Canwest Global Communications on Tuesday said it will scrap Global Television’s noon-hour newscast from Toronto.

Canwest spokesman John Douglas, without being specific, said upwards of 20 employees will be impacted by the program cancellation. Other estimates put the body count at around 35 positions.

The cost-cutting move follows a decision first unveiled in November to cancel Global Toronto’s morning newscast and replace it with a simulcast of Hamilton-based CH Morning Live with Bob Cowan and Annette Hamm. Hamilton’s own noon-hour show was cut in half to 30 minutes at the time.

The latest decision on Global Toronto will enable the broadcaster to eliminate the entire shift at the station as it continues to slash costs and jobs to protect its profits.

As replacement programming in the noon hour, Global Television will air its investigative news series 16:9 on Mondays, and lifestyle programming during the rest of the week.

In November, the broadcaster said it would cut an initial 210 broadcast jobs, in addition to another 350 positions on the newspaper side — or around 5% of its workforce.

Douglas added the latest move comes as the Canadian economy continues to worsen, affecting the TV advertising climate, and offers little visibility on a possible upturn.

Peter Murdoch, VP of media at the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, which represents Canwest employees, expressed disappointment at the latest job losses, adding they stemmed from both overall industry turmoil and the broadcaster’s efforts to get out from under its debt burden.