putting the TV on Channel 3 but these days I think ill just skip Tv for good.

    Reply
  14. Lise

    A morning show that concerned Montreal and Quebec and it got cancelled!

    Will we now be exposed to Toronto news only?

    You will be sadly missed.

    Thank you for your good work. Hope it will be reconsidered and brought back.

    Reply
  15. TMLComeBack

    Well, I join the lot of you with the utter disappointment of the cancellation of TML. I too have woken up to this gem of a show for the last ten years, thanking God that Canada AM was not my only choice(not an ounce of warmth on that show). Tracie, Andrew, Leslie and Richard (loved his little segments) are a wonderful bunch of good-humored journalists. I loved the structure of the show and the warmth as well. I was truly shocked when I opened the TV on February 27th and I learned it was the last show. I shed some tears with them as well. Have you checked out what’s taking it’s place?!! Shame on Global – you had a winner in the hearts and minds of many Quebecers!

    Reply
  16. Candice M.

    NO to ending this THIS MORNING LIVE!!!! Montreal needs a English morning voice – while there are very good French mornings shows, Montreal has lost it’s English language morning show that was the BEST – Tracey, Andrew, Richard, Al as well – they were the ones that we knew and looked forward to seeing each morning. The news, current information, Quebec happenings focus, financial market report the temp’s in Quebec on the bottom screen were all innovative. I depended on Global Quebec’s This Morning Live for both my professional work and personal/family viewing. We have now lived here for 8 years and have watched it ever since we arrived. Even my sons in elementary school miss the show!

    What can we do as a loyal public to make the program come back. How can Canada’s 2nd largest city not have a morning show in English and especially to have one and then take it away! We need it back NOW!
    I was away on vacation when this happened and couldn’t believe it! If anyone is interested in a petition at places like Fairview etc. then write in and we can make it happen. Lets not let Global Quebec take our morning show off the Global network period!

    Reply
  17. Pingback: Fagstein » CFCF cancels morning newscast, lays off three

  18. Theresa McKeever

    You got that right, however, you spelled her name wrong ………… it’s LEZLIE, she doesn’t like her name misspelled …………….. I know, she stipulated it enough when we we cheerleading together for the Montreal Alouettes (les Gentilles Alouettes)!!!

    Reply
  19. Theresa McKeever

    AS I said, it’s Lezlie, but you won’t find her in Montreal anymore, she’s a radio announcer in Ottawa; Q92 FM. She’s on everyday between 10am & 2pm. Just an FYI!

    Reply
  20. Pingback: Notebook from Global Montreal – Fagstein

  21. Pingback: Global Montreal morning show launches next Monday – Fagstein

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *