Canadian News Will Die if Private Networks Disappear, Bell CEO Warns

Bell Canada’s top boss is raising the alarm that Canadian news could disappear if the country’s private networks fail. CEO Mirko Bibic told the House of Commons Heritage Committee during April 11 testimony his company has lost more than $100 million in television advertising revenues as more people switch to digital formats. Mr. Bibic was called to respond to MPs questions on Bell’s recent layoffs of thousands of employees, as first reported by Blacklock’s. In February, the company announced plans to cut 9 percent of its workforce—4,800 jobs—and sell 45 of its 103 regional radio stations across the country. “Without a Canadian broadcasting system, there will be no news except maybe the CBC,” he told the committee and added, “We need to figure out how to keep Canadian news alive.”...