Radio-Canada has announced the creation of 29 positions in 22 communities across the country by the end of the year, with nine roles already filled last autumn. The move forms part of the broadcaster’s five-year strategic plan, unveiled in October, which places greater emphasis on local and regional journalism.
Radio-Canada says it is the only French-language media organization with a presence in every province and territory in Canada. The expansion is intended to strengthen its local reporting footprint and increase regional storytelling nationwide.
“Being on the ground, accessible and close to people is an integral part of our role,” said Jean-François Rioux, general director of regional media at Radio-Canada. “That is why we have decided to move closer to communities and deepen our local coverage. This will allow us to better serve certain regions with local and regional information and to showcase these stories across the country. As a public broadcaster, we remain committed to contributing meaningfully to the democratic, economic and social life of communities and to supporting the French language and culture at all levels.”
Regional offer across digital platforms
According to the broadcaster, deployments will extend from northern regions such as Whitehorse to western cities including Kelowna, Calgary, Saskatoon and Winnipeg. In Ontario, expansion includes Sudbury. In Québec, new or reinforced positions will cover Rouyn-Noranda, Sherbrooke, Granby, Victoriaville, Trois-Rivières, Shawinigan, Lévis, Charlevoix, Saguenay, Sept-Îles, Rimouski and Gaspé. In Atlantic Canada, the initiative includes Moncton, Charlottetown, Halifax and St. John’s.
Some recruits will be based in existing CBC/Radio-Canada stations, while others will operate in areas where the public broadcaster currently has limited local presence. Additional roles will be posted in the coming months.
Radio-Canada says the additional resources will enhance regional news and cultural coverage across its platforms. The broadcaster operates more than 20 regional news portals via Radio-Canada.ca and its Radio-Canada Info mobile app. It says it can regionalize content across its streaming and audio platforms, including ICI TOU.TV and Radio-Canada OHdio, allowing audiences to access French-language regional, national and international news throughout the country.
The initiative reflects what the broadcaster describes as a broader effort to consolidate its regional offer while adapting to evolving digital consumption habits.
This story originally appeared in RedTech’s sister publication La Lettre Pro.
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