CBC expands local and regional news coverage across Canada
CBC Invests in Local News Coverage Across Canada
CBC has announced a significant investment in local and regional news coverage as part of its commitment to delivering trusted news to Canadians nationwide. This initiative comes on the heels of the CRTC’s approval of Google’s plan to compensate Canadian news organizations for the use of their content.
General Manager and Editor-in-Chief of CBC News, Brodie Fenlon, emphasized the importance of providing Canadians with reliable local news, stating, “Canadians need trusted, local news more than ever. We will continue to invest in local journalism to better serve communities, particularly in underserved news markets across the country.”
CBC News is expanding its team by adding up to 25 journalists in over a dozen communities that currently lack sufficient broadcast news coverage, with a specific focus on Western Canada. This expansion builds upon previous investments made in 2022 in cities such as Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, Cranbrook, Nanaimo, and Kingston.
In addition to hiring more journalists, CBC News is launching new local FAST (free ad-supported streaming) channels to provide local and breaking news on platforms such as CBC Gem and the CBC News app. These channels will be available on connected TV platforms in the coming weeks.
Twelve new local news streaming channels have been introduced in major cities across Canada, including Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Windsor, Ottawa, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and the North. These channels complement the existing national, British Columbia, and Toronto streaming channels.
For podcast enthusiasts, CBC News has unveiled four new daily local podcasts – This is Vancouver, This is Manitoba, This is Toronto, and This is Nova Scotia. These podcasts delve into the stories shaping each community and can be accessed on CBC Listen and other podcast platforms.
Furthermore, CBC is launching four new late-night TV programs in Atlantic Canada, airing in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. These programs will be broadcast nightly at 11 p.m. AT/11:30 p.m. NT on CBC TV, CBC Gem, and regional CBC streaming channels. The regional newscast Atlantic Tonight will continue to air on weekends, providing viewers with the latest news updates.
With these new initiatives, CBC is reaffirming its commitment to delivering high-quality, local news coverage to communities across Canada. By expanding its team of journalists and launching new platforms for news dissemination, CBC is ensuring that Canadians have access to timely and trustworthy information.
