The CBC has temporarily dropped local TV news in most of Canada, including in Winnipeg, to refocus its efforts on national coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CBWT/6 (Winnipeg) normally carries an hour of news at 6 p.m. and a ten-minute update at 11 p.m. The time periods will temporarily be filled with simulcasts of CBC News Network.
The only exceptions are the Northbeat and Igalaaq broadcasts on CBC North.
The network announced its plans on Wednesday and then said on Friday, after receiving “concerned reaction,” that CBC News Network will include some local news and weather from each time zone at 6 p.m. local time.
Local CBC News teams continue to report for CBC Radio One, online platforms, and the national network. (CBC also has a news department in Thunder Bay with radio service, but not a local TV outlet.)
CBC News Network is also putting “Power & Politics,” which normally airs from 4 to 6 p.m. Central time, on temporary hiatus.
The network is one of several that have removed sign-in requirements to view online feeds during the COVID-19 pandemic.