Rogers has come under fire from Canada’s largest media union for its cuts to Citytv.

The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada – which represents behind-the-scenes workers at the mini network – alleges that recent cuts to the City news division go against its parent company’s pledge to support local programming. The company shed news staff from four of its five City outlets at the end of January and showed longtime on-air talent including Anne Mroczowski and Laura DiBattista to the door.

‘When Rogers bought the City stations in 2007, the billion-dollar media giant told the CRTC it supported the stations’ ‘distinctive local programming,” the union said in a statement. ‘But now, just two years later, it has slashed local newscasts and laid off employees.’

The cuts have brought criticism, laced with sentiment and regret, from other corners of the industry, in no small part because of the intensely local coverage that was the trademark of the Toronto station when it was owned by CHUM.

Rogers, however, says nothing has changed. ‘Our message is the same, we’re still strongly committed to local television,’ says spokesperson Koreen Ott, adding that City meets or exceeds the local programming requirements set down by the CRTC. The current, one-year licence for the stations calls for 14 hours of local shows per week.

‘We’re at more than 14 hours when you combine CityLine and Breakfast Television,’ says Ott, citing the Toronto market as an example.

These days, City is in an awkward position when it comes to local programming. While its parent is eager to talk up its local shows – the recent anniversary of its community cable operations was no exception – Rogers’ pedigree as a cable company won out over its alter ego as a broadcaster when it sided with other distributors in the recent war over fee-for-carriage. Thus, the City brand was conspicuously absent from the recent broadcaster-led campaign touting the importance of local television.

CEP went on to call for the CRTC to conduct a ‘hearing’ into the cuts – going so far as to suggest that the federal watchdog has been silent on the matter because of ‘muzzling’ by Heritage Minister James Moore.

A spokesperson for the CRTC noted that it has no authority to question staffing decisions, and instead relies on setting and enforcing programming levels.