CJBK goes silent. Another national death-blow from Bell Media.

Incredibly saddened to hear that Newstalk 1290 CJBK here in London went silent this morning for the final time.

My time working there - including coveted shifts in the big chair - was made magical by some of the kindest folks I’ve ever encountered in the radio biz.

I get that the inevitable march of technological progress has decimated the business prospects for AM radio in recent years, but that doesn't mean this loss hurts any less. Some truly remarkable humans were cast aside less than an hour ago without so much as a thank you because a massively profitable conglomerate failed to roll with the punches.

#LdnONT has lost a treasure.

UPDATE - 12:03 p.m. ET

Newstalk 1290's shutdown is part of Bell Media's latest nationwide cutback announcement. 1,300 jobs lost across all platforms. 6% of their remaining workforce. 6 stations being shuttered:

• London’s NewsTalk 1290
• Winnipeg - Funny 1290
• Calgary - Funny 1060(br> Edmonton - TSN 1260 Radio
• Vancouver - BNN Bloomberg Radio 1410
• Funny 1040

AM Radio 1150 and AM 820 in Hamilton and AM 580 in Windsor are also being sold to an unnamed buyer, pending CRTC approval.

More here:

Bell cutting 1,300 positions, closing radio stations with plans to ‘significantly adapt’ how it delivers news

The company says the job cuts are in response to unfavourable public policy and regulatory conditions it can no longer outwait.

The Canadian Press

UPDATE - 2:30 p.m. ET

CTV National News also affected:

• Bureaus in LA and London closed, all employees laid off, including Tom Walters, Daniele Hamamdjian, and Paul Workman.
• Ottawa Bureau Chief Joyce Napier and Sr. Reporter Glen McGregor gone.
• Exec Producer Rosa Hwang gone.
• Washington bureau being scaled back.
• W5 correspondent Molly Thomas gone.

For the record, Bell Media recorded profits of $771 million in its most recent quarter. They say they “lose” $40 million on news, conveniently forgetting that these are legitimate news gathering expenses.

Meanwhile more voices are silenced, more communities and stories remain uncovered. Democracy indeed dies in darkness.