The President of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Hubert Lacroix, has presented CBC Windsor with the President's Award for Smart Solutions.

Lacroix travelled to Windsor, Ont., to honour staff for their ingenuity in coping with job cuts at the station while at the same time increasing productivity and introducing new technologies.

"I was very impressed by the way that the Windsor station bounced back," said Lacroix.

"Not only did it bounce back, but it completely integrated the resources that were left across all the platforms."

'It was the only way for it to survive'

CBC Windsor reporter Allison Johnson accepts the President's Award from CBC President Hubert Lacroix. Johnson wrote Lacroix outlining the achievements at the station since the cuts, prompting judges to recognize CBC Windsor's success. (Susan Aitken/CBC)Lacroix said the 50-member judging panel, made up of union and corporate leadership, was impressed with CBC Windsor staff reporting for both television and radio.

Lacroix said that flexibility was crucial for the station.

"It was the only way for it to survive," said Lacroix.

"When you take out nine total positions in reporting, if you want to continue giving to Windsor a window and a mirror of what it's all about, you need to cover the community and you need to be in the community and the only way to do this was to merge the teams."

Lacroix said such seamless integration, with staff working across platforms, was unheard of a few months ago.

"The web is also part of this completely integrated newsteam, and you guys were able to do the late night news....with basically the same resources and the same people."

CBC faced a major budget shortfall in the spring of 2009, forcing the company to sell off some assets and cut 800 jobs.