China Television Co (CTV, 中視) is expected to lay off 200 employees — who are set to be named next week — by next month, a source close to the media outlet’s board of directors said yesterday.
The news surfaced following a board meeting on Thursday, during which a recruitment plan proposed by newly elected chairperson James Chao (趙善意) and a downsizing plan were reportedly passed.
The downsizing plan targets staffers in CTV’s newsroom and comes as a result of the company’s mounting losses in recent years, the source said.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The media outlet suffered a loss of NT$160 million (US$5.02 million) in 2013 and another amounting to NT$260 million last year, sources said.
Following a merger in 2009 between CTV and CtiTV (中天電視) — which belongs to Want Want China Times Group — the work of the CTV newsroom, which produces three hours of news programs per day, has been gradually eclipsed by that of CtiTV, which has a dedicated 24-hour news channel.
The problem is exacerbated by the large number of CTV news employees (390), which is not cost-effective for the company and it therefore became an easy target for downsizing, the source said.
CTV vice chairperson Kuo Jen-chieh (郭人杰) on Friday said the newsroom staff account for two-thirds of the company’s overall number of employees, which is why it is the first department to be downsized.
He said that a list of people to be laid off would be announced within the next couple of days and the first stage of downsizing would begin this week.
The news desk would continue to report news on a daily basis, but would no longer cover real-time news, and the focus of its news coverage would shift to publishing features, Kuo added.
Taiwan Labor Front secretary-general Son Yu-liam (孫友聯) said the company should provide evidence to back its claim that its move is due to it being overstaffed and mired in losses.
It should propose an alternative to the downsizing plan; for example, helping those who are losing their jobs to secure positions at CtiTV, its sister company, Son added.
Those who are laid off will be given the priority to work for CtiTV, the China Times or the Want Daily — all subsidiaries of the Want Want China Times group — but there are not many job vacancies, said a CTV employee who asked to remain anonymous.
CTV employees union director Chen Kuang-hua (陳光華) opposed the downsizing plan, asking that a negotiation be arranged between the management and employees before Chao assumes office on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Taipei Department of Labor division head Yeh Chien-neng (葉建能) said that by law, a proposal and a notification on the layoff have to be delivered to the bureau 60 days and 10 days respectively ahead of any large-scale layoff, but so far the bureau has received neither.
The CTV could face a maximum fine of NT$500,000 for its failure to provide the documents, he said.
Additional Reporting by Huang Pang-ping
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