It has been about one month since we reported that change was coming to Global News Okanagan, and the final sign-offs of some anchors have now been shared.
Videos shared on Instagram show former anchors sharing emotional goodbyes as they sign off for the last time.
The posts have received a lot of reaction from followers of the Kelowna-based station as viewers lamented yet another painful setback to local news coverage.
“This sucks. Breaks my heart to see this,” someone said in response.
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Jamie Tawil, a news anchor with Global Okanagan, shared a video on Instagram of his last shift. In it, he takes a very, very deep breath before signing off for the last time.
“These are very financially challenging times for the media industry,” Tawil says.
View this post on Instagram
“While not my decision to leave, the industry is changing, and I am being forced to adapt like so many of my colleagues past and present,” he wrote in his post.
Tawil points out that Global Okanagan will continue with different anchors and from a different studio.
“This is a huge loss for our community,” one Instagram user responded.
Another user said, “Very sad to see our local news now going to broadcast from Vancouver.”
Tawil himself reflected on the sign-off:
Without question the most difficult live segment of my 20 year broadcast career. Thank you all for the love – it’s overwhelming.
— Jamie Tawil (@JamieTawil) August 17, 2024
Sydney Morton, a community reporter at Global Okanagan, shared another video of producer and anchor Kimberly Davidson signing off for the last time.
“After nearly 67 years, this is the last live broadcast from the station,” Davidson says, fighting tears.
“I will be the last person to turn out the lights in this studio.”
View this post on Instagram
One user shared an emotional message in response to Davidson’s sign-off.
“This breaks my heart. My grandpa always had Global Okanagan on growing up. He’s passed now and every broadcast reminded me of the coffee smell in the morning and watching the local news together. What has the world come to.”
Layoffs have hit all of Corus Entertainment’s divisions, including radio, TV, and digital.
“We understand this is a difficult time, especially as we say goodbye to friends and colleagues. These changes are difficult and reflective of the challenging advertising and regulatory environment we find ourselves in,” said Ward Smith, senior vice president of Corus, last month.
“We want to thank the people impacted today for their hard work and contributions over the years. We are also grateful for your patience and understanding of the challenges we face right-sizing our business model.”