Source : Hollywood Reporter

TORONTO -- Facing an increasingly fragmented radio and TV audience, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. has unveiled a news operation shakeup for the country's public broadcaster.

Beginning Monday, the CBC will introduce changes to the look and content of news offered on its main TV and radio networks, 24-hour cable news channel CBC Newsworld and Web site.

CBC spokesman John Bozzo said Friday that the rebranding aims forging a common signature and approach to CBC news gathering and delivery in a bid to retain and build viewership in a rapidly changing media landscape.

"We want to start from the premise that, whether on radio, TV or online, or downloading news to your telephone or iPod, Canadians know they are getting a CBC news product," he said of integrating the CBC's varied news operations.

The rebranding initiative will see the CBC shift its local newscasts across the country a half-hour earlier to 6 p.m. Ian Hanomansing's "Canada Now," a national half-hour newscast originating from Vancouver will follow at 6:30 p.m. The CBC also is revamping the look and feel of its sports coverage.

The CBC changes come as rival network Global Television prepares to shift its flagship national newscast, "Global National with Kevin Newman," from 6:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. next month.

The Global Television newscast will occupy a hammock slot between the daytime soap "The Young and the Restless" and an hourlong "Entertainment Tonight" block comprising Paramount's U.S. show and its Canadian clone, "Entertainment Tonight Canada."

On the radio front, the CBC is launching a new hourlong show at 5 p.m. "CBC News: The World This Hour," will feature a national and international news roundup as well as a new format for delivering weather reports.

The revamp for Canada's public broadcaster follows an exhaustive 2003 survey of about 1,200 Canadians that concluded the CBC flagship newscasts were "stuffy and condescending" and had to pursue younger viewers and listeners with edgier, more relevant content.

Bozzo said the consumer survey revealed that Canadians wanted less filler and more in-depth news reporting on its network newscasts. In particular, loyal CBC viewers and listeners wanted the broadcaster's foreign correspondents to report more on how vital issues at home like health care are treated elsewhere internationally.

As part of the rebranding, the CBC will introduce a five-note mnemonic to start all news programming on the CBC radio and TV networks, in addition to new graphics.

Ratings for CBC newscasts have made grim reading for network execs since August when the public broadcaster endured an eight-week management lockout. The CBC also has faced increased competition in the TV news game from CNN, Fox News, BBC World and other 24-hour news channels now available via cable and satellite schedules here.

"We were also told the CBC could take more risks with how we cover the news and go after tough stories," Bozzo said of the audience research preceding the current rebranding.

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