CJOB’s Milroy, Buckingham axed in latest Corus cost-cutting

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This article was published 28/11/2024 (646 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Morale is low and the atmosphere at CJOB is “tense” and uncertain following a surprising round of layoffs at the Winnipeg radio station last week.

The Free Press has confirmed Julie Buckingham, longtime co-host of CJOB’s weekday news show with Richard Cloutier, and Tom Milroy, host of Saturday Mornings, were among the local on-air personalities impacted by a wave of Corus Entertainment cuts to AM radio stations across the country last Wednesday.

Within the last year, Corus — which owns dozens of Canadian media brands, including Global News — has eliminated 25 per cent of its national workforce, the equivalent of more than 800 full-time positions, to combat slumping revenue.

“As part of programming refresh across our AM portfolio, we have made some difficult but necessary changes to our radio teams in various markets across Canada to ensure a sustainable future for Corus,” Corus Radio communications specialist Anna Arnone said in an emailed statement last week.

Staff at CJOB were under the impression all of the impending job cuts had been delivered as of August, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, whom the Free Press has granted anonymity based on their position.

Yet over the last three months, a number of off-air employees at the station were let go, including those working in technical and online production, marketing and promotions and office administration. Several others were reassigned and their previous positions will not be backfilled.

The source described the recent host layoffs as “a total surprise” and a “gut punch,” particularly in the case of Buckingham, whose radio work has received local and national accolades. In 2019, she and Cloutier received a Radio Television Digital News Association award for their CJOB news show.

Buckingham could not be reached and Milroy declined to comment on the situation when contacted by the Free Press.

Among the layoffs there have also been programming changes at CJOB. Several local shows have been shortened, including The News hosted by Cloutier, which now runs weekdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m.; and a new nationally syndicated program hosted by Ben Mulroney has been added to the daily lineup from 2 to 4 p.m.

Corus executives are reportedly set to be in Winnipeg this Friday morning for a meeting with staff at 201 Portage Ave., which is home to CJOB and Global Winnipeg.

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com

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