CanWest swings the ax

Word off the CAJ board is that CanWest will eliminate 200 editorial jobs nationwide, including 20 at the Edmonton Journal.
CanWest apparently intends to use the Sun Media model, under which national-based pages will be desked out of a central location, likely in Ontario.

 

I'm with Canwest. The "buyout offer we hope will be enough not to need layoffs" e-mail went out on Hallowe'en at my shop.

 

Ball,

Good luck.

Man, those Aspers are douchebags.

 

Ball,
Best of luck. Keep us posted, if you can.

 

Thanks guys. But no worries for me. Many worse off all over, I suspect.

Worst-case scenario, I'll live off the hubby's ill-gotten gains (as he did off me back in the day) and become a professional senior tennis player. He's already on board with that

 

Ha! Babe, I have no doubt you will land on your feet.

 

when will the Star suffer the same fate?
They have about 450 editorial folk working on one paper.
I don't suggest that's wrong, but its an anomoly in the business these days and you figure some business genius will earn a big bonus by cutting costs there one day

 

I know nothing about the inner workings of the Star but I think they're an anomoly in a lot of ways. For example, they have TWO film critics (Howell & Pevere), a columnist who writes about sports media (Zelkovich) and they send Rosie DiManno all over the world.

Hm. Maybe they actually believe in journalism.

Canwest owns Global TV which has never done anything of any consequence other than to pick up hit US TV shows.

They're pariahs.

 

I posted this somewhere else, because CanWest Global is eliminating a great number of jobs in Halifax and Moncton.
Don't quote me, but I believe it is 41 jobs in total. I believe, that Maritimes will get hit the hardest by the cuts.
Apparently, Halifax is keeping an anchor and some reporters, however, stories will be filed in Halifax and sent up to Vancouver, where they will make a final say of what will be broadcast on the news.

Broadcast news is already in bad shape in the Maritimes and now this has made the situation only worse.

Advice: don't go the Maritimes if you are looking for journalism work.

I guess the way Halifax staff found out was on the day in question, they were going in for their 3pm production meeting and then once staffers got in the meeting they were told. Some people stormed out of the office.

They had to cancel the 11pm news that night because staffers were shaken and shocked by the news.

 

Things are not well at the Ottawa Sun either. Am told people are clamouring to leave.

 

that's because Mike Therien is back in the city