Dave Biro, Lisa Rossington, Perry Solkowski, Michael Kuss Among the Dozens Cut by Bell in BC

Layoffs at Bell Kelowna today too. No names so far.

Bell says the cuts will continue until the end of November on a ‘building by building” basis.

When they inevitably fail as Radio/TY dilettantes and the stock goes down and they sell the “properties” at a loss, I hope those oh-so-precious-shareholders treat them with the same ISIS sadism.

Some say that people like me spend all our time mourning the “good old days”. Yes, I do. And how are “the good new days” workin’ for ya? Oh… you say you’re not working? Hmmmm.

(Waits for stereotypical pot shots.)

Hello, and yes I have been retired.
Sooner than I had hoped , but I have no complaint about how the company handled this.
After 43 years in the business I have worked with a myriad of people, have helped many others in their careers , and have also benefited from their work.
My heart goes out to the others who have been cut, and I wish them the best

@ Dave

Very classy.

Dave, all the best in your new found freedom. 43 years is a damn fine run… It was a pleasure working with you all those many years ago!
Wayne.

When will these broadcasters start investing in their product rather than cutting costs? Was a winning baseball or hockey team ever built by cutting the player payroll? And if they keep cutting the veterans who’s left to train the sqeaky little voices coming out of BCIT?

Dave, it has been many years since we both worked evenings at CKIQ in Kelowna. You are a survivor in this business due to your work ethic and adaptability. I’m sure the future will be bright for you no matter which road you choose. All the best…
Chris

Dave – you were a great add to every newsroom you were in. Take comfort in the fact that you had a fantastic career – and Julie and I wish you the best. I admired your nose for news and your tireless effort to get it ‘right’.

Best always, Big D~

TJ

We didn’t work together Dave but I can see from your comments above that you are a class act. And, let’s face it, 43 years is nothing to sneeze at!

Big, high-profile layoffs at CTV Vancouver today.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ctv-co-anchor-cfra-staff-laid-off-in-bell-media-job-cuts

Jeff Paterson of TSN 1040 announced via his Twitter @patersonjeff that he’s been let go by Bell.

Same goes for Matt Baker of TSN 1040.

I heard CTV Meteorologist Michael Kuss and long time Sports director Perry Solkowski as well as two beat reporters who have not been identified were also let go today.

Reporters Lisa Rossington and Peter Grainger, along with a couple ENG cameramen, mic truck op, and lots of other support staff. Also AE Len Catling and a few other producers. More cuts to come…

Unsure what has happened in Kelowna for Bell…

I have an friend who works in radio. A couple of time I told them they worked in the worst business. They were let go and from what I as told, it seemed once a certain salary level was attained, you’re on the chopping block. A rare few would stay around, but eventually they’d be gone too.
Then the bean counters would hire newbies at $10.50 per hour and wonder where all the ad revenue went. It’s like the bosses have never heard of “you get what you paid for”

Yikes this is looking grim

Dave, you’re a total pro and a good guy – and you will be missed.
You were great to work with those many years ago at CKVU
Hope you enjoy your freedom

Wow, I am sad to see Jeff Paterson of TSN 1040 get the pink slip. I have shifted most of my listening from CKNW and CBC-AM over to TSN 1040 because of the on-air talents of people like Jeff. Canuck broadcasts will simply never be the same.

Let’s hope that this provides an opportunity for something better for all who have lost their positions.

The layoffs were a complete ruse by Bell.

What will happen is that Bell will probably rehire 300 or more greenhorns, straight out of school, to replace all the veterans that they fired, over the next several years.

Why pay someone $ 60,000 to $ 100,000 a year to report the news or sports, when $ 30,000 will be ample.

The sad part about all of this is that Bell actually made money in 2014.

This wasn’t a cost cutting measure. It was designed to fatten the dividends of the greedy shareholders.

I will miss, in particular, Jeff Paterson’s excellent reporting of the BCHL hockey league for Team 1040.

Jeff Paterson did some excellent, hockey radio profiles of many up and coming junior hockey players and coaching talent here in British Columbia, over the last few years.

Shaw TV doesn’t really have the same comittment to sports journalism. Shaw is good for making money for themselves, but not so good for training industry people to a high standard.

The BCHL has been losing money for years and many of their play by play announcers are greenhorns and not that skilled in interviewing techniques. Patterson’s work , therefore, filled a very important void and will be missed.

I will also miss Micheal Landesberg’s excellent, long running interview show.

These individuals should be snapped up by the competition in a heartbeat. maybe CBC ?

The whole broadcast media has decimated sports journalism for many years now.

It’s interesting how the sports department of every Canadian city is always the first to get cut whenever cutbacks happen.

I predict that more industry cutbacks and layoffs will happen, until the only market left stocked with a full cadre of local reporters and staff will be Toronto.

Large urban cities, like Calgary, Winnipeg, and even Vancouver, will likely be gutted by the Toronto head office for everything, including anchors, producers, writers, cameramen, and
other lackies.

Have you seen the want ads on Milkman Unlimited, lately, for radio news reporters ?

The ads require one person to provide local news at multiple radio stations within each chain, so that there is less and less local produced news, every year.

There is more recycled news, now. More Canadian press “rip and read” news summaries that feature the largest cities in that province and their news ?

In B.C. for example, crime and traffic stories from Vancouver and Surrey, are often read or posted on-line in smaller British Columbia markets.

Do people living in smaller BC, markets actually give a shit about your big city slop.

No, we do not !

Don’t laugh, but on some days, we rural British Columbians will hear of traffic stories from Toronto and the 401 highway, being regurgitated here in our province. LOL

Meanwhile, the news director at every radio station will be laden with so much responsibility, that the news director will be fucking beat after their 8 hour shift.

Good luck getting time off !

The only way to get time off will be to quit and leave the business.

Good luck, suckers ! LOL

This is one of the reasons so many people have left the industry all together – -no job security.. one minute you have a job, the next you’re gone! Yet all the broadcasting schools seem not to notice and keep churning out students – do they teach you what to do if you get fired/laid off?

It’s a sad day when colleagues you work with get laid off.. can’t be good for morale either.. real shame about Kuss – I think he was the best meteorologist in the city, partly because he actually loves the weather and enjoys talking about it! I hope they all land on their feet – – wouldn’t be overly surprised to see any of those let go will show up at another station in the city — that’s usually what ends up happening right?

All the best to Dave Biro and the others who have lost their jobs. It’s a crazy industry in a state of flux. There will be many nervous TV and radio broadcasters wondering when the axe will fall again.

These firings should surprise no one. It’s a regular occurrence in Big Media, from Rogers to Corus SHAW to Bell. I’ve been a victim on two occasions. And it sucks.

Talent will find new homes.

Seeing what happens with Baker and Mitchell will be interesting. Those jobs don’t exist anymore.

I don’t know what Roundhouse Radio is offering in terms of sports but I just don’t see those two resurfacing at a Vancouver station, unless CKNW relaunches a sports department.

Bell as a whole may be making a profit, but most of the local TV stations are in the red. I’m surprised the folks at the Victoria station can hold it together mentally. That place must have had the most rounds of cuts in the last dozen years. In Vancouver it was just a matter of time. Had they had any layoffs since the 2010 Olympics?

This is indeed very sad for some great people and the timing is terrible too. I think something TV really needs to ponder is the traditional morning, 6pm and evening cast. Ask anybody under 30, including future Dr’s, lawyers and Engineers if they watch TV news. Where do the future movers and shakers get their news, weather and sports from? Guess what…it’s not from TV newscasts.

I went to journalism school in 2005 and regretted it. Even ten years ago, the big media companies in Canada were cutting staff constantly. Its difficult to enter a field where you’re not sure how long you will last.

Sad day for the Vancouver media scene. Some great on-air and on-screen talent gone, same with behind the scenes people.

Let’s not forget the national scene. Dan Matheson from CTV Newsnet for one.

I may be one of those shareholders, so…

I certainly wouldn’t feel safe knowing there are lots of ‘automation’ opportunities in the Vancouver/Victoria TV newsrooms. Seems to be more cost savings have one editorial team running both… look what Global did with their control rooms, etc.

Did you know that Bell, is in the top 100 employers list for 2015. Makes no sense.

Kuss is tweeting tonight that he’s joining Global.

Bell is a terrible company to deal with, rotten customer service, so it stand to reason that they would treat long time staff the same way. We should let all the companies that support Bell with their ads that we will deal elsewhere.