Montreal Anglophones Losing Another News Source - Global TV loses morning show, weeknight 11pm and the weekend newscasts

MONTREAL, April 15 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Montreal Anglophones are losing yet another source of information after Global television announced it would be centralizing operations for the local morning show, the 11pm newscasts and the weekend newscasts. The shows will now be hosted out of Toronto with local inserts.

"This is terrible news, first for the men and women who are dedicated to gathering and producing Global news for Montrealers, but it is also a serious blow to the community that keeps losing sources of information. It's hard to know what is going on locally if anchors and producers are in another city" said Anne Leclair, president of the Union for Global Television in Montreal.

Shaw communications announced 400 layoffs across the country as part of its restructuring program, 55 of those were Global news across the country.

When the CRTC approved the sale of Global TV to Shaw in 2010, as part of the transaction, Shaw was expected to make specific commitments to fund initiatives that would improve the Canadian broadcasting system. One of those initiatives was specifically the promise to produce new two-hour morning newscasts in Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Halifax and Montréal.

"With the support of the research department at the SCFP, we will be examining the license to make sure Shaw continues to respect its commitments to the community. They have committed to producing at least 10 hours of local programming" concluded the union's president.

CUPE\SCFP is Canada's largest union with over 628,000 members. CUPE\SCFP holds 112,700 members in Quebec, and of those 9300 in the communication sector.  We have members working in municipalities, education, health care, social services, airlines, and more.

SOURCE Canadian Union of Public Employees (FTQ)

Lisa Djevahirdjian, Information SCFP, 514 831-3815, [email protected]