TORONTO – TV Ontario has backtracked on plans to shut down eight over-the-air transmitters across the province.
TVO had previously announced a plan to decommission the transmitters in Ottawa, Belleville, Thunder Bay, Chatham, Cloyne, Kitchener, London, and Windsor, saying it would have resulted in an annual savings of $1 million required to meet its current financial targets.
The broadcaster announced Friday it will continue to transmit free broadcast signals following feedback from the communities.
TVO CEO Lisa de Wilde says the provincial government has agreed to an additional $1 million in funding to ensure it can continue to operate the transmitters.
TVO had said it estimated shutting down the transmitters would affect less than one per cent of Ontario households.
NDP culture critic Sarah Campbell had said ending over-the-air transmission of TVO would be unfair to families in the affected communities and would have a disproportionate impact on children and families in the north.
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