Astral Media… digested

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s approval of Bell-BCE’s $3.4 billion acquisition of specialty broadcaster Astral Media has resulted in the loss of at least 100 jobs in Toronto, with more to come in Montreal, all deemed “redundant” by the Canadian telecom giant.

A union representing many of the workers indicated Bell had posted notice of the workforce reduction in Astral’s offices and notified the Minister of Labour “approximately 100 people will be laid off in Toronto” as the merged companies restructure.

The layoffs are expected to include Bell Media workers at locations in downtown Toronto and the Agincourt neighborhood of Scarborough and at newly acquired Astral stations and networks.

Local 723M president Kelly Dobbs told the Toronto Star that the cuts at 299 Queen St., where she represents Bell Media workers at MuchMusic, CP24 and BNN and other television employees, haven’t hit union employees yet. So far, she said, the cuts are in management.

“So far we haven’t been hit. It doesn’t mean we won’t be,” Dobbs said Thursday, adding the notice went up about two weeks ago. “At this moment, we haven’t.”

Bell committed to spend $246.9 million on what the CRTC calls “tangible benefits” over the next seven years to create more Canadian content for its networks and stations after the CRTC initially objected to the merger last fall.

Those tangible benefits do not include Canadian employees.

Last fall, the CRTC claimed the merger would have brought no benefits to Canadian radio and television audiences and would result in the creation of an over-dominant entity, particularly in Montreal, controlling an excessive amount of Canadian media, undermining competition and diversity.

By this spring, the CRTC changed its mind.

Bell’s acquisition includes 84 Astral radio stations — 52 of which were acquired in a $1.08-billion purchase of Standard Radio in 2007. Bell now owns 107 radio stations in 55 markets across Canada as well as the CTV television network and more than three dozen major cable networks.

Bell’s television outlets include the CTV television network and many of Canada’s largest cable networks.

Bell’s radio stations often use the same logos, formats and identities in different Canadian cities.