Latest news with #PattisonMedia
CBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CBC
'Terrible for the community': Medicine Hat's CHAT-TV shuts down after nearly 70 years
A southern Alberta television station is going off the air after nearly seven decades, the parent company said Tuesday in a statement. "It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closure of CHAT-TV, a trusted local television station that has served the Medicine Hat community for the past 68 years," Pattison Media said in a post published on Chat News Today. The Kamloops, B.C.-based media company cited operational losses, economic pressures, and reduced support for local television as the main reasons for the closure, while expressing regret. "We've tried to hang on as long as we possibly could," Pattison Media president Rod Schween told CBC News in a phone interview Tuesday. "Revenue here has been very challenging for a long period of time and COVID only made that worse." Schween said the writing was on the wall some time ago. "We made a decision a couple of years ago to keep going, to give it a little more time to see if it would turn around but we just don't see where this operation would ever get back to even a break even standpoint, never mind something we thought was viable in the long run." 'The community suffers' The chair of Mount Royal University's broadcasting and journalism program said this is just another blow for local news. "Every time a community loses yet another local news outlet, the community suffers," Sally Haney told CBC News. "We know that communities rely on those local reporters to attend city hall, report on the goings-on of the community, and hold local politicians to account. When we see yet another local news outlet shuttered, it is terrible for the community itself." She said local bloggers and news startups can sometimes help fill the gap, but it's just not the same as having a newsroom of journalists and editors. "We've seen the local news deserts expand over the last number of years. Researchers are tracking these gaps and they just continue to grow," she explained. "We know that democracies suffer when strong journalism outlets are shuttered. Who is covering the community? Who is going to city hall? Who is understanding the impacts of budget cutbacks on health, on city infrastructure?"
Cision Canada
5 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
Closure of CHAT-TV a loss for local journalism and Canadian media workers
MEDICINE HAT, AB, June 3, 2025 /CNW/ - The sudden closure of CHAT-TV in Medicine Hat, Alberta has resulted in the layoff of 16 Unifor media workers and the end of nearly seven decades of trusted local news programming. "The shuttering of CHAT-TV is not just the end of a station—it's the loss of a legacy in Canadian news," said Unifor National President Lana Payne. "At a time when disinformation spreads faster than facts and our sovereignty is challenged by foreign media dominance, we must act now. Canadian journalism is worth saving. We need immediate investment in local newsrooms—not more cuts." The decision by Pattison Media to shutter operations, effective immediately, is the latest blow to Canadian journalism and underscores a crisis that continues to deepen in communities across the country. "This is about more than job loss—it's about the disappearance of our local voice and the stories that bind our communities," said Unifor Local 1010 President Andrew Parry. "For generations, CHAT-TV told the stories of Medicine Hat. The closure leaves a dangerous void and risks turning our city into another news desert where critical local coverage is simply no longer available." The shutdown comes after efforts by Pattison Media to streamline operations and cut costs. The company cited insurmountable financial pressures and the erosion of advertising revenue for local TV as key factors in the decision. CHAT-TV has served Medicine Hat for 68 years, offering local news, weather, and sports, and providing a platform for community connection. The loss of this station is not just a blow to the workers who have dedicated their careers to public service journalism—it is a significant step backward for democratic accountability and media diversity in Canada. Unifor continues to advocate for structural reforms to ensure the survival of Canadian journalism. The union has called on the federal government to implement and enforce stronger provisions in the Online Streaming Act that would require foreign streamers operating in Canada to contribute to local news production, just as domestic broadcasters must. Increased sustainable funding for dedicated news funds remain essential to secure the future of local journalism. "The closure of CHAT-TV is heartbreaking, but it's not an isolated case. This is happening in community after community," added Payne. "If we continue to lose local news, we lose a cornerstone of democracy." Unifor represents more than 10,000 media workers across Canada, including journalists and broadcast technicians who work daily to inform, educate, and empower their communities. Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Closure of CHAT-TV a loss for local journalism and Canadian media workers
MEDICINE HAT, AB, June 3, 2025 /CNW/ - The sudden closure of CHAT-TV in Medicine Hat, Alberta has resulted in the layoff of 16 Unifor media workers and the end of nearly seven decades of trusted local news programming. "The shuttering of CHAT-TV is not just the end of a station—it's the loss of a legacy in Canadian news," said Unifor National President Lana Payne. "At a time when disinformation spreads faster than facts and our sovereignty is challenged by foreign media dominance, we must act now. Canadian journalism is worth saving. We need immediate investment in local newsrooms—not more cuts." The decision by Pattison Media to shutter operations, effective immediately, is the latest blow to Canadian journalism and underscores a crisis that continues to deepen in communities across the country. "This is about more than job loss—it's about the disappearance of our local voice and the stories that bind our communities," said Unifor Local 1010 President Andrew Parry. "For generations, CHAT-TV told the stories of Medicine Hat. The closure leaves a dangerous void and risks turning our city into another news desert where critical local coverage is simply no longer available." The shutdown comes after efforts by Pattison Media to streamline operations and cut costs. The company cited insurmountable financial pressures and the erosion of advertising revenue for local TV as key factors in the decision. CHAT-TV has served Medicine Hat for 68 years, offering local news, weather, and sports, and providing a platform for community connection. The loss of this station is not just a blow to the workers who have dedicated their careers to public service journalism—it is a significant step backward for democratic accountability and media diversity in Canada. Unifor continues to advocate for structural reforms to ensure the survival of Canadian journalism. The union has called on the federal government to implement and enforce stronger provisions in the Online Streaming Act that would require foreign streamers operating in Canada to contribute to local news production, just as domestic broadcasters must. Increased sustainable funding for dedicated news funds remain essential to secure the future of local journalism. "The closure of CHAT-TV is heartbreaking, but it's not an isolated case. This is happening in community after community," added Payne. "If we continue to lose local news, we lose a cornerstone of democracy." Unifor represents more than 10,000 media workers across Canada, including journalists and broadcast technicians who work daily to inform, educate, and empower their communities. Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad and strives to create progressive change for a better future. SOURCE Unifor View original content to download multimedia: Sign in to access your portfolio
