CBC News says it’s adding up to 25 journalists in a dozen communities underserved by broadcast news outlets as part of its pledge to “address the gap” in areas where it does not have a presence.
The public broadcaster said the new positions – set to be early in the New Year – will be focused in Western Canada, while also introducing four new late night TV newscasts in Atlantic Canada, including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I., and Newfoundland and Labrador. Set to air nightly at 11 p.m. AT / 11:30 p.m. NT on CBC TV, CBC Gem and regional CBC streaming channels, those regions will also continue to receive weekend regional newscast, Atlantic Tonight, Saturdays at 7 p.m. AT / 7:30 p.m. NT and Sundays at 11 p.m. AT / 11:30 p.m. NT.
The announcement, which follows CRTC approval late last month of Google’s Online News Act commitment to compensate Canadian news organizations for use of their news content, builds on an expansion in 2022 to smaller cities like Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, Cranbrook, Nanaimo, and Kingston that saw 14 journalists hired.
The broadcaster has also expanded its offering of regionally tailored FAST channel streaming channels and podcasts.
Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Windsor, Ottawa, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and the North now have dedicated FAST channels featuring local news headlines, joining existing national, B.C. and Toronto channels.
Over the last few weeks, CBC News has also launched four new daily local podcasts – This is Vancouver, This is Manitoba, This is Toronto and This is Nova Scotia – joining previously-launched weekly podcasts for Vancouver Island, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatchewan, Ottawa, Montreal, and P.E.I.
“Canadians need trusted, local news more than ever,” said Brodie Fenlon, General Manager and Editor in Chief, CBC News. “We will continue to deliver on our strategy of investing in local journalism to better serve communities, particularly in underserved news markets across the country.”
