SAN FRANCISCO, June 02, (THEWILL) – Owners of Television Continental, TVC, has fired 145 workers and installed heavy security officers comprising of both police and fierce-looking professional bouncers at the front gate of its headquarters.
Reports say the affected workers were earlier invited to the head office of the station in Lagos, where they were on Friday told of their retrenchment, which was said to be with immediate effect.
The relieved employees were said to have staged a protest in response to the development. The affected 145 staffers were reportedly drawn from TVC News, TVC Nigeria, TVC Entertainment and Adaba FM in Ondo State.
According to reports, prominent broadcasters were among those relieved of their appointment.
TVC, run by Continental Broadcasting Service, is believed to be owned by former Lagos governor and a national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
While confirming the disengagement of the 145 workers, CBS also announced the winding down of TVC News Africa to allow it concentrate on the key areas of its business.
“This restructuring is geared towards repositioning the business for better and greater delivery of its services to audiences and advertisers alike. In line with these changes we are reconfiguring our workforce as part of the rationale to achieve our objectives,” CBS said in a statement.
It, however, added that core channels consisting of TVC News Nigeria, TVC Entertainment and Radio Continental will henceforth become the main focus of the business “where we will deliver high quality news and entertainment programmes to our audiences and advertisers across Nigeria and beyond”.
The CBS board of directors said it “has also approved substantial new investment in our staff across the group of companies which will enable us substantially enhance our news and current affairs output on TVC News, entertainment programming on the market leading TVC general entertainment channel and our key radio asset Radio Continental.
“For those staff members affected by today’s announcement the Board of CBS Ltd. has approved a generous severance package in addition to a programme of assistance to enable them seek new employment.”
