TVA Announces Elimination of 87 Positions Boosting Efficiency and Restructuring Efforts
In a significant restructuring move, the TVA Group announced on Wednesday the elimination of 87 positions to enhance operational efficiency. This reduction predominantly affects roles such as cameramen-editors, operators, technicians, hairdressers, and makeup artists across various regional stations, excluding Quebec City.
Impact of Job Cuts on TVA Operations
Starting January 12, the number of cameramen-editors at stations in Saguenay, Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke, and Rimouski will reduce dramatically, leaving only one per station. Consequently, all journalists will soon be required to shoot their own footage, raising concerns about the impact on regional news quality.
Syndicate Response
Carl Beaudoin, the president of the TVA employees’ union (SCFP), expressed his concerns over these changes. He questioned how journalists could maintain their health and deliver quality work amidst these additional responsibilities.
- Previous job cuts had already reduced regional staff by 70-80% over the past two years.
- A total of 547 positions were eliminated in a prior wave of layoffs, marking a significant downsizing.
- Since 2023, nearly 800 jobs have been cut in the broadcasting sector.
As of now, TVA has fewer than 500 permanent and temporary unionized employees left. The latest round of job eliminations follows a previous reduction last month, which saw several operational staff members let go.
Financial Challenges and Industry Trends
In its press release, the TVA Group highlighted ongoing financial difficulties, particularly declining advertising revenues, which have resulted in cumulative losses exceeding $93 million since January 2022.
“Restructuring and workforce rationalization plans have partially offset the decline in advertising revenues, yet a persistent downward trend continues across the industry,” the company stated.
Calls for Government Support
Pierre Karl Péladeau, the president and CEO of Quebecor, criticized the federal government’s lack of support for private broadcasters. He questioned the enhanced funding benefiting CBC/Radio-Canada while ignoring the challenges faced by private media.
- The most recent federal budget allocated an additional $150 million to the public broadcaster.
- Péladeau advocates for extending tax credits for journalistic labor to electronic media.
Concerns were echoed by Éric-Pierre Champagne, president of the Quebec Professional Journalists Federation. He warned that the quality of regional journalism could decline as journalists juggle news gathering with filming responsibilities.
Champagne also pointed out the disruptive emergence of false media utilizing artificial intelligence, which undermines traditional journalism. He remarked on the monopolization of digital advertising revenue by tech giants like Meta and Google, emphasizing the need for equitable media support across platforms.
Future Considerations
Quebec Culture and Communications Minister Mathieu Lacombe remarked that these layoffs reflect broader industry struggles. He indicated that while progress is being made to assist media, there is a necessity to rethink support for electronic media.
In financial markets, TVA Group’s stock saw a notable increase of 16% on Wednesday, closing at 64 cents on the Toronto Stock Exchange, attributing a market value of $28 million to Quebecor Media’s subsidiary.
Besides broadcasting and television content production, TVA Group is also involved in magazine publishing and film production through TVA Publications and the MELS studios.
