Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kevin Raphaël at this difficult time, as he is shown the exit door by TVA Sports.
This decision comes in a context where TVA Sports is losing the broadcast rights to WWE, which are now heading to Netflix.
Kevin Raphaël, with a broken heart, announced the loss of this enormous contract, a real injustice even though the audience ratings were good, much better than those of several other shows, including that of Jean-Charles Lajoie.
The end of the fight at TVA Sports, scheduled for December 31, is not a surprise to anyone. All international rights will transfer to Netflix.
It’s a new era for media, where sport is adapting to new platforms, which is understandable but painful for those who suffer the consequences.
The cuts continue to hit TVA Sports, which will certainly close its doors in 2026 with the end of the NHL contract.
This is another blow to the media industry. Our thoughts and prayers are with Kevin Raphaël and Pat Laprade, who are going through this ordeal with immense pain.
Their passion and dedication for wrestling and this “theatrical sport” do not go unnoticed and deserve all our admiration and support in these uncertain times.
TVA Sports is unfortunately not alone in going through difficult times. The TVA Group as a whole is experiencing an unprecedented period of crisis, marked by the announcement of the elimination of so many jobs over the past year, which has caused consternation in the television industry in Quebec. We are getting dangerously close to “1000 jobs lost” in a single year.
“Dark day at TVA”, “The crisis in the media is merciless”, “TVA on the artificial respirator”, all the adjectives and headlines are there day after day.
We are now talking about a question of survival. And to survive right now, we have to sacrifice shows, sports…human beings…
Kevin Raphaël can console himself. He is far from being the only one.
VLOG host Dominic Arpin, who has worked for TVA since the 1990s, expressed his sadness:
“People losing their jobs is more than just knowledge. They are friends. And there is the fact of leaving the building on Boulevard de Maisonneuve]too. It may seem absurd, but we become attached to our workplace. It’s a little mourning. My heart goes out to my colleagues who are losing their jobs. »
Other TVA figures quickly expressed their support. Gino Chouinard, host of Salut Bonjour, wrote on his Facebook page:
“”To my friends in the morning, great challenges await us. Courage! I’m thinking of us. I think of you. »
Cultural columnist Annie-Soleil Proteau added:
“With all my heart with my colleagues who learned today that they will lose their jobs at TVA. Passionate, valiant people, who face a worrying nothingness. I hold you tight, each of you. Let’s support our Quebec media. »
Jean-Philippe Dion, producer of several shows, also expressed his solidarity: “With all my heart with my colleagues at TVA. »
To try to adapt to this crisis, TVA Group announced the abandonment of its internal production activities for entertainment content.
Shows like “Le Cheur”, “La Poule auxoeufs d’or” and “VLOG” will now be produced by external producers.
However, TVA will continue to produce service programs such as “Salut Bonjour” and “Salut Bonjour Week-end” internally, as well as certain programs from the TVA Sports channel. But the fight has gone into a twister.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by these events, in particular to Kevin Raphaël and Pat Laprade, who are suffering the consequences of this crisis with immense pain.
