(Toronto) BCE on Wednesday announced the cut of 1,300 positions, or about 3% of its workforce, and the closure or sale of nine radio stations, as the company plans to “significantly adapt” the way it distributes information. .
The job cuts are a response to unfavorable public policies and regulatory conditions, the company argued.
The plan involves “moving to a one-stop newsroom approach for all brands, enabling increased collaboration and efficiency,” Bell Media VP of News Richard Gray explained in an internal memo distributed. to staff on Wednesday morning and of which La Presse Canadienne obtained a copy.
In an interview with La Presse Canadienne, Bell’s executive vice president and chief legal and regulatory officer, Robert Malcolmson, said the company’s media division “couldn’t afford” to continue operating with different brands — such as CTV National News, BNN, CP24, its television news stations and local radio stations — that operate independently of each other.
The positions eliminated include a 6% reduction at Bell Media, part of BCE’s Bell Canada division. Bell Media’s assets include the CTV television network, specialty television channels, radio stations and production studios.
Employees were also notified of the closure of radio stations Funny 1290 in Winnipeg, Funny 1060 in Calgary, TSN 1260 Radio in Edmonton, BNN Bloomberg Radio 1410 and Funny 1040 in Vancouver, as well as NewsTalk 1290 in London.
Bell Media is also selling AM Radio 1150 and AM 820 from Hamilton, as well as AM 580 from Windsor, to an undisclosed third party, subject to Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approval.
Executive positions are reduced by 6%, according to the company. There will also be 20% fewer management positions in the company compared to 2020.
