By Canadian Press

No layoffs or closures says buyer of 21 Bell radio stations in B.C.

Feb 8, 2024 | 2:17 PM

COURTENAY, B.C. — The president of the company buying 21 B.C. radio stations from Bell Media says there won’t be any closures or layoffs.

Vista Radio president Bryan Edwards says the stations have a total of about 80 employees and he believes some are understaffed.

Bell Media’s parent company BCE earlier announced widespread layoffs and the sale of 45 of its 103 regional radio stations across the country, as well as ending multiple television newscasts and making other programming cuts. 

British Columbia Premier David Eby responded by calling Bell “corporate vampires” who had overseen the “encrapification” of local news by laying off journalists. 

Edwards says his company, based in Courtenay, B.C.,  pays attention to the needs of  individual markets with local staff that live in the communities, and it doesn’t use centralized programming.

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He wouldn’t say how much Vista is offering for the radio stations that include broadcasters in Kelowna, Penticton, Fort St. John and Prince Rupert, and CRTC approval of the sale could take a year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2024

The Canadian Press