Victoria Times Colonist to Abandon its own Printing Operation

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In a move connected to a downturn in advertising and circulation revenue, the Victoria Times Colonist has announced a reduced payroll effective this September.   That’s when the printing operation will be contracted out, to some unidentified entity ‘outside of Victoria.’

In a memo obtained by CHEK News, editor/publisher Dave Obee (pictured, below) connects the downsizing to the sale of the building a year ago this month.  He says the new owner/landlord has development plans which don’t leave enough space for the T/C’s press and mail room.

A union spokesman says some 40 jobs are affected.

No word as to whether the remote manufacturing location will adversely affect newspaper deadlines.

Industry observers say this kind of downsizing is becoming the norm in the newspaper business, where a reduction in traditional revenue sources has  not (so far) been replaced with sufficient funding from online subscriptions.

13 COMMENTS

  1. 40 good paying union jobs gone. Private sector unions shrinking everyday . Public sector trough dwellers expanding at alarming rates. Pensions and benefits that people in normal non tax payer funded jobs can only dream of. I wonder when the tax payers that give up 40% of their income to 3 levels of government are going to say piss on it. Might as well go on welfare. The 40 % is probably a low ball estimate.

  2. 13

    Well I don’t see Canadians out in street protesting. They are too fat and lazy. Dumb Canadians are making their own bed when it comes to our fat lazy inefficient overpaid loser GOVT.

  3. Richard…why should we protest? Change is inevitable in every sector of the economy, including newspapers.
    Unions, particularly public sector, have grown fat & lazy over decades because they recognize that every 3-5 yrs, they can expect to ‘bargain’ cost of living & other goodies for their members, without working very hard at it.
    I’ve worked in countries (Argentina, Egypt, Spain to name a few) where street protests are common…seldom do they result in meaningful change & usually lead to dead/injured & looted businesses…

  4. More jobs gone; and another outsourcing that’s despicable. Much like when Heinz outsourced their production to the United States. I buy French ketchup now. And I’ll buy a Victoria newspaper that’s printed by Victorians. I refuse to support this movement.

  5. Just a sign of the times and probably the natural progression of a publication as it winds down. Print media has tried almost everything to monetize their online presence so that it matches their print revenues but they have found out that it is not possible.

    Time for them to totally restructure and use a new online model that makes money rather than try to fit a square in a circle.

  6. June 19, 2018 – 1:03 pm
    Dick
    Awww did someone hurt your feelings Richard?

    _______

    I make plenty of dough thanks. I EARN it. ……unlike you fat lazy “entitled” Govt Workers who are trying (and failing) to control the masses with your Marxist Globalist intentions. Oh….and “good luck” with your gold plated pension….which will evaporate…….shortly.

  7. They’re ALL doing this, right across the country. Nobody wants to PAY for news that they can get for free on the Internet or in the handout papers on the street corners and restaurants. Why would anybody wait for the paper to be delivered to find out about the fire down the street? It’s reported on Twitter within a few minutes of it happening.

  8. Seriously, Richard, at whom are you angry?
    Why is everyone who disagrees with you fat, lazy, entitled, dumb, and overpaid losers?

    If you have a serious point to make, then make it and defend it empirically.

  9. Bummer for the folks losing their job, but the TC is a poor excuse for a newspaper in a city this size, and has been for a long time. Hardly fit to wrap fish in.

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