The future of local tv Rogers productions in Edmundston: the mayor is not reassured by the answers he has received

Sep 25, 2024

After intervening directly with Rogers Television and filing a complaint with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the Mayor of Edmundston is not reassured by the information received regarding the future of community television in Edmundston.

At the end of August, Rogers Communication Canada laid off its local producer. This decision meant that most local programs ceased to be produced by the Edmundston studio. Mayor Eric Marquis explained at the time that this was a clear setback for francophone viewers in northwestern New Brunswick, and asked for a meeting with Rogers management, in addition to lodging a formal complaint with the CRTC.

On September 17, Rogers General Manager Julie Henson met with Edmundston City Council by videoconference. She explained that, to continue serving local viewers, tv Rogers had decided to reduce the size of its operations in Ontario and Eastern Canada, including the Edmundston station.

She added that programming would still be offered to the community, and that Rogers was committed to working with community partners to find new approaches to offering local programming.

"I greatly appreciated the fact that Rogers agreed to meet with us to answer City Council's questions. However, we realized that it could be very difficult to revisit locally produced programming on tv Rogers, without a commitment from volunteers who would take the initiative to develop content, either with their own resources or using the studio, which should remain available for the time being," explained Mayor Marquis.

However, the mayor has received confirmation that tv Rogers will continue to broadcast council meetings and the Richelieu bingo.

"I understand that Rogers is a private company that makes its decisions on a financial basis. But the fact remains that community television is very much appreciated by the public and is a great springboard for young people who want to launch a career in television.”

Anyone interested in producing programs is invited to contact the provincial producer, Charles Olscamp, by e-mail at colscamp@rci.rogers.com

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CONTACT: Eric Marquis, Mayor of Edmundston, 506.739.2115