- Send a fax to Ivan Fecan to protest this decision.
Judy Darcy, National President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), called on the CRTC to immediately intervene to stop CTV from closing stations in Northern Ontario. CUPE represents seven of the forty news staff that lost their jobs last week.
CTV is abusing its corporate privilege and its promise to northern Canadians to serve their community needs and interests. CTV holds the monopoly on news coverage in the north. The CRTC just renewed their broadcast license because of support from the people and community organizations in Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins and North Bay. This is a slap in the face of all northerners, said Ms. Darcy.
The people of Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay and Timmins have every right to be furious. Their democratic rights are being eroded by the corporate media monopoly denying them access to reliable and representative local media outlets. Northern issues cannot be adequately covered from a city far away. These local media outlets serve a critical right of citizenship in remote communities of Canada.
The CRTC is there to protect the interests of Canadians. We call on them to protect the interests of Northern Canadians and make CTV reverse its decision to cut news coverage in Northern Ontario, she said.
CUPE is Canadas largest union, and represents seven reporters in Northern Ontario who lost their jobs last week.
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For more information:
Laurie Kingston, (613) 266-1415 (cell.)