Christian station announces layoffs
WINNIPEG, MB-For the first time in its 27-year history, Trinity Television has had to lay off employees to offset financial problems associated with starting a new Christian television station.
The company recently laid off 20 per cent of its workforce to cut increasing costs of launching NOWTV in Manitoba.
Trinity laid off nine people in B.C. and eight in Manitoba, and full-time positions were reduced to part-time in various departments.
"There have been layoffs everywhere. Everybody is multitasking," says Betty Thiessen, Trinity's vice president of ministry.
While the station's president and founder, Willard Thiessen, hopes restructuring will bring those jobs back, he is not surprised by the cash crunch.
"It's part of the growing pains, and reassessing how we are doing things," he says, adding it typically takes three to five years before a television station starts to generate revenue.
Terry Mahoney, station manager of Trinity's NOWTV in B.C. explains that like any broadcaster, Trinity is always looking for ways to improve the station while making it more efficient.
"Our economic situation required us to reorganize, restructure and to reevaluate the priorities that we have in terms of the departments and the community services we provide, and make sure the core aspects of our ministry are strong and stay strong," he says.
Trinity has run the popular television program It's a New Day since 1976, but its first venture into a 24-hour Christian television station came in 2001 with the launch of NOWTV in B.C.Trinity planned to launch a sister station in Manitoba by late 2003, but those plans have been postponed due to the organization's financial trouble. Last May, Trinity appealed to donors in an attempt to raise over $3 million to cover rising expenses.
Because Trinity is a non-profit organization, all money needed to start the Manitoba station must come from loans or gifts, but so far, investments have fallen short.
Selling the idea to investors has been challenging because, unlike radio, Christian television is relatively unknown and people are not comfortable backing it financially.
The layoffs were partly due to a partnership deal that fell through at the last minute following months of negotiation.
"Had that worked out, we would not have had to make these changes," Thiessen says, adding the deal was not the sole cause of the cutbacks, but other issues were not as imminent.
Trinity is currently discussing potential partnerships
with other parties interested in working with the station. A non-disclosure agreement with those parties involved prevents Trinity from revealing who is now being considered for partnership.
For 25 years, donations have primarily covered the costs of the ministry, but since starting NOWTV in B.C., Trinity has also relied on advertising revenue to run the channel.
"We are providing a good product and advertising revenues are growing. There is no doubt in my mind and in the minds of the ministry that we will go forward," says Mahoney.
Thiessen remains confident NOWTV in Manitoba will be launched in the near future.
"I guess things always take longer than you would expect them to. If we are able to put the package together that we are working on, we still have high hopes of being on the air here this fall."
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