L’Acadie Nouvelle changes printing, distribution to save money
20 employees in total will lose jobs
CBC News
Posted: Aug 3, 2012 12:11 PM AT
Last Updated: Aug 3, 2012 2:54 PM AT
Related
Related Stories
L'Acadie Nouvelle is New Brunswick's only French-language daily newspaper. (CBC)L'Acadie Nouvelle, the province's only French language daily newspaper, has announced it will outsource its printing and change its distribution subcontractor in a bid to save money.
A result of the move, five jobs are being cut from l'Acadie Nouvelle's distribution and prepress section, as well as 15 from the Acadie Presse itself, according to Francis Sonier, the publisher and CEO of Acadie Media.
Meanwhile, L'Acadie Nouvelle plans to hire more reporters and columnists by September, company officials stated in a news release.
The changes will help ensure the long-term profitability of the independent daily, said Sonier.
"Acadie Presse won't close. We'll just reduce the production during the fall and we will specialize Acadie Presse on brokerage," he told CBC News.
They will also allow the newspaper to fulfill its "primary mission" to inform the Acadians of New Brunswick, as well as to promote and defend their interests, the statement says.
L'Acadie Nouvelle will now be printed and distributed by Irving-owned Brunswick News out of Moncton.
The paper will be slightly smaller in size and feature more colours.
Last summer, the French newspaper had asked for financial help from the provincial government as it struggled with the economic slowdown.
At the time, the company had cut five employees, opted not to fill two other vacancies, and staff had agreed to work reduced hours.
But government officials later said the newspaper had resolved its financial problems internally.
The newspaper has a trust account that was initially set up with help from the provincial government to help L'Acadie Nouvelle offset distribution costs. The interest made off of that trust account normally generates between $600,000 to $700,000 a year.
But Radio-Canada reported last year the trust account generated only $212,000 for the newspaper.
With a drop in revenue from the trust account and a large debt leftover from the purchase of a new printing press, the media company went to the provincial government for financial help.
During the winter of 2010, the media company announced it was restructuring its operations under the name Acadie Media with three divisions: L'Acadie Nouvelle, the website CapAcadie.com and its printing operation Acadie Presse.
Sonier said Friday the newspaper's daily circulation is about 16,000.
"Right now the sales are growing, since the beginning of the year. So this opportunity just helps us to progress and develop many projects faster," Sonier said Friday.
Sonier said workers who were let go are getting a package and transitional help.
Acadie Nouvelle will print its last issue in Caraquet on Sept. 8 and two days later, printing will continue in Moncton.
Brunswick News controls three English dailies, a group of weekly newspapers and the French-language L'Etoile newspaper.
Share Tools
Latest New Brunswick News Headlines
- 'Sense of panic' surrounded Ashley Smith
- The prison where Ashley Smith died had a sense of panic around the teenager, an inquest heard Tuesday. more »
- Conservatives closer to selling government airplane
- New Brunswick's Progressive Conservative government is a step closer to fulfilling a promise to sell the government-owned airplane used by the premier and members of cabinet. more »
- Catastrophic drug plan coming by fall, health minister says
- New Brunswick's health minister says he expects to begin rolling out parts of a catastrophic drug program as early as this fall. more »
- Tory minister denies nixing class trip to Trudeau rally
- New Brunswick's education minister is defending the decision earlier this year to cancel a high school class trip to see a federal Liberal leadership campaign event hosted by Justin Trudeau. more »
Must Watch
Top News Headlines
- 2 men jailed in Dominican wedding fight return to Canada
- Two Canadian men who were detained in the Dominican Republic for nearly three weeks after a post-wedding fight broke out at a resort have returned to Toronto, the latest step in a drama that the wife of one of the men said was "like a scene from the movies." more »
- MPs pass NDP motion on expenses, adjourn for summer
- One week after defeating Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's attempt to open MPs' expenses to public scrutiny, the NDP has won approval for a proposal of its own just before MPs voted unanimously to rise for the summer break. more »
- Are e-cigarettes safe to puff?
- As electronic or e-cigarettes grow in popularity, some health advocates want them to be regulated. more »
- Senators call for 'zero tolerance' on harassment in RCMP
- The RCMP should amend its code of conduct to explicitly define and prohibit harassment, a Senate committee is recommending in a newly tabled report. more »
- Grace Foundation dodges Trudeau questions
- 'Sense of panic' surrounded Ashley Smith
- Miramichi student mourned after fatal crash
- FHS students arrive in style to their prom
- Conservatives closer to selling government airplane
- Catastrophic drug plan coming by fall, health minister says
- Province urged to deal with shale-gas protests
- Thieves steal 9-metre rowing dock in Fredericton
- Moncton downtown centre moves ahead

