The owner of two local television stations in Lloydminster shut them down on Tuesday, abruptly terminating the jobs of 19 employees and ending more than 60 years of local broadcasting.
Stingray Group, a media conglomerate with several dozen radio and television stations across the country, announced the closure of CKSA-TV and CITL-TV in a staff meeting on May 13. A former employee who lost her job on Tuesday said on social media that there was no advanced notice of the shutdowns. The stations were closed down that day, denying the workers the opportunity to send out a farewell broadcast.
CKSA began broadcasting in 1960, while CITL launched in 1976. Both were affiliates for larger outlets including CBC, Global and CTV.
Steve Jones, the president of Stingray Radio, said the financial situation of the outlets had been deteriorating for years and became especially dire after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was an …