Layoffs set to trim Global Okanagan news

After some speculation, it appears the axe has fallen at the Global Okanagan news bureau in Kelowna. Early this week, Corus Entertainment, which owns Global News, announced major cuts across the country with about 300 job losses by the end of August. A Corus spokesperson told iNFOnews.ca that the company had "reimagined" its broadcast schedule in Kelowna "with a focus on supper hour and late-night weekday news programming." It's unclear what the change will look like at Global Okanagan but sources told iNFOnews.ca there will be layoffs in Kelowna. Corus said it wasn't closing the Kelowna news bureau saying it will "continue to have news gathering in Kelowna." "Additionally, our local online team will now operate under a new model to better support local breaking news," Corus said. READ MORE: JONESIE: How Canadian news became victims in its own story https://infotel.ca/opinion/jonesie/jonesie-how-canadian-news-became-victims-in-its-own-story/it105120 However, Unifor, the union representing many Global staff, didn't see it like that, calling the cuts to online and community news divisions the "hollowing out of local news coverage." "While on the surface, it may seem that communities are receiving a local newscast, most content is coming from a centralized hub, rather than journalists and media workers on the ground in the local communities themselves," Unifor said in a media release. Corus described it as some "difficult but necessary changes to create a more sustainable future for the company." The union said 35 of its members at Global News were laid off as a part of restructuring in June, and 11 earlier in the year. Last year, Global News closed its Vernon office, which had seen staff reductions over the years. As well as pointing the blame at Corus, Unifor also takes aim at the federal government. "Unifor has expressed frustration with delays in both legislative and regulatory changes designed to support local television news outlets. Bill C-11, which mandates that foreign streamers must contribute to Canadian broadcasting, including a much-needed boost to local news funding, took nearly three years to pass into law," a statement read.  "The CRTC dragged its heels for years before establishing a program whereby large broadcasters in Canada help fund local TV news. Today, foreign online broadcasters like Amazon, are refusing to pay and instead challenging their obligations in court. This only causes delay and will prevent Corus from accessing emergency local news funding." To contact a reporter for this story, email Ben Bulmer mailto:bbulmer@infonews.ca  or call (250) 309-5230 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .