[LINK] "Canada AM abruptly cancelled by CTV, replacement show announced"

[rfmcdonald]

This, reported by the Toronto Star, is big news. Imagine Good Morning America being cancelled like this.

The abrupt cancellation of national morning show Canada AM after more than four decades on the air came as a shock to fans, as media watchers say it is one more blow to journalism as conventional broadcasters strive to remain profitable in an increasingly fractured media universe.

On Thursday, CTV announced it was cancelling Canada AM, which would have celebrated 44 years this September, and that the final show would be broadcast Friday.

“I must say, it was a bit surreal,” says Seamus O’Regan, a former co-host of the show who is now the member of parliament for St. John’s South. “There is certainly shock that we are losing a very important national voice for news.”

O’Regan was in an Ottawa heritage committee meeting discussing the precipitous state of the Canadian broadcasting industry when he heard the news.