A Rogers Communications sign is marks the company's headquarters in Toronto, April 25, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Vincent Elkaim
May 30, 2013 - 7:56 AM
TORONTO - Rogers Communications has axed its all-news CityNews Channel in Toronto and is cutting production in some areas of its OMNI Television operations.
A source with the company says the actions, which were abruptly announced this morning, have "impacted" 23 full-time positions at CityNews Channel and 39 full-time positions at OMNI Television.
In a memo to employees obtained by The Canadian Press, Scott Moore, the president of broadcast at Rogers Media, says operations at CityNews Channel have ceased, "effective immediately."
He says the action was taken to reflect evolving viewer habits and the "global structural shift in advertising."
Moore also announced changes at Rogers' OMNI Television, which focuses on multicultural programing.
He says OMNI's production operations in Alberta have ended and the broadcaster's English-language South Asian newscast is no longer being offered.
Moore says Rogers remains committed to ethnic programming, but adds that the changes were made due to "the changing marketplace."
Moore says the changes impact 2.5 per cent of the company's broadcast workforce.
Viewers tuning in to CityNews Channel saw a note at the bottom of their screens saying "CITYNEWS CHANNEL is no longer available. Thank you to our loyal viewers."
Rogers had launched the channel in October, 2011.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013