Bell Media wields axe

Operation moving in ‘new direction,’ says general manager

Sharkey, Longley, Ginther among familiar voices, faces to lose jobs in round of radio, TV cuts,

Almost a year after Bell Media laid off 16 on-air staff, another round of layoffs hit CTV Ottawa and radio stations BOBFM and Majic 100 on Thursday.

Gone are CTV Ottawa weatherman Eric Longley and sports anchor Corey Ginther, BOB-FM hosts Sandy Sharkey and Steve Gregory, and broadcaster Red Allen at Majic 100. Jeff Stamp, a producer at CTV Ottawa and Stephanie Ha, an editorial assistant at the station, were also let go.

The layoffs are effective immediately and the employees were offered severance packages. “The moves were strategic and it has nothing to do with economics,” said Richard Gray, Bell Media’s regional vice-president and CTV Ottawa general manager.

“It is about us making changes and adapting our business model to meet the changing needs and wants of our viewers and our listeners. I am taking our operation in a new direction.”

Gray reiterated that the television station was going in a “new direction,” although he declined to elaborate on what exactly that meant. He said the radio staff are not being replaced and that the two on-air jobs at CTV Ottawa were changing from full-time to part-time positions.

“All of the on-air personalities have been with our operations for a very long time, but as I said, the needs and wants of viewers are changing and we’ve got to change to continue to meet those needs,” said Gray.

Staff numbers at CTV Ottawa, formerly CJOH-TV, have shrunk considerably since it moved from its longtime Merivale Road site to the ByWard Market almost three years ago. Last February, the TV station let go a number of camera operators, video editors and TV-production staff. Radio personalities Michael Harris at CFRA and Jim Jerome at TEAM 1200 were also axed.