Business
Private television under heavy pressure - TVA Group forced to make deep budget cuts
Private television under heavy pressure - TVA Group forced to make deep budget cuts ...
About this update from Tva Group, Inc. Class B
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\n\nPrivate television under heavy pressure - TVA Group forced to make deep budget cuts\n\n/* Style Definitions */\nspan.prnews_span\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\na.prnews_a\n{\ncolor:blue;\n}\nli.prnews_li\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\np.prnews_p\n{\nfont-size:0.62em;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\nmargin:0in;\n}\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCanada NewsWire\nMONTREAL, June 5, 2019\n\n\n\nMONTREAL, June 5, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - TVA Group has been forced to make deep budget cuts in order to reduce its operating expenses and has to eliminate 68 positions. The decision was made necessary by numerous unfair practices that have been undermining the television industry for years. It is the result of government inaction and the failure to modernize the system in order to keep businesses based in Quebec and the rest of Canada competitive. \n\"The status quo is crippling our industry, weakening our culture and driving us to the cliff's edge,\" says France Lauzière, President and CEO of TVA Group and Chief Content Officer of Quebecor Content. \"If we are to remain viable, we must make tough choices to protect the production of original French-language content in Quebec. To the TVA Group employees who unfortunately will be affected by the cuts, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your contribution over the years.\"\n\"We have said repeatedly that the situation is urgent. We hope the alarm we are sounding today will convince government and the CRTC to move quickly and take the necessary actions. Our industry can no longer bear the burden of our obsolete broadcasting industry's contradictions,\" Ms. Lauzière added. \nThe concrete actions that are urgently needed to support the television industry include the following: \nSubscription fees for specialty channels must be rebalanced on the basis of quantifiable, measurable criteria, instead of being based on historical rates that are no longer relevant. For example, it is unfair that with comparable program spending TVA Sports receives almost 40% less in subscription revenues than RDS CBC/Radio-Canada's mandate should be refocused to make its programming complementary to that of the private broadcasters. In tapping multiple new revenue streams such as TOU.TV EXTRA, and forming distribution partnerships with other broad...