Five years after coming into existence, reliable sources at Canal 2 English say, the audiovisual media outlet is going off the satellite
In an official announcement made yesterday July 16, management said the Canal 2 English is being closed. Journalists were however, not told how long it will last.
One of our informants at Canal 2 English said she, like other pressmen working at Canal 2 English, is among other things worried about the audiences they have built over the years.
“It is sad Canal 2 English is shutting down just when it turned 5 years, which is supposed to be a significant moment. In an environment where TV content is French-dominated, Canal 2 English, the first and lone purely English TV channel was a breath of fresh air,” she said but pleaded for anonymity.
“Over the years the channel, being the first and lone purely English channel has managed to gain audiences home and abroad. Imagine the disappointment for viewers!” She told Mimi Mefo Info on basis of anonymity.
One week ago, Canal 2 management told workers they would be relocated to Canal 2 International.
The news, Mimi Mefo Info learned, shall be aired live there at 6pm daily, and they shall have three (52-minute) programs three days every week.
Arrangements were also underway for recording spaces, giving them a weeklong break to enable refocusing and better planning amidst the changes.
Journalists go for months without pay
Internal sources however say financial constraints have been evident for several months now causing the satellite for Canal 2 Movies to be broadcast Canal 2 English.
“The channel is shutting down because the mother branch, Canal 2 International is in a financial mess and could not support running the channel,” states another reporter.
Journalists also say they have gone for months without salaries. “We will even work for over three or four months without pay, yet we have contracts, how do we cope with this?,” retorted another journalist.
Management reacts
A member of the management team at Canal 2 International says the COVID-19 pandemic is the primary reason for the move.
“As for when Canal 2 English will be back on air, I can’t exactly assure when that will be because we are working on some TNT stuff. We probably may be back on air on Monday but then I am not a technician, so I cannot really say for certain.”
The technical issues he explains are due to issues of relocation and the need to move big equipment.
“want to assure our audience that Canal 2 English is coming back next week with a change of address from Satellite to TNT. So this means our audience and our reach will be broadened as soon as the changes take effect.”
Promising to make an official declaration to their audience later, Canal 2 says more is still in the pipeline including arrangements for some staff to work from home.
“We are trying to follow the majority in their Covid-19 convenience measure but I believe that by the end of it we are going to bounce back for real. It is vital for us to indeed relocate as we are trying to bring into one compartment for better management and it will equally save us a lot of money from rents and other expenditures” he states.
Fans will only have to wait for things to return to normal. Until then, they will only have keep up with their favourite Canal 2 English programs via the mother channel; Canal 2 International.
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Mimi Mefo Info
