TV news at a crossroads as financial strain mounts, experts say

TORONTO – BCE Inc.’s request. to the federal telecoms regulator to waive local news and Canadian programming requirements for its television stations is the latest signal that Canadian journalism is under threat, say those who study the media industry.

One of two applications from Bell Media on June 14 requested the CRTC cut requirements for spending on local news and the number of hours per week stations need to broadcast locally reflective news in markets large and small.

The filings were filed on the same day Bell announced it would cut 1,300 jobs, close or sell nine radio stations and close two foreign bureaus amid plans to “significantly adjust” the way it delivers news in light of increasing financial pressure.

Magda Konieczna, an associate professor of journalism at Montreal’s Concordia University, said the move could potentially widen the existing gap in local coverage as industry struggles have resulted in job losses in local markets.

“You see them saying they want more space for neighboring communities, they want more space for national and international news. People are already getting that stuff,” Konieczna said.

“Nobody else is going to cover my local community except my local media…Local news is what I’m really concerned about because I think that’s where democracy really lives.”

Bell’s filing stated that the 35 local television stations branded CTV, CTV Two and Noovo plus three discretionary television news services — CP24, CTV News Channel and BNN Bloomberg — are under financial strain. It asked the regulator to waive the requirement for the company to invest 11 percent of the previous year’s earnings in locally reflective news.

Bell also requested the elimination of the requirement for English-language television stations in metropolitan markets to broadcast at least 14 hours of local programming per week. In Quebec, Bell asked the regulator to waive its obligation to broadcast at least five hours of local programming per week on its Montreal station.

Colette Brin, director of the Center for Media Studies at Laval University in Quebec City, said the request illustrates how television newscasts are at a “crossroads” as the industry struggles to adapt to digital media habits. news consumption.

Brin’s research on Canada’s media landscape published earlier this month in a report by the Reuters Institute found that 40 percent of the population still receives news primarily through television, compared to 52 percent who get news from online news websites, apps or social media. But according to Brin’s research, only 11 percent of Canadians say they’re willing to pay for online news.

“People are concerned about the decline in news coverage,” she said

“But there’s a saying in French: everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die – the idea of ​​having to pay for something.”

The report found that CTV News led the way in weekly reach among English speakers for traditional news consumption methods.

“Our ability to have really reliable and trustworthy news from our own country is under threat,” Brin said.

“If you’re thinking about showing Canadians the world from a Canadian perspective, that’s definitely something we should be concerned about.”

Janice Neil, president of the Toronto Metropolitan University School of Journalism, said Bell could have a viable argument if his requests allow for some resources to be shifted to digital platforms.

“I think it’s important for the CRTC to recognize that producing news is expensive,” said Neil.

But she added that if it leads Bell to downsize news production teams in underserved markets, it would mean fewer reporters available for local courts and city council meetings.

“That would be a huge loss,” Neil said.

“I believe unequivocally that the decline in the number of reporters who are in Canada at large and who report to the public institutions that are required to report poses a real threat to our democracy.”

While the federal government has taken steps to address the industry’s financial woes, primarily through Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, and Bill C-18, the Online News Act, there are concerns that neither is as effective will be as expected.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, added fuel to the fire last week when it said it will not allow Canadian news to be shared on its platforms in response to Bill C-18, which aims to force tech giants to pay compensation. to provide Canadian news outlets for their content.

Bell has also said it cannot afford to wait for the outcome of the CRTC consultations on C-11, which would provide relief to media companies through compensation from online streaming companies.

“I have some hope that the Canadian government will be able to negotiate with Meta and Alphabet and that the matter will be resolved,” Brin said.

“But the mere fact that these platforms are so powerful and can actually coerce the government isn’t encouraging either.”

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 26, 2023.

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