Bell swings the axe in Ottawa.

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Bell swings the axe in Ottawa.

Postby Mike Cleaver » Thu Feb 09, 2012 5:54 pm

Up to 17 people let go at Bellmedia Ottawa today (formerly CHUM Group Ottawa,) including staffers at CFRA, The Team, BobFM, Majic FM and CFRO-TV.
I fear this is just the beginning and Bellmedia broadcast properties across the country will be next.
That likely includes those here in Vancouver.
Bell laid out a lot of money for the Leafs organization along with Rogers and has failed to meet it's latest financial forecast.
My feelings go out to most of the Ottawa people fired today, I worked with many of them but at least karma got a few who deserved it.
The evil you do will eventually come and get you.
Mike Cleaver Broadcast Services
Engineering, News, Voice work and Consulting
Vancouver, BC, Canada

54 years experience at some of Canada's Premier Broadcasting Stations
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Re: Bell swings the axe in Ottawa.

Postby pave » Thu Feb 09, 2012 6:06 pm

Although juvenile, churlish, unenlightened and so not Tibetan, I have to agree with The Cleave. There are times when I catch myself thinking my only defense would be to say, "Your Honour... he needed killin'."

Meanwhile, any time a bus drives by, I find I'm looking under it to see if there are any Radio-people there I recognise. :groovy:
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Re: Bell swings the axe in Ottawa.

Postby slowhand » Thu Feb 09, 2012 6:36 pm

Given that Bell pulled out of Radio markets that are larger than Ottawa, I have to wonder if this is step one of a plan to sell the Ottawa stations.

:oops: Oops, why should I try to read any common sense into anything Bell Media does? In one recent case, they walked away from an FM license worth millions that they had won but never got on the air because they were too lazy to find a frequency.
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Re: Bell swings the axe in Ottawa.

Postby pave » Thu Feb 09, 2012 6:44 pm

Slowhand. That's not like you. Snap out of it! A fella could hurt himself thinkin' those thoughts. :phew:
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Re: Bell swings the axe in Ottawa.

Postby hagopian » Thu Feb 09, 2012 7:16 pm

The shareholders win again.
The Byward Market. Heck we did fine on Isabella Street. Man, i don't recognize any of my former homes.
Best wishes and bon voyage into new careers to all.
Sorry, but radio as we knew it, no longer exists.
Brand manager.
Yeah, right.
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Re: Bell swings the axe in Ottawa.

Postby BossRadio » Thu Feb 09, 2012 9:53 pm

Ops/PD=Brand Manager= :bag:
And while we rail about puffery,on a related note,when did it become 'cool,fun,or even permitted to refer to your station contest/event as a "promotion"? A game, a contest,a flashmob...anything but a hoary old handle like "promotion'. 'Promotion' is a word for internal e-mails, not public billboards,websites,or live mics.Yeah,keep it simple but at least try to weave a little radio magic. :violent1:
Minutus cantorum, minutus balorum, minutus carborata descendum pantorum
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Re: Bell swings the axe in Ottawa.

Postby jon » Fri Feb 10, 2012 8:53 am

Bell Media fires 16 at CTV Ottawa, CFRA, Team 1200, Majic 100, BOB-FM
By Tony Lofaro, The Ottawa Citizen
February 9, 2012

OTTAWA — CFRA talk show host Michael Harris is among 16 on-air staff and manager who were let go Thursday by Bell Media in a corporate restructuring at CTV Ottawa and at radio stations CFRA, Majic 100, Bob-FM and Team 1200.

Harris, who hosted an afternoon talk show on CFRA, got his termination notice along with CFRA reporter Gord McDougall; Jim Jerome, Phil Melanson and Mike Sutherland at TEAM 1200, Steve Boynton from Majic 100 and Tina Sapp from BOB-FM. Other staff let go were CFRA manager Al McCartney and Brent Corbeil, a manager at CTV Ottawa.

The staff were told about the layoffs Thursday morning.

Harris said he went to the Market Mall building in the ByWard Market to edit a documentary and was called into the office by news director Steve Winogron. He said he was later led into the office of Richard Gray, general manager of CTV Ottawa.

“They basically read the termination notice to me,” said Harris, 63. He had been worked at the station for 11 years.

“It was a termination due to corporate restructuring and there was no reason given, but they went out of their way to say it had nothing to do with the quality of (my) work,” he said.

He said he had to leave the building immediately and could not pick up any of his personal belongings.

“I will deeply miss the audience because I had a special relationship with them. We did a lot of special things as well as the talk show. So, I’ll miss the audience and if I had one regret it’s that I didn’t get a chance to sign off,” he said.

“That part to me seems a bit heartless to me, but I understand from a corporate point of view why they don’t want you to do that,” said Harris, who also said he will miss his colleagues at the station.

Station management was tight-lipped about the layoffs when contacted Thursday.

“I’m not prepared to comment any further,” said Richard Gray, general manager of CTV Ottawa.

ref. - http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainm ... story.html
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Re: Bell swings the axe in Ottawa.

Postby hagopian » Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:40 pm

I love it how you get thrown out and you can't even take your stuff. It happened to me.
Takes a huge toll on the psyche.
You find yourself wondering why you worked those zillion extra hours, worked sick, tried every shift, to be the best you can be and then you realize you are like Kleenex. NICE.
That's what comes through loud and clear.
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Re: Bell swings the axe in Ottawa.

Postby Destro » Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:27 pm

they'd have to have security present if/when that happens to me. It would get REAL. I'm walking out of station with my stuffed alligator.

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Re: Bell swings the axe in Ottawa.

Postby slowhand » Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:51 pm

Destro wrote:they'd have to have security present if/when that happens to me. It would get REAL. I'm walking out of station with my stuffed alligator.


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My prediction is they won't even let you take your mustache and glasses.
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Re: Bell swings the axe in Ottawa.

Postby hagopian » Sun Feb 12, 2012 8:29 pm

Man, what a business.
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