Last night I tried to watch the A-Channel evening news, and all I found was some stupid stand-up comedy show. Uh-oh.
I had heard on the radio news in the car that CTV-GlobeMedia, which owns A-Channel Ottawa, was doing some pretty drastic cutting at its stations across Canada. 34 jobs lost in Ottawa alone, including on-air personality Karen Solomon, who I've enjoyed for years on the morning show. I'm really sorry to see her leave. I knew to expect some changes, but I was shocked to discover that they've completely cancelled their evening and weekend newscasts. That's radical!
I'm troubled by these cuts as they're a reflection of how deeply traditional media are being hurt by the Internet. This current recession/depression/economic catastrophe is just the trigger that is just hurrying what would have happened eventually anyway. The newspaper industry is bleeding people and papers are shutting down all over the place. It's really scary to work in this business these days.
I guess I never thought that television news would be affected too, but really, I should have expected it. News is news, and people tend to get their news where it's most convenient for them. And "them" in this case means the majority, of course. Profitable businesses don't stay profitable by catering to the minority.
Sadly for myself and everyone else in the news business, most people are turning to the Internet for their news these days. It's free, it's instant, it doesn't get black ink all over your fingers and your nice white tablecloth. Even so, I think it'll be a generation or two before people let go of the quickly-becoming-nostalgic pleasure of relaxing with a coffee and a newspaper.
And the shrinking of the news industry is bad news for all of us. It means fewer perspectives, fewer sources of information, and much more risk of giant corporations controlling the the flow of and, worse, the content of what news they deem fit to share and what they deem fit to suppress. Giant media companies are literally digging their own graves by cutting sources of local and national news because the bloggers and citizen journalists are all out there just drooling for the chance to break any story that the big dogs don't think is worth the airtime or the column inches.
As for the A-Channel layoffs, I was relieved to see that Kurt Stoodley survived the cuts. I like him...he's a goofball, but he makes me laugh. What I was dismayed to see was that they cut Karen Solomon and kept Bill Welychka. Bad choice. Welychka is an annoying, pompous little twit who makes me want to turn the channel every time he's on the air. He acts like he's too intelligent and sophisticated to do the weather, and he comes off like he's doing a never-ending screen test to be the next superstar anchorman. Earth to Welychka...the ground is down here...it's just the weather, dude, relax.
18 comments:
I totally agree that Karen's departure was a shame and a surprise. They even kept that strangoid LIanne Laing on the show. What's up with that? I can never understand her as she talks so quickly. Nervous much?
Someone needs to start a "bring back Karen" campaign.
Good idea! Maybe YOU should do that! *grin*
They got rid of Ken Evraire and Doug Hempstead from on-air staff too, I see. Shame. It's a shame about ALL the people who lost their jobs. It's not like there are dozens of other TV stations to go to in this town. We'll probably wind up losing most of that talent to other cities.
I agree. Bring back Karen. They just lost a morning viewer.
I agree! Bring Karen back! I am very sad for everyone who lost their jobs. But I am really surprised with the choices of cuts they made. Kurt and Karen were a team, why get rid of Karen and keep Lianne. It doesn't make sense. I also can not stand Bill Welychka and not to mention Sandra Blaiki, what a fake she is. She looks so uptight and looks like she is trying so hard to smile while she's talking. I've crossed paths with her in the marker and she doesn not look like a friendly person at all.
I don't know who's in charge but I think they are really stupid for extended the morning show when most people work at that time. If anything, they should have cut the morning show a little earlier and at least keep the 6pm news. It's the same amount of hours on air and they sure have enough staff. There are just way too many people on the morning show the way it is now.
Miss you Karen!
I am appauled that A Channel would cut Karen Solomon from their broadcast. Karen teamed up extraordinarily well with Kurt an Lianne is outstanding as weather. Bringing in Bill "the weatherman" and Sandra "the anchor" does not work. Both Bill & Sandra clearly do not exude the charm that Karen displayed. Get rid of Sandra -replace her with Karen and send Bill packing, putting Lianne back with weather. Times are tough "A" Channel but you've overreacted and made a very poor staffing decision which all of Ottawa is stuck with! Reverse these inappropriate decisions and get KAREN back!!!
John
I fully agree. Bill Welychka and Sandra Blaiki look totally out of place as part of the "team". The morning show had a friendly down-to-earth appeal and that is why it's ratings were better than the rest but both Bill and Sandra stick out like sore thumbs and have changed the dynamics and the appeal of the morning show. Bring back Karen before the ratings dip dramatically.
They've lost a morning viewer as well. If I see it on the TV in the customer lounge room where I work I will turn the channel to CANADA AM now. They let all the great people go and kept the crap. Way to go "A" maybe in six months there wont be a station because of your crappy format due to lost viewers.
Bye Bye...
My wife and I agree, Karen is more talented then Kurt. That guy Bill is either a moron or drinking too much in the evenings. I cant stand Lianne with that voice. Who made those stupid decisions?
Living now in Toronto, I just, today, heard the news of the cutbacks at A Channel. I watched this show faithfully when I lived in Ottawa.
I agree with everyone's comments...bring Karen back!! I recall watching the evening news with Bill and Sandra and I was wondering when they were going to just start making out they had them so close together...talk about in the personal zone! They don't belong in morning news....and what happened to Taz? Does ANYONE know? She's been gone for a while.
I also agree, bring Karen back and get rid of Liane or put her back on the weather she was good at - even better than Bill. Kurt and Karen were a good team.
As for Sandra and Bill they do not fit in the Morning show. There is now too many people doing what Kurt and Karen were doing quite well together.
I just got back from an extended holiday and was shocked to hear of the changes at A Channel New. Can someone tell me why that annoyong Liane Lang was kept and Karen Solomon was let go??? I will never understand that. She and Kurt had a wonderful presence together, with Liane, he seems almost uncomfortable. I totally agree, Sandra and the super annoying Bill do not fit into the morning show. They have got to go! I find myself difting from channel to channel now in the mornings, even heading towards U.S. news. Whoever made the choices at A Channel about all these changes messed up BIGTIME!
It's a shame...maybe they should listen to what the public has to say
I have the same thoughts as everyone else on here. Get Karen back and get rid of Bill and Sandra - they don't fit in as well with the Morning Show team. Put Lianne back on weather, and get Karen back. Karen, Kurt and Angie belong together - they work well together.
I agree with all the above comments. Kurt and Karen were quite a team. Next time the head honcho wants to shake things up they should consult with viewers.
Karen Solomon really gave a sense of calm to that show. I don't mind Bill or Sandra. I like Kurt (he looks like Fred Flintstone in a cute way). I like Angie.
I know that Liane Laing had more seniority, but she acts like a very dumb jock and her shoulders are wider than Bill and Kurt's put together. I have a wide-screen tv but she takes up too much of it. She wears clothes that are too low-cut, too small and cheap looking. Maybe if I could understand what she says, but she mumbles and talks fast. Unattractive and boring. The owners must want an excuse to shut it down altogether. Ugh.
Karen was the most no talent I have ever seen and I have travelled, she was annoying, her hair was so outdated and she was the most ignorant uneducated twit on TV, no loss, remember it was reported it was the numbers, in other words her numbers suck and really you can see why. Her remarks on things were so off the mark and insulting to most. Good Ridance to a waste of skin
How did Lianne Lang keep her job and Karen lose hers. Oh ya, isn't her husband one of the bosses. Lianne does not have the personality for this show. Watch her body language and listen to her subtle comments. She looks down at everyone and gives the impression the she is better than them and that they are wasting her time. Swap her for Karen or Angie.
Liane Lang looks like a foot. Dumb as dirt with the personality of a doornail. Obviously they lost a LOT of viewers with that useless tool on there.
The sad part is... our society pays a lot of money to the retarded in-bred pieces of crap.
Yes, I have to agree with most of the comments. Why is Lianne Laing better known as Mr. Ed still on TV.
Get rid of her.
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