MONTREAL — Sun Media Corp. says it’s cutting 360 positions and closing 11 publications across the country, including its 24 Hours free daily newspapers in Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton.
The newspaper publisher says the plan is expected to yield annual savings of approximately $55 million.
Sun Media says it made the decision to close the three 24 Hours newspapers because it wants to focus on a single urban newspaper in each market, except Montreal and Toronto.
The company will continue to publish 24 Hours in Vancouver, where Sun Media doesn’t have a daily newspaper.
Sun Media, which is a subsidiary of Montreal-based Quebecor Inc. (TSX:QBR.B) is also closing eight publications in smaller communities in several provinces including three francophone publications in Quebec.
The closures include Le Magazine Saint-Lambert, Le Progres de Bellechasse and L’Action Regionale in Monteregie, Que., the Lindsay Daily Post and the Midland Free Press in Ontario, the Meadow Lake Progress in Saskatchewan and the Lac du Bonnet Leader and the Beausejour Review in Manitoba.