by the-real-deal » Sat Jul 22, 2017 6:49 pm
The merging of radio, television, newspapers, and internet, into one giant sewer pipe, is so freaking obvious, that only dummies could not see it coming.
The bar for the future of Canadian am radio news stations like CKNW was clearly set in Ottawa, last year, when another legendary radio station, 58 CFRA , (owned by Bell) fired their radio news reporters and forced local CTV tv reporters to announce the radio news for the first time.
Since Western Canadian business tends to largely emulate what happens in Ontario, it was inevitable that Shaw Vancouver would follow their competitor, Bell, since much of the media is "monkey see, monkey do," and or business people readily stealing the ideas of what they cannot come up with, themselves.
It used to be "imitation is the most sincerest form of flattery." Now, the attitude is in bean-counting parlance, namely "cheapdom," i.e. "get the most by spending the least amount of money."
The end result is that, one day, (in the not too distant future), all or most British Columbia local news as we know it today will originate from the Toronto tv studios, (except CBC Radio?) since most Toronto people (go ask them !) arrogantly assume that the Sun and Moon revolve around them and anything past Mississauga doesn't really count.
Therefore, Westerners like us are (will be) forced to kiss the asses of Torontonians ? Not just broadcasters, but chartered banks, insurance companies, government offices, everyone !
Surprisingly, some U.S. news organizations are not cutting back their radio news, but building it up ? For example, CBS Television promotes their radio stations on their websites, so I can see a day when Shaw Radio will be promoted on their Global News websites, as well. But, I really wonder about that, when CBS came out and sold their radio division, saying that they wanted to concentrate on television.
In this diminishment, certain Toronto news and traffic stories may well leak out to stations in B.C. ( who got their news cut back), like stories about the Don Valley parkway and Toronto traffic, Toronto bank robberies, Toronto b and e's etc.
Why not? I am already (sick of) hearing Vancouver crime-related stories, Vancouver drug busts and local traffic stories, etc. leading the news at many rural B.C. radio stations.
Meanwhile, those of you in teevee land, are you ready to do some radio news to please your bosses.