[HALIFAX, NS] — CBC in Nova Scotia has lost its network production studio in Halifax and a multimillion-dollar development project, but its woes may not be over yet.
Andrew Cochran, managing director, Maritimes, for CBC English Services, said early next week, the company will hear the impact the national cuts will have on programs and jobs in the region.
The public broadcaster expects to lay off more than 650 people over the next three years, with the majority let go this year, after the Conservatives axed 10 per cent of the broadcaster’s budget as part of a government-wide cost-cutting effort.
“Next week, what that means in the Maritimes and in Halifax is what we’ll be discussing,” said Cochran.
The multimillion-dollar redevelopment of the CBC building on Bell Road, which was to house the CBC’s online, radio and TV operations, is now cancelled, said Cochran.
He said all three divisions will still be coming under one roof, but will be moving to a leased space. Cochran said he expects the move to happen in about two years.
The CBC’s network production studio has been axed, said Cochran, and will be shut down when operations move to its new space. But all the locally produced shows, such as This Hour Has 22 Minutes, will still be made, he said.
“By not having the facility does not mean not having those programs,” said Cochran, noting that most CBC stations across the country do not have network production facilities.
Cochran said there are 13 jobs directly associated with the network studio, so when it shuts down, those positions will be cut.
