the latest update: Says they are not pulling the plug…
David Friend ,
The Canadian Press
Published Friday, December 11, 2015
TORONTO — Hamilton’s CHCH channel is cutting back on local news in an attempt to right its troubled finances.
The broadcaster broke into its regular news programming on Friday to announce the changes.
Romen Podzyhun, chief executive of CHCH’s parent company Channel Zero, told viewers the channel would not be airing its 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news broadcasts on Friday.
Podzyhun did not give a reason for the one day stoppage, but said the station would resume reduced local coverage on Monday.
He says CHCH will air fewer overall hours of news programming, but will be able to continue to deliver local stories to the community.
Unifor media sector director Howard Law told The Canadian Press that in a briefing with a lawyer for Channel Zero he was told CHCH was planning to reduce its local programming from 80 hours to 25 hours a week.
CHCH has been in operation since 1954, covering the Hamilton, Halton and Niagara region.
The channel has faced financial turbulence over the past decade. In 2009, Channel Zero snapped up CHCH-TV from struggling media giant Canwest Global Communications Corp., turning it into an over-the-air news station which aired older Hollywood movies in the evening.
The broadcaster broke into its regular news programming on Friday to announce the changes.
Romen Podzyhun, chief executive of CHCH’s parent company Channel Zero, told viewers the channel would not be airing its 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news broadcasts on Friday.
Podzyhun did not give a reason for the one day stoppage, but said the station would resume reduced local coverage on Monday.
He says CHCH will air fewer overall hours of news programming, but will be able to continue to deliver local stories to the community.
Unifor media sector director Howard Law told The Canadian Press that in a briefing with a lawyer for Channel Zero he was told CHCH was planning to reduce its local programming from 80 hours to 25 hours a week.
CHCH has been in operation since 1954, covering the Hamilton, Halton and Niagara region.
The channel has faced financial turbulence over the past decade. In 2009, Channel Zero snapped up CHCH-TV from struggling media giant Canwest Global Communications Corp., turning it into an over-the-air news station which aired older Hollywood movies in the evening.
Eventually that business model shifted to airing more popular TV shows alongside news programming.
The Hamilton Spectator
December 11, 2015
News staff at CHCH TV have learned their company is bankrupt and they will not be airing newscasts tonight and over the weekend.
Channel Zero chair Romen Podzyhun went on the air at 4 p.m. to tell viewers that familiar faces would return on Monday. He did not detail what changes would be happening.
As he was speaking, staff received an email telling them their employer, Channel 11 L.P. has declared bankruptcy, effective today.
Since a station on the fringes of the media capital of the country is apparently unable to make it in today’s advertising climate, what does that say for the chance of survival of CHEK in the comparative backwater of Victoria? According to The Spectator the two stations were the only independents left in Canada.
Yikes, sounds like the way they set it up was to dump everybody. Pay them a few weeks severance, go bankrupt, so no long term buyouts or pension liabilities. Then some other shell company hires back a portion of the staff, smaller wages most likely. Then back in business in a few days. It’s a new world order. I hope they can hang it.