Pierre Karl Péladeau Slams Ottawa as TVA Cuts 87 More Jobs Across Quebec
The situation at Groupe TVA has taken another hard hit. On Wednesday, the company announced yet another round of job cuts—this time affecting 87 positions across Quebec. These layoffs, which mainly target technical and operational staff in the television broadcasting sector, are part of a continuing struggle to keep the network financially afloat.
Most of the affected employees are based in Montréal, Saguenay, Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke, and Rimouski. Some of these regional stations, which once had several camera operators and editors, will now be left with only one after the holidays. Journalists are being told they’ll have to film, edit, and present their own stories—essentially taking on multiple roles just to keep local coverage alive. It’s a heavy blow to regional journalism, and many fear that the quality and depth of local reporting will inevitably suffer.
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The announcement comes amid mounting financial losses. TVA has accumulated more than 93 million dollars in losses since January 2022. The company attributes this decline mainly to a sharp drop in advertising revenue and what it calls the government’s lack of concrete support for private broadcasters.
Pierre Karl Péladeau, President and CEO of Québecor—the parent company of TVA—did not mince words in his response. In a strongly worded statement, he accused the federal government of “blindness” and unfair favoritism toward the public broadcaster, CBC/Radio-Canada. He argued that while private networks like TVA struggle to survive, CBC continues to receive generous financial support, including a fresh 150-million-dollar boost in the latest federal budget. “How long will CBC/Radio-Canada continue to benefit from ever-increasing, unconditional funding while directly competing with private broadcasters?” he asked pointedly.
Péladeau also renewed his call for broader tax credits and incentives for electronic media, similar to those already available to print journalism. His plea echoed that of Éric-Pierre Champagne, president of the Quebec Federation of Journalists, who agreed that digital outlets deserve equal treatment. Champagne also expressed deep concern about the impact of the layoffs, warning that overworked journalists in vast regions will find it nearly impossible to maintain the same standard of reporting.
The Quebec Minister of Culture and Communications, Mathieu Lacombe, described the cuts as a “symptom of a system in crisis.” He admitted that the media landscape needs a complete rethink—both at the provincial and federal levels—to find sustainable solutions.
Despite the grim news, Groupe TVA’s stock showed a modest rebound on the Toronto Stock Exchange, rising 16% to 64 cents per share. Still, behind the numbers lies a stark reality: nearly 800 jobs have been eliminated at TVA since 2023. As Canada’s media industry continues to shift under the weight of digital competition and lost ad dollars, one thing is clear—the survival of local news has never felt more uncertain.
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