With news of Bell Globemedia's purchase deal of CHUM and the subsequent gutting of CHUM stations with reams of pink slips being handed out, including CityTV in Winnipeg, the prospect for news coverage in Manitoba got significantly dimmer.Rivaling CBC in 6 pm news ratings (CBC's viewership continuing to fall with gains made by all other competitors) the former MTN/A-Channel station had a unique position among its competitors: it simply covered the news, with no apparent axes to grind or underlying agenda.
What's left? CBC's increasingly irrelevant, obscure coverage, no matter how much resources it throws at it's news product. Global's increasingly rabidly right-wing fodder, like some provincial Fox News outlet. And CTV/CKY's formulaic, yet wildly successful, package centred on a complete lack of attention to vital public affairs and politics.
Apparently the new CHUM world order is going to be focusing on its Breakfast Television program with a largely national program to fill the 6 pm slot.
Sigh. Farewell MTN.
* With apologies to The Replacements