La Presse threatens to close Dec. 1

La Presse, North America’s largest French language broadsheet, has advised its unions and management they have three months to come up with $26 million in savings, half from unions, or it will close Dec. 1. Obviously, a ploy to get concessions from the union, but given Quebec’s tough unions, it promises to be quite a fight. Meanwhile, you have to wonder if the Quebec or federal government is going to get involved to preserve the biggest French daily. On the other hand, Quebec City has never been partial to its Montreal rival. Stay tuned.

CTV/CP, September 3 2009

Canwest sending jobs to India

The Regina Leader Post admitted axing nine positions in ad production and outsourcing them to India and the Phillipines in response to “the economic crisis”. Wonder if reporters’ jobs are the next to go. Given that the LP has a monopoly position in Regina and should be bulletproof, I wonder if the chain is suffering that badly, or whether it’s just another move to cut costs at the nearly bankrupt publisher (it keeps pushing its deadline back to come up with a payment plan for its creditors.)

CJME, September 3 2009