The BBC may be cutting jobs in Britain, but it is determined to expand abroad. It is to open a news bureau in Toronto along with the launch of a Canadian edition of BBC.com.
Three editorial jobs will be created - video journalist, online journalist and social media producer - to staff a news hub. They will increase online content by producing original stories and features as well as curating the BBC’s news index.
Jim Egan, chief executive of BBC Global News, said: “We’ve had a significant TV, radio and online presence in Canada for many years, and the BBC is uniquely placed to provide Canadian audiences with the global perspective on stories that matter to them.
“These new investments will offer Canadian audiences an enriched and more relevant user experience, as well as enabling us to enhance our offer to partners and advertisers in Canada who want to reach our large, upscale audience both nationally and internationally.”
The BBC has been part of the Canadian news landscape for many years, across TV, radio and online. BBC World News is carried on the major pay-TV platforms has a significant digital audience in Canada.
BBC.com gets about 5.6m Canadian visits a month. A report on Canadian media concentration released in November 2015 found that the BBC was among international outlets that trumped some Canadian outlets for traffic.
