TVO cuts programs under $2M budget reduction

Ontario public broadcaster TVO is cutting 35 to 40 positions to help with a budget reduction of $2 million, the broadcaster said Tuesday. In a release, TVO said its operating grant will be reduced by five per cent as of April 1, 2013. “In the March 2012 provincial budget announcement, the Ontario government indicated that TVO, like other public agencies, needs to reduce its reliance on government funding to help reduce provincial deficit,” the release said. The broadcaster said it will cut programs Allan Gregg in Conversation, Big Ideas, and Saturday Night at the Movies, which has run for 38 seasons. “With entire TV networks and on-line services now dedicated to movies, TVO’s limited resources will focus on content that is not available anywhere else in the media landscape,” the broadcaster said. TVO said 35 to 40 employees will leave the broadcaster between Nov. 13, 2012, and March 2013. The staff cuts, the release said, come from TVO's traditional television production department as it directs more resources to digital innovation in children’s educational media and current affairs. Steve Thomas, president of bargaining unit CEP Local 72-M, said in a statement Tuesday that it was a “very sad” day at TVO. “We are losing some iconic shows that have been running for years and it is going to affect a lot of people and their employment here,” Thomas said. TVO said in April was ceasing over-the-air analog broadcasting at 14 medium or high-powered transmitter sites as of July 31 to cut costs. The Ontario provincial budget, released in April, laid out a five-year plan to balance the books by the 2017-2018 fiscal year and said the government intended to work with TVO to pursue new sources of revenue. As part of TVO's digital focus, the provincial broadcaster will expand its digital learning resources for kids, parents and teachers, it said. “TVO will expand online resources to Grade 6, develop new tools for educators and multimedia properties including real-world games, mobile and augmented reality,” the release said. TVO will also direct more resources into multi-platform availability for programs The Agenda with Steve Paikin and Civics 101, the release said. Civics 101 will become a “multi-platform hub” for civic engagement, TVO said. Eighty-five per cent of Ontarians watch TVO, which has an operating budget of $64 million for fiscal 2012, the release said. “As a publicly-funded organization, TVO has a responsibility to deliver on its educational mission, with the greatest impact, across multiple platforms,” Lisa de Wilde, CEO of TVO, said in a statement. “To do this we must find cost savings in some areas and direct more resources into others.” news@thewirereport.ca

TVO cuts programs under $2M budget reduction

News | 11/13/2012 10:25 pm EST

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