Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has criticized BCE Inc.’s recent widespread layoffs, referring to the decision as “garbage.” Trudeau expressed his frustration over Bell Media’s termination of multiple television newscasts, stating that the corporation should have made a more responsible choice. The cuts were announced on Thursday following the parent company’s announcement of job reductions and the sale of 45 out of its 103 regional radio stations.
Trudeau highlighted the trend of large corporations acquiring radio stations, small community newspapers, and local outlets, only to subsequently lay off journalists and alter the quality of their content.
He emphasized that this cycle leads to declining readership and viewership, prompting corporations to divest outlets under the pretext of lack of profitability, which ultimately undermines local journalism and Canada’s democracy.
Mirko Bibic, the chief executive of Bell Media, cited a $140 million decline in advertising revenues in 2023 compared to the previous year, along with more than $40 million in annual operating losses for the company’s news division.
