Canada’s Shaw cuts 400 jobs

Canadian media conglomerate Shaw Communications is planning to cut 400 jobs as part of a restructuring that will affect TV channels including HGTV and Food Network Canada.

The Calgary-based firm will make the lay-offs, which equate to around 3% of its total workforce, across divisions in a bid to make its cable, satellite TV and internet services more efficient.

The cuts will impact the company’s Shaw Media arm, which operates HGTV, Food Network Canada and other TV channels.

Shaw’s CEO Brad Shaw said that the restructure would “eliminate the duplication of work” and added that the changes were part of the firm’s plans to create a series of new units, including separate residential and business departments.

The firm also plans to appoint a further 100 staff in positions across its supply chain, marketing and network infrastructure divisions as part of the restructure.

Shaw, which is facing increased competition from telecom rival Telus Corporation, currently employes around 14,500 staff and last week reported that its second quarter profits had risen to US$201m.

The job losses come after fellow Canadian broadcaster CBC revealed it was cutting more than 650 posts over the next two years to save US$118.4m.

The pubcaster, which had its federal funding cut in 2012 by $115m over three years, will shed 334 employees from its English-language division while 115 members of the firm’s news operation will depart, along with 38 from its sports division. CBC also confirmed it would not be competing for professional sports rights.

CBC president and CEO Hubert T Lacroix admitted that “very tough and controversial choices needed to be made and were made.”