3 for ’25: What we’re watching in Canadian media this year

By Lucas Meyer  

The 2020s have been a rollercoaster so far for the Canadian media sector, and while plenty in the industry would love to see some stability in 2025, the truth is it’s likely to be another year of dips, falls and wide turns. For broadcast media in particular, this year could be the one that sets the table for the rest of the decade.  

Here are three key things we’re watching for: 

1. CBC’s time to stave off elimination… or go bust 

If there’s one media executive we’re keeping our eye on, it’s Marie-Phillippe Bouchard, who just started her term as the new President and CEO of the CBC as it faces an existential threat. Pierre Poilievre appears to be galloping to a landslide electoral victory and has made no secret that defunding the English services of CBC is on the list of priorities (Radio-Canada’s French services would be spared). Given this, we wouldn’t have been surprised if CBC’s new direction focused on strengthening those French services as much as possible and cutting its English losses.  

But that’s not what’s happening. This month, CBC announced new bureaus in underserved communities, from the Niagara Region in Ontario, to Red Deer in Alberta, the Fraser Valley in B.C., and new traveling reporters in places like northern New Brunswick and central Nova Scotia. This signals a Hail Mary throw of a strategy by Bouchard should the Conservatives take government: look at the communities we’re servicing that, otherwise, would be without local coverage.  

That gamble aside, Bouchard has to rebuild morale for an organization that saw 600 cuts last year, along with resetting its image after a number of public relations mishaps under the previous executive leadership — such as maintaining bonuses to executives after those cuts. The good news is that Bouchard and the CBC have some time given an election is most likely sometime in the spring instead of right now. The bad news is that it could all be too late anyway.  

2. Global News’ future  

Global News saw an incredibly rocky year in 2024 as its parent company, Corus, struggles to deal with an ongoing debt crisis, hitting penny-stock territory last year. It goes into 2025 having cut 25 per cent of its workforce – about 800 jobs (not all at Global) – giving some breathing room with lenders, but leaving major amounts due in the coming years. After all the closures and cuts, the big question is: who is next? Just some of 2024’s low points for Global include Hamilton’s historic 900 CHML shutting down, Global Okanagan running its final locally produced broadcast, national anchor Farah Nasser signing off, Toronto correspondent Alan Carter going to City News, Alberta radio host Rob Breakenridge leaving after nearly three decades and so much more.  

So where to look? We’re keeping close tabs on Global BC, which absolutely dominates that market and is extremely well-resourced. If we start seeing impacts there, then real trouble could be afoot. After so many cuts to the radio division last year, Corus is also betting big on Ben Mulroney’s new radio show with 640 AM in Toronto, which will also be run nationally.  

That’s the micro. The macro is that if Global survives, could it find a new home in Montreal in 2025? There have been multiple reports about Corus exploring a sale of the company, including to Quebecor. This would turn the provincial Quebec-based powerhouse into one with national reach if it decided to maintain the Global News brand. Or would it do what often happens in acquisitions – more layoffs? Unlike CBC, CTV and City, Global doesn’t have a 24/7 news channel, which could be an area of growth under Quebecor. The same goes for expansion to French coverage. Or, would it shut down operations in western Canada and streamline its operations in Ontario and Quebec?  

It’s impossible to answer these questions now, but what is clear is that by the end of 2025, Global News could look much different. 

3. Non-mainstream winners, with a nod to political reporting  

There were some niche, sector and independent media wins in 2024, so who will they be this year?  

We’re curious to see how much more The Line can grow – and not just because some of us have contributed written pieces for it! But co-creator Matt Gurney has said he is so busy with it, that he has to put aside some of his other journalistic gigs to focus on it full-time. Needless to say in this industry, that is a great problem to have and follows a steady stream of non-legacy successes last year.  

The Logic secured a big wave of new funding from the Financial Times, while Village Media continued to expand with TorontoToday.ca. An independent media non-profit was granted $100 million from Google to support various brands, Canadaland reported a 25 per cent increase in readers/listeners and there seems to be more Substacks than ever. In what is bound to be a critical year for political coverage with a Liberal leadership race, a federal election and multiple provincial elections, we’re analyzing which outlets — or individuals — will stand out and breakout.   

Sticking with politics, this is still a huge year for legacy media with the leadership race and federal election. Various outlets have bolstered their rosters or are in the process of doing so. Just look at the Globe and Mail, which recruited reporters such as Stephanie Levitz from the Toronto Star, a respected, veteran political journo. The Star followed that up by grabbing Ryan Tumilty from the National Post. And the Post is responding by bringing on board not one, but two bureau reporters, including Patti Sontag, who has previously reported for Global News and the New York Times. When POLITICO got Mickey Djuric from the Canadian Press, CP picked up Nick Murray from CBC. Postmedia also reopened the Toronto Sun’s Parliament Hill office ahead of this big election year.  

With all of this movement, it will be fascinating to see not only what they do on their traditional channels, but on social media as well. It’s clear that for whatever sources legacy outlets do have, the primary focus is politics, first and foremost.  

Lucas Meyer is Senior Consultant, Communications and Media Insights Lead.