TORONTO — Bell Media president Sean Cohan says recent layoffs and programming cuts are something he doesn’t take lightly, but were necessary to accelerate the company’s goals in the digital media landscape.
In February, Bell announced 4,800 job cuts at all levels of the company, of which fewer than 10 per cent have affected Bell Media specifically. Bell Media also announced the end of multiple local newscasts across the country and said CTV's flagship investigative series “W5” would no longer be a standalone program.Cohan said Bell Media now has “more dedicated journalists in more territories” in Canada than ever before as a result of the restructuring.
Cohan, who began his post in November, said he’s committed to making sure the company delivers "differentiated storytelling" by having a "diverse, inclusive workforce." Steve-O said on a recent episode of his “Wild Ride!” podcast that he had to turn down a request to appear on Bill Maher’s podcast because Maher allegedly refused not to smoke pot during the interview. “Jackass” alum Steve-O is 16 years sober. Maher is often seen smoking marijuana during his “Club Random” podcast interviews.