Another casualty with Bell Media on Vancouver Island is Bruce Williams.
Williams joined the station when it was first known as the New VI, as a weatherman back in 2001. In recent years, Bruce was promoted to the position of Manager-Community and Client Relations at CTV Vancouver Island
According to an inside source, Bruce was part of a corporate downsizing, nothing more, nothing less.
Worked with Bruce,
Here in London.
He is a great talent and a true professional.
The same thing happened to me, with Bell Media (CJBK) after 40 years.
Bruce, thinking of you ,
and Stay Strong!
Why would anyone work for Bell or Rogers. When you make a certain $$$ amount they “get rid of you.” I would not get into the media industry, not a very safe profession. And then again…what is now a days?
Sorry to hear this. I worked with Bruce there
He is a great guy, a straight shooter and very talented.
Wishing him the best.
It’s a sad day for Vancouver Island. Bruce set a standard for media professionalism in live, radio and television. I look forward to seeing what’s in store next for Mr. Williams.
This shouldn’t come as a shock to any media-type who’s been paying attention for the last decade. Corporate media ‘restructuring’ has been in overdrive since just after the 2008 financial meltdown. The main criteria? Salaries, age, pensions. Forget talent, loyalty or the listening/viewing audiences. Bean-counters and shareholders are all that matter, as most senior management media honchos maintain their lucrative gigs. Good luck Bruce.
Bruce, I always admired your work, as did your many viewers over the years. Live Radio and Television is a tough gig, you made it look easy….and that’s the sign of a true talent.
All the best.
The number of people who have been helped, and organizations and causes on Vancouver Island that have been supported by Bruce Williams is too long to list here. Bruce is a tireless community supporter, and has been since arriving on Vancouver Island when The New VI signed on in 2001, Even though we were then competitors, he was gracious, hosting me and RTDNA colleague Terry Scott on ‘New Day’, early in its run from Nanaimo, (By the way, the Harbour City has never had a more passionate booster.) Three years later we began working together, continuing for nearly a decade, and I am grateful for the experience. Enjoy whatever comes next, my friend, after you take a little time to relax.
Sorry to hear Bruce. All the best to you. Just curious, who is left there?
[Quote] According to an inside source, Bruce was part of a corporate downsizing, nothing more, nothing less.[endQuote]
You can paint it anyway you want, the fact is, Mr. Williams was Fired!
Sorry to hear another great media personality FIRED by Bell Media.
Bruce… wishing you all the best. You are a great asset to the community and I look forward to hearing about your next gig.
I too am sorry to hear about another talented individual going down the road.
Based on some of the commenters I see signing in here I think there may be a braintrust forming to be proud Canadian inventors of whats next for broadcasting.
Subscription news and weather written and voiced by the talent in here perhaps.
When the suits are the only ones left as employees, the business is effectively dead – I said that.
Onward gentlemen!
Not being employed in any media capacity I find PSR site very informative. It certainly has become apparent that the people that run these outlets (TV and radio) dont give a rats — about their audiences or the talented people that bring in viewers or listeners.
Its maddening that as a consumers our opinions are not worth squat. I suppose when the bean counters have only themselves left to terminate they might catch on.
A community chameleon like no other!
I have never seen a person immerse themselves so deeply, so devotedly as Bruce. He truly loves to ‘build’ his home town (be it Kitchener, London, Windsor or on Vancouver Island) into the best it can be.
Like a couple of other posters here, I too am a Bell casualty.
Worked with Bruce in London (on New Day) – we even shared the same home address for a few years – here’s to 526 Bruce!
The Island may have lost its greatest ambassador, on the air-waves (for now), but I’m sure it will keep its adopted son … and be all the better for it.
The news is shocking though; I mean, my cell phone bill must have been enough to cover his salary!
All the best buddy!!!
I was just thinking of Foodie Fridays, hmm haven’t seen it for a while. I wondered what happened to Mr. W. I don’t know him well enough to use his first name. I hope he finds a way to get back in the public’s eye and give one to his former employers at the same time.
Well, just like anything big media, their reckoning will come in the way of subscribers, which, it already is. Netflix is my king, Koodo my phone provider, and Teksavvy my internet provider. Anything Bell and Rogers can suck the portion of my paycheque they will never see again. Bruce, my name is an alias, but my sentiments are true – you are a good person and was a pleasure to work with. In the end, you win.
And this is exactly why I stopped listening to CFAX. Too many good people being let go all in the name of the bottom line and not a care for the community they serve as long as they can suck out advertising revenue to keep head office happy
Good luck Bruce in what ever you end up doing and thanks for the valuable community contributions you made.
What a shame letting Bruce go.
He was such a hard worker!
He’d do anything for that station!
He was so loyal to CTV.
We sure miss him.
We wish him well.
I knew Bruce in Windsor back around 2000. Great on air talent and a great guy. I just now (Dec. 2020) saw this story. I was trying to track him down…Googled…ended up here. Big media corps like Bell. just don’t SEE talent or loyalty. If it looks like they can replace good people…they do. So glad I was in radio late 60s til about 2007. Radio was fun…featured people who gave a damn and had talent. Now it’s all voice tracked, computerized C R A P !!
Should Bruce actually see this…I still have the NEW WI brief case you gave me. It seems to have outlasted us both.
Hi, everyone, just wondering whether this is THE Bruce Williams who was my neighbor on Pasadena Place, Seattle, and attended Latona Elementary 1956-1958.
TYVM!