MONTREAL – The union representing employees of three of TVA’s smaller-market TV stations sounded the alarm on Wednesday about a move by management that it says will result in pre-taped local newscasts and more regional editorial decisions being made in Montreal.
TVA is beginning the process of converting its local news broadcasts in Trois-Rivières, Rimouski, Sherbrooke and Saguenay to high definition (the latter isn't represented by the union). However, once that’s done, the technical production and directing of the newscasts will be done out of Montreal rather than the regional stations, the SCFP union says.
Trois-Rivières (CHEM-DT) will be the first to undergo the change, set for August, when it will lose five employees, the union said.
Eventually it, along with Rimouski (CFER-TV), Sherbrooke (CHLT-DT) and Saguenay (CJPM-DT) will have technical functions centralized. Quebec City (CFCM-DT) has already been upgraded to HD and will still be produced locally.
TVA also has affiliates in eastern and western Quebec, owned by Télé Inter-Rives and RNC Media, respectively. Those stations’ newscasts are produced by their indepenent owners.
In a statement responding to the union’s press conference, TVA denied that the changes will negatively affect local coverage. “Editorial choices, news gathering, editing and anchoring are jobs that will remain in the regions,” it said. “Only some control-room activities will be done out of Quebec City or Montreal.”
The network said the centralization of jobs is needed because of the investments being made to upgrade to high definition. “By doing this, TVA will preserve regional content and resources on the ground, while giving Quebecers a technology that the regions have long been waiting for.”
The centralization of technical functions is similar to what Global News began almost a decade ago, having local newscasts for its 12 stations produced out of four control centres. But while Global could take advantage of the fact that its stations spanned five time zones, TVA’s regional newscasts all air simultaneously at noon and 6 p.m.
This will mean having to pre-tape newscasts.
TVA did not deny this, but said “we will always retain the possibility to go live on each of our stations in cases of important last-minute news.” Global made a similar promise when it recently began pretaping and editing some local newscasts, and does have the ability to go live when required. Global’s new way of doing local news production, was a Cartt.ca exclusive feature earlier this year.
The four regional TVA stations are required by CRTC licence to produce five hours of local programming each week. TVA employs 225 people at those four stations.
