Broadcasting

Posted on 2017-01-31 in Broadcasting, Special Sections // 0 Comments

Radio, television and internet broadcasting is a critical element of Canadian culture and a key player in the country’s news industry.

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Members at TVO vote 100% in favour of strike mandate - Unionized journalists, hosts, producers and education workers at TVO, whose collective agreement expired in October, have voted 100 per cent in favour of giving their bargaining committee a strike mandate. The employees of the public broadcaster (formerly known as TVOntario), who are represented by CWA Canada’s largest Local, the Canadian Media Guild (CMG), have received below-inflation wage increases for the past 10 years, including three years of wage freezes. There was a turnout of 96 per cent for the vote, which puts the union one step closer to a legal strike position. The members are disheartened with TVO’s move from permanent employment to precarious contracts with no benefits. Further, the company appears to be positioning to abandon journalism at a critical time for quality and trustworthy information. As part of their negotiations, CMG members are seeking wages that take into account industry standards and inflation; permanent jobs for permanent work; and a commitment to quality journalism at TVO. The salaries of the members were subject to Bill 124, which was ruled unconstitutional in November and is now being appealed by the province. TVO has received no inflationary increase in base funding from the provincial government for many years, and saw [...]

Report that CBC plans to go digital-only alarms Guild members - The Canadian Media Guild says its members have been confused and alarmed by a report that the CBC is planning to go digital-only. Catherine Tait, president and CEO of the public broadcaster, told The Globe and Mail in an interview the CBC is preparing to eventually shift all its content online and end traditional TV and radio broadcasts. The CMG, CWA Canada’s largest Local which represents thousands of workers at CBC/Radio-Canada, says that Tait initially suggested the CBC would cease to deliver programming on TV and radio within a decade, but later walked back those comments. Union officials have confirmed with other CBC senior managers that there is no imminent plan that would lead to any job loss, but Tait’s comments have caused concern nonetheless. The CMG executive has issued this statement: Arriving five months before the end of her mandate, Tait’s assertions regarding the future of CBC television and radio create unnecessary anxiety and confusion in its workforce, and most likely in the minds of Canadians in general.It’s disheartening that this declaration from the CBC president was shared out of the blue, without a chance for CBC workers who create the programming, and the public who rely on these [...]

Being the only Black journalist at the station - Celebrating Black History Month

CMG lauds review of CBC licence renewal ruling with emphasis on local news - The CWA Canada Local that represents most of the workers at the CBC is hailing a decision by the federal cabinet to grant its appeal and send a licence renewal decision back to the broadcast regulator for reconsideration. The Canadian Media Guild (CMG) said it was pleased that the Governor in Council has heard its concerns about CBC/Radio-Canada’s obligations to provide quality local news to Canadians across the country no matter where they live, on the platforms they access. The decision in late June by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to renew the public broadcaster’s licences for five years, with minimal conditions, was widely criticized and resulted in a flood of petitions to cabinet. The CMG said it feared the CBC would cut back on television news programming in favour of spending on online content. Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, responding to the appeals of many concerned Canadians, recommended the order in council that refers the matter back to the CRTC. “We are grateful that the order specifically states ‘that it is material to the reconsideration and hearing that the Commission consider how to ensure that, as the national public broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation continue to make a significant contribution [...]

Open letter to PM Justin Trudeau concerning the online hate and harassment of journalists - The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P.Prime Minister of Canada80 Wellington StreetOttawa, ON, K1A 0A2 Delivered by email Dear Prime Minister Trudeau, We are writing in relation to the increasing and alarming online hate and harassment targeting journalists and journalism as a profession. This is a global problem, which threatens not only the safety and well-being of journalists, but the proper functioning of democracy itself. Many countries are now working on plans to fight back. We are calling on Canadian police and policymakers to do the same. For the most part, these attacks are aimed at racialized and female journalists who are experiencing an increasing number of targeted, vile threats of violence. The trend is clear. In a 2021 Ipsos survey of journalists, 72 per cent of respondents said they had experienced some form of online harassment. At the time, the CAJ co-signed a statement with many Canadian media organizations, affirming that “there can be no tolerance for hate and harassment of journalists or for incitement of attacks on journalists for doing their jobs.” Yet the problem grows. The volume and nature of the rhetoric in the recent string of attacks has caused many journalists, as well as their respective organizations, to fear for their [...]