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.