Wednesday was another bad day at Bell Media, as the company made another round of cuts across the country for vague reasons that probably amount to wanting to cut expenses to increase profits.
The company refused to provide “specific numbers” or names but confirmed there were “departures” at “some Bell Media stations.”
“Our industry is changing fast, with growing international competition and new viewing and listening options impacting audiences and advertising across the Canadian media sector. We’re feeling the effects of rapid industry change in many parts of our business, including local radio. To ensure we remain competitive, we’re managing the impact on our bottom line while also investing in content and platforms,” the statement reads.
In Montreal, CJAD’s Eramelinda Boquer and TSN 690’s Rick Moffat were among the cuts, sources at Bell Media told me. There was also a job lost in the CTV Montreal mailroom.
Elsewhere, the biggest loss is CTV Winnipeg news anchor Gord Leclerc. Traces of him were quickly removed from CTV Winnipeg’s website and he wrote a message of thanks to his viewers.
Also gone are:
- Mark Brennae, afternoon host on Victoria’s CFAX 1070
- Julie Corlett and Dave Illman, morning hosts on 91.9 Bob FM in Lindsay, Ont.
- Larry Fedoruk, afternoon host on CKTB 610 in St. Catharines, Ont.
- Mark Morris, who co-hosted the morning show on Winnipeg’s 99.9 Bob FM
- Manny Paiva, news director at CTV Windsor and AM800 CKLW
- Rob Snow, midday host on Ottawa’s CFRA
- Traffic schedulers in Ontario
In possibly unrelated news, Énergie 98.9 in Quebec City, a Bell Media station, fired morning host Stéphan Dupont, and co-hosts Raynald Cloutier and Pierre Blais, on Friday. The firing comes after a controversial interview with RDS analyst Marc Denis, but people at the station say the two events are unrelated. Dupont’s contract was set to end Jan. 1.
Thanks to those who provided tips on the losses. I’ll update this post as I hear about more.