Canada / TVOntario / 35 To 40 Layoffs

Faced with decreased funding from the Ontario government, public broadcaster TVOntario is eliminating 35 to 40 jobs and cancelling a number of TV shows, including the iconic “Saturday Night at the Movies,” the station announced on Tuesday.

At the same time, TVOntario plans to focus more heavily on “digital innovation in children’s educational media and current affairs.”

The government of Premier Dalton McGuinty announced in its 2012 budget that TVOntario would have to become less dependent on government funding.

This appears to have translated into a push for $2 million in savings at the broadcaster, or about five per cent of its budget. TVO did not say whether the job cuts would be layoffs or departures through attrition.

Among the other shows cancelled are “Alan Gregg in Conversation” and the “Big Ideas” lecture series, both of which are now airing their final season…

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via TVOntario Job Cuts: Budget Shortfall Forces 35 To 40 Layoffs, Cancellation Of ‘Saturday Night at the Movies’.