Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 30, 2000, Winnipeg, Manitoba Win nip May 2000 local supper newscast put on a diet 24hours spared but it must trim Down by Bud Robertson and Brad Oswald an air of uncertainty permeated the abcs downtown Winnipeg broadcasting Centre yesterday As news arrived that local supper hour newscasts will be spared but Short ened by 30 there Are mixed feelings said one member of the 24hours newsroom who asked to remain i think the Overall sense in Here is Public support to save the local news casts has helped boost morale in the he adding that while staff have been told to expect there Are some vacant which could help reduce the number of people who Are let i think were All Happy that were Sav ing our he Csc president Robert Rabinovitch announced yesterday that the corporations regional supper hour newscasts will be but revamped to provide 30 minutes of local news and 30 minutes of National As late night regional newscasts will be we Are a the Csc pres ident a lot of people were concerned that if the supper hour disappeared off the the general Quality would go Rabinovitch comment is particularly appropriate in relation to the Winnipeg to where abcs 24hours has been successful in terms of both sub stance and the most recent figures released by the Bureau of broadcast measurement show Csc remaining the second most watched newscast in the Central Market Jeff de body Winnipeg free press Csc regional director Jane Chalmers in an optimistic i see a Light for All of across the Winnipeg attracting View ers in comparison to for for global and for Achan while the workforce will be no numbers or time Frame were Avail Able there Are 125 English television employees at Csc including sales and its a huge said Csc regional director Jane who spent the Day talking to staff in Manitoba and rumours had been swirling that the corporation planned to Cut local news programs Chalmers said she intends to keep staff abreast of details of the plan As they unfold Over the next several she added she sees this As an Opportunity for the Csc to emphasize its roots As a Public broadcaster and distinguish itself through Quality in an optimistic said i see a Light for All of across the Union leaders had mixed morale is being said Leo regional president of the Cana Dian Media which represents about 110 employees in from Nair personalities to writers and pro the Union plans to meet later with representatives from the corporation to Dis cuss the impending said in the he the Union is pressing the Csc to free up some of the tied up in pension plan sur pluses to boost Severance packages for those who will receive Pink Dufault said Hes glad the Csc brass finally sat up and listened to the Gail Vic president of Media for the Energy and paper workers Union of blasted the Csc for responding to Public concerns with unacceptable half Mea the Union represents about Csc technicians across today proposal continues a 15year legacy of killing the Csc by a thousand steadily taking away resources and making it less he this is not acceptable and we Hope canadians analysis political timing bad for changes did grit election Hopes spare Csc Wayne free press by Paul Samyn Ottawa the Radical surgery Csc president Robert Rabinovitch proposed would have Cut off one of English televisions key regional fortunately for abcs suppertime the pub Lic broadcaster got a Rabinovitch solution May have made sense for the Cash strapped corporation trying to survive in a multichannel overzealous but this was not the time for the Csc to take the knife to the suppertime backbench Liberal maps had kicked up a maritime Legislatures passed resolutions demanding local newscasts be and Loyal Csc viewers let Rabi Novitch know loud and Clear that he was out of tune with their perhaps we were a bit Rabinovitch said yesterday in announcing a new treatment has been approved by the abcs the limb Rabinovitch believed had atrophied will not be instead it will be Cut in half to 30 minutes from 60 the fact blood will still be spilled be confused with thinking that Rabinowitch got what he wanted in the defeat for Boss Rabinovitch clearly wanted the limb gone and even yesterday could not bring himself to utter a positive word about the regional choosing instead to say the Csc remains on its a defeat for said one High level government you could Tell by his body there was also the reality that Csc has no plans As to How these slimmed Down newscasts will what makes Rabinovitch defeat All the More interest ing and surprising is Ahjit he was just appointed to the Job by prime minister Jean Chretien and presumably had his but what Chretien May have told Rabinovitch last has Likely changed because of the governments election timetable and Chretien is banking on Atlantic Canada to pick up the seats he needs to win a third and Atlantic Canada and its lib eral maps were not pleased with Rabinovitch the fact a third of his Western maps All tune into Csc 24 hours May have also played a role in the but what also appears to be part of the equation is information which another Chretien appointment has Guylaine the chair woman of the abcs Saucier yesterday hinted the Chretien liberals May be ready to help Csc pay for local newscasts and National identity we May need some said whose Board refused to accept Rabinovitch surgical Saucier went on to say the Chretien governments Agenda will focus More and More on Canadian values and ways to promote National adding the Csc is one of the Best tools to do j am quite confident that in the our role is going 19 be at the forefront of the she its a remark despite its be overlooked in this decision and those lying ahead for the Csc As the liberals ready red Book i would be surprised if she was just winging that said Ian Morrison of friends of Canadian my information is that message came to her or the Board from the prime minis ters office that a great Deal of concern had been Gener ated and that this had become a political question that they the liberals did it want to get into election Agenda in Atlantic Csc staffers Greet announcement with Relief i think were All Happy were saving our will join us in sending that message to Csc management and members of Par cays news director said its too Early to viewership will be affected by Thev Hanges at its really hard to say what will Hap said Kelly it depends when the local portion of the show will and what the Content will look Chalmers said yesterday that the con figuration of the altered Csc newscast has not yet been sky program manager Tim Smith said its unlikely that any of the Asyet undefined changes to the local Csc news will affect the Way the privately owned stations cover Manitoba the Csc announcement comes at the same time that global to is redefining its approach to local news by introducing a website that augments its Nair Cov its going to be a integral part of our said global senior news Jon weve got web writers who Are solely dedicated to producing material for the web and theres going to be a convergence of Media and technology around the com if you dont have a web youre going to be left in the dust in the very near Chalmers said the reduction of Csc Manitoba local to news programming will not adversely affect its internet our View is that the Csc will be very she our goal will be to strengthen weve got a lot of different Content English and French to and radio that we can multipurpose and put on the the website is still a priority for editorial More old reruns a10 Tanaw Toohey Canadian press Rabinovitch announces changes at press conference changes in works abcs cos saving plans include i reducing regional supper hour news casts to 30 minutes from an hour and Cou pling them with a new half hour National newscast from a Central late night regional newscasts will be a revitalized 10 National flagship to be launched Early next i increasing noncommercial childrens and youth programming by on third to about 40 hours a beginning this i fewer especially on main news and current affairs a themed and hosted primetime sched for thursdays would be a night for High to counter such popular imported shows such Aser and i More Job with no numbers or time Frame Watne huh pm ii 24hours Banner on Csc building format of new show is up in lit in i inf mid wow ;