Bell Media mass job cuts affect TV personalities
High-profile layoffs hit hard at Toronto’s CTV News, TSN and Newstalk 1010
The latest round of Bell Media job cuts has affected notable TV personalities across Canada, including CTV anchors Dan Matheson, Bill Hutchison and Suneel Joshi.
It is unclear how many jobs in total were cut in Tuesday’s layoffs, which focused on the studios in Scarborough, where TSN and CTV News are based.
High-profile presenters who no longer work for the TV stations are:
CTV News anchors Matheson, Hutchison and Joshi, who are no longer listed on the organization’s website.
Newstalk 1010 anchor Mike Toth said he was let go on Twitter, writing: “Yes . . . I’m one of victims of Bell Media cuts. But no hard feelings, as I enjoyed my time @newstalk1010 and @MooreintheAM.”
Toth’s fellow Newstalk anchor Da- vid Woodard indicated he was leaving the company on Twitter, writing: “As a result of the recent job cuts, newstalk1010 and I have decided to partake in a #consciousuncoupling.”
A spokesman for Bell confirmed that reporter Sheri Forde, senior producer Todd Hayes and morning host David Bastl have also left the company.
CTV Ottawa sports reporter Carolyn Waldo posted on Twitter: “It was a tough day yesterday. It was a wonderful 25 years at CTV Ottawa. As scary as it is, a new chapter begins. Thank you to everyone!”
CTV Morning Live anchor Lois Lee wrote: “Thank you @CTVOttMornLive, Richard Gray and all my wonderful colleagues in the Bell Media family for an awesome run.”
A Vancouver Canucks presenter for TSN 1040, Jeff Paterson, wrote that he was “an unrestricted free agent” in hockey terms.
“So my Twitter followers jumped considerably today. Unfortunately my income went the other direction. Tough day sure, but not the end,” he added.
Michael Kuss, Vancouver-based meteorologist for CTV, also announced his departure on Twitter. “Thanks to everyone for your well wishes. I loved the job. I love the weather and I loved interacting with all of you,” he wrote.
Sports show Off The Record with Michael Landsberg was also cancelled in the wake of the cuts. The host will remain with the company to produce shorter segments for SportsCentre and online.
Bell Media owns 30 local TV stations and 34 specialty channels, including TSN. The restructuring process began in August and will continue throughout most of November on a location-by-location basis.
On Nov. 5, one day after announcing revenue growth of 4.1 per cent and an adjusted profit of $183 million in its latest quarterly report, Bell announced plans to cut 380 positions, including 270 in Toronto. Labour union Unifor said 220 of those positions would be in production and editorial, 45 in sales and marketing and five in administration.