Black Tuesday at Bell and Newcap

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Black Tuesday at Bell and Newcap

Postby radiofan » Tue Nov 17, 2015 2:29 pm

Major cuts today by Bell and Newcap in BC...

Word has it Bell in Vancouver let 20 people go, Bell in Victoria cut 6 jobs including veteran newsie Dave Biro.

In the Okanagan, Bell Kelowna has cut 5 staffers and Newcap Kelowna has 4 less employess including GM Dallas Gray.

Another one of those days where it's nice to be on the outside.
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music.
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Re: Black Tuesday at Bell and Newcap

Postby Tom Jeffries » Tue Nov 17, 2015 2:31 pm

Sorry for dual run posts.
Thanks for the info RadioFan.
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Re: Black Tuesday at Bell and Newcap

Postby Howaboutthat » Tue Nov 17, 2015 3:08 pm

Word filtered up here that sports director Perry Solkowski and meteorologist Michael Kuss, and a couple of reporters have been let go from CTV Vancouver.
Can anyone confirm?
Houston, We're dealing with morons!.
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Re: Black Tuesday at Bell and Newcap

Postby cart_machine » Tue Nov 17, 2015 3:29 pm

Howaboutthat wrote:Word filtered up here that sports director Perry Solkowski and meteorologist Michael Kuss, and a couple of reporters have been let go from CTV Vancouver.
Can anyone confirm?


HAT, Lisa Rossington and Jeff Paterson have tweeted that they're among the casualties.

cARtie.
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Re: Black Tuesday at Bell and Newcap

Postby CVIK » Tue Nov 17, 2015 3:47 pm

Matt Baker out at TSN 1040.
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Re: Black Tuesday at Bell and Newcap

Postby sparky » Tue Nov 17, 2015 4:15 pm

This past week has been rough on the broadcasting industry not only in BC, but all across Canada.

My thoughts are with all those affected by these latest cutbacks.

My big question is, why do institutes like BCIT, SAIT, NAIT etc keep pumping out "graduates" when this is no market for them? Small and medium markets no long do real local news and the major markets aren't much better. All you get with your diploma now is the reminder that you're $20,000.00 plus in debt and no great career on the horizon.

Thanks to the demands of shareholders and bean counter mentality management, radio is on the fast track to becoming a thing of the past.
"You get a bunch of clowns together and sooner or later you've got a circus"
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Re: Black Tuesday at Bell and Newcap

Postby Howaboutthat » Tue Nov 17, 2015 5:24 pm

To the best of my knowledge it was accounting and support staff let go in Kelowna, none of the remaining on air people.
Houston, We're dealing with morons!.
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Re: Black Tuesday at Bell and Newcap

Postby retireddxer » Tue Nov 17, 2015 5:42 pm

sparky wrote:My big question is, why do institutes like BCIT, SAIT, NAIT etc keep pumping out "graduates" when this is no market for them? .... All you get with your diploma now is the reminder that you're $20,000.00 plus in debt and no great career on the horizon.

Back in the early 1970s, I remember reading the Vancouver Province with a couple of pages dedicated to listing all of the UBC grads for the year. I was shocked at the huge numbers for some areas with almost zero chances of getting a job. Of course, some continued their education to become more employable with a Masters degree or PhD, but I still couldn't help thinking: Who is going to hire a freshly minted Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology? Then, as now, a Bachelors degree even in a highly employable area like Psychology wouldn't allow you to hang out your shingle as a Psychologist.

Universities have long hidden behind their Academic Freedom to get out of any suggested requirements that they match their output of graduates to the needs of the job market. They even shield most of their Faculties from the need to match their graduates' knowledge base with the needs of employers.

Technical schools like BCIT, SAIT and NAIT came into being to fill that gap. They seem to have lost sight of that as they try to look more and more like universities.

Over the years, I have talked to many a concerned parent about their child wanting to enroll in Radio at a technical school. Often after years of putting off their post-secondary education. My advice remains the same. Rather than discouraging the kid, I suggest being very supportive. The skill set acquired from a decent Radio program can easily be applied to a number of other fields, especially the Presentation and People skills.
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Re: Black Tuesday at Bell and Newcap

Postby Tom Jeffries » Tue Nov 17, 2015 5:49 pm

This is a buggy whip business.

It's over.

You have to have seniors to teach juniors. No one had big time student debt, that ever worked with me. I could go on. Greedy shareholders, want their 20%....and they are going to lose their pants. The big salary days are over. Where is Tamara Taggart?

CTV changes are NOT over. Global - big changes. Big check? You are gone.

I am so glad I am no longer within hailing distance of a business that fed my Family for 45 years.
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Re: Black Tuesday at Bell and Newcap

Postby groundwave » Tue Nov 17, 2015 6:20 pm

Howaboutthat wrote:Word filtered up here that sports director Perry Solkowski and meteorologist Michael Kuss, and a couple of reporters have been let go from CTV Vancouver.
Can anyone confirm?


Kuss posted this an hour ago on his twitter feed:

Thanks to everyone for your well wishes. I loved the job. I love the weather and I loved interacting with all of you.


https://twitter.com/ctv_michaelkuss
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Re: Black Tuesday at Bell and Newcap

Postby Tom Jeffries » Tue Nov 17, 2015 6:34 pm

Wishing all of those affected by today's tidal wave the vey best. It happens to all of us. Lots of talents.

Hang in there.
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Re: Black Tuesday at Bell and Newcap

Postby CubbyCam » Tue Nov 17, 2015 7:08 pm

I echo the thoughts of Mr. Jeffries. We've all been there at one point or another. He and I were VERY lucky to have lived and worked in one of the best eras of this biz... Our hearts go out to you all... You will survive.

"And now we meet in an abandoned studio
We hear the playback and it seems so long ago
And you remember the jingles used to go
Oh-a oh
You were the first one
Oh-a oh
You were the last one"

The digital age may be killing the radio AND the video stars...
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Re: Black Tuesday at Bell and Newcap

Postby allnewsbob » Tue Nov 17, 2015 7:24 pm

I also worked with Dave Biro in a few incarnations and I welcome him to "the other side." There IS life after broadcasting. For Perry and Michael at CTV Vancouver: they have talent to burn and this is a great loss to VIEWERS as well as the on-air team. I'm afraid I have to agree with others, that it's nearing the end of the year and the various boards of directors have to cough up the dividends to shareholders...and good and valuable employees are often trimmed. I hope Perry, Michael, Lisa and others will take no time landing on their feet. This industry should not have such a slippery floor.
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Re: Black Tuesday at Bell and Newcap

Postby Coolcat » Tue Nov 17, 2015 7:32 pm

I have often wondered how TSN1040 could sustain the large number of staff they have with the lame ratings they continue to bring in. If it wasn't for the Canucks games as well as the access to the Canucks organization the ratings would be even worse.

They should also focus on the mornings as the show has deteriorated. Many times when tuning in for sports I hear non sports talk like US politics, wine tasting talk and weird news stories of the day. Not sure if that is what their target listeners are after.
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Re: Black Tuesday at Bell and Newcap

Postby tuned » Tue Nov 17, 2015 7:54 pm

I used to be a loyal 1040 listener but no longer. The spot loads are so heavy during breakfast and drive you can be subjected to ten minutes worth in one stretch. Yes it's broken up with headlines or tiny bits of "content" but essentially you are lucky to get 30 to 35 minutes of real content in an hour. My time is worth more than that. I sent the station a polite email complaining about the commercial clutter and never received a reply. They obviously don't give a sh*t so neither do I.
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