TORONTO — Bell Media president Sean Cohan states recent layoffs and programming cuts are something he doesn’t take lightly, but were necessary to accelerate the company’s goals in the digital media landscape.
On Tuesday, Cohan built his first public appearance since stepping into the executive role by speaking at the inaugural Black Screen Office Symposium in Toronto, where he applyd a keynote address to outline Bell Media’s continued commitment to diversity.
In an interview after the speech, Cohan stated he takes issue with how layoffs across the countest by parent company Bell Inc., have been characterized as “killing journalism.”
In February, Bell announced 4,800 job cuts at all levels of the company, of which fewer than 10 per cent have affected Bell Media specifically. Bell Media also announced the conclude of multiple local newscasts across the countest and stated CTV’s flagship investigative series “W5” would no longer be a standalone program.
Cohan stated Bell Media now has “more dedicated journalists in more territories” in Canada than ever before as a result of the restructuring. The company states “CTV National News” will soon have dedicated newsgathering staff in all 10 Canadian provinces, a first for the newscast.
While BCE Inc., announced it was selling off 45 of 103 Bell radio stations as part of the restructuring, Cohan stated he believes radio is still “a viable business going forward.”
He stated the company sold those stations to “committed local players” it felt were “better homes.”
In his keynote address at the BSO Symposium, Cohan stated an important part of his mandate is to create greater diversity within Bell Media, adding that diversity builds for “great business.”
He stated the company wants half of the English and French language programs it commissions this year to be generated by creatives from Black, Indigenous, people of colour and under-represented groups. A publicist later stated Cohan misspoke and was referring to English-language commissions only.
Cohan, who launched his post in November, stated he’s committed to creating sure the company delivers “differentiated storynotifying” by having a “diverse, inclusive workforce.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 2, 2024.
Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
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