The announcement of 547 job cuts within the TVA group has caused consternation in the Quebec television industry.
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“Dark day at TVA. The media crisis is merciless. […] It is a real bomb that has just hit the media world,” summarized Sophie Thibault, who opened TVA Nouvelles on Thursday at 5 p.m.
At 6 p.m. she spoke of “a question of survival.”
“I’m overwhelmed,” said Stéphan Bureau, whose show Le monde à l’envers was canceled by TVA this summer due to budget constraints.
“It’s really a sad day,” said VLOG host Dominic Arpin, who has worked for TVA since the early 1990s.
“People who lose their jobs are more than just knowledge. They are friends. And there’s leaving the building [du boulevard de Maisonneuve] Also. It may seem absurd, but we are attached to our jobs. It’s a bit sad. My condolences go out to my colleagues who are losing their jobs.”
“Big challenges”
Other TVA leaders were quick to express support for those who will lose their jobs and those who will remain.
“Yes n! A hard day for us at TVA. To my morning friends, great challenges await us. Courage! I’m thinking of us. I’m thinking of you,” Salut Bonjour presenter Gino Chouinard said on his Facebook page .
“My heart goes out to my 547 colleagues who learned today that they will lose their jobs at TVA. Passionate, brave people facing a worrying void. I hold you close, each of you. Let’s support our media in Quebec,” added culture columnist Annie-Soleil Proteau.
“With all my heart with my colleagues at TVA,” wrote producer Jean-Philippe Dion (La vérité nature, Star Académie, Sortez-moi d’ici).
Hold on to the positive
As a first move, TVA Group announced that it is exiting its internal entertainment content production activities. The three entertainment programs currently produced in-house, “Le Cheur”, “La Poule aux vins d’or” and “VLOG”, are therefore entrusted to external producers.
However, TVA will continue to produce the Salut Bonjour and Salut Bonjour Week-end service programs internally, as well as certain TVA sports channel programs.
Moved by the announcement, Dominic Arpin nevertheless said he was reassured to know that VLOG was still among the shows that would continue to air.
“What I understand is that the show would be renewed but now produced externally. I’m trying to cling to the positive on this day that doesn’t have much to offer.”
– In collaboration with Sarah-Émilie Nault, Maxime Demers and Bruno Lapointe