CFN – Every city should have local media outlets with local content. It’s that vacuum here in Cornwall Ontario which led to CFN being created and its success with the public.
We just celebrated our sixth month with over 1 Million plus page views per month, over 30% of them from Cornwall; with almost 75% of our total traffic coming from the Kingston, Ottawa, Cornwall, Montreal corridor.
That’s not accidental. We had Seaway Radio for one year and that drew over 30,000 listens in that time and was a lot of fun, but frankly the future of Radio is probably just ahead of the curve of print media.
TV was always the present and future. Newer technology offered opportunities that we’ve explored for over a year and we were ready to go, but I made a team decision; that if we were going to make the investment in this community we had to be met part way.
Creating content is expensive as is contracting for it. Even a modest Online TV station requires investment and resources.
However the Mayor and his little clique have had a boycott on CFN now since December. Some would say even before that, but according to the city’s high powered lawyer it started around December.
For example Seaway Tourism should be all over us as we serve the region and can attract outsiders to our area, but after their board fired the previous manager, just about after she bought her first ads from us, they installed one of their board members, the wife of a Corus radio announcer whose near first act was to cut our ads.
This type of thing has happened across the board and some of our sponsors were intimidated as well. It’s high school and frankly a form of conspiracy. It’s not even competition. It’s just a small group, as one city councilor put it, “Think they are more important than they really are” trying to lean on something because they don’t have “Control” over it.
We’ve had two lawyers even offer to take the city to court on our behalf, but frankly I think the taxpayers of Cornwall are bleeding enough already paying for CAO Fitzpatrick’s adventures. Adventures that in most other cities could never have cost a city as much if certain politicians didn’t support and cover them up. The taxpayers of this city are our viewers; they’re our clients, our contributors. Why should they have to pay for the abusive tactics of an alleged corrupt regime?
The support and comments we’ve received have been overwhelmingly supportive, but sadly we will not be able to flip the on switch for September as planned. We were supposed to announce our surprise Local News Anchor this week, but felt that we simply could not until all our ducks are in a row.
The impact of this delay? A landlord now has an empty space. About six employees don’t get to start their jobs when they hoped and we may lose some of them. The city ends up not having a local TV news cast and of course the sponsors ready to move forward don’t benefit. This isn’t how to grow a community now is it?
So now we’re at a Crossroads. It really is up to the business community of this city to make some magic happen. We need people like Gerry Benson to step forward and say that Cornwall needs a TV station to call its own just as much as it needs a University. We need business leadership to put their stamp of approval on Seaway TV instead of worrying what the clique might say or do.
In the meanwhile we’re kicking the tires of a few ideas to help fund raise and move forward.
My promise to you Cornwall is that as long as I’m running this ship we will move ahead and keep bringing you the News, Views, and Reviews that you want and that we will continue supporting this community and working with those that want to work with us.
It’s not rocket science; it’s the internet. It’s today and our future.
Jamie Gilcig
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@ Admin- Just want to express my disappointment with the lack of concrete support Seaway TV has received. Mr. Benson probably has a very limited social conscience and cannot see how he could leverage his influence by supporting the television initiative which could serve to accomplish the goal of education, if that is truly what he desires. Rather than just have a university for the few, the television station could offer educational programming for everyone in our area, free of charge- a true legacy.
Sometimes people have their wires crossed in their thinking because they are ruled by fear and unspoken social contracts, there seems to be alot of that in Cornwall. It is holding us back from moving forward. Hope you keep persevering and stating your case, perhaps people will have a change of heart.
So…Seaway TV would create jobs, unite, educate and market Cornwall but a certain gang is standing in your way.
You’re not just being boycotted, you’re being bullied.
I thought that Cornwall already had a local station and a local TV newscast called The Source.
What did they city do to block the launch date??
Eugene the CRTC actually has rules of what Cogeco is allowed to do; especially if there is a local commercial station. They are not allowed to compete. Also, less and less people are subscribing to Cogeco Cable and if you don’t have Cogeco Cable you don’t get the source.
Cornwall needs its own Six O’Clock daily local newscast. It needs local coverage of news from a locally owned company and it needs to develop our own talent for a bigger platform.
Seaway TV will be visible on your smart phone, computer, tablet, and 70″ TV. Yes Soc, we’ve been bullied almost from day one. The previous Chamber Prez for example told City Councilors that our radio station was a pirate station. I had to wait a year to get our music rights license! Of course this former manager of Corus was dumped and left town not long after….
Eugene, would that be Cogeco Channell 11? This gets wide open when you/we start accusing them of bullying. You may be right because these guys would be protecting their ass ets in a compeitive environment just as Bell and others who have networked for the past 50 years. Hard shell game to break into.
Jamie and folks I remember way back in the 60’s era Cornwall had a TV station but it didn’t last. I believe it was on Channel 8. Gee how can I remember all that way back – I thought that I had alzheimers or something. LOL LOL. No kidding Cornwall did have a TV station and it didn’t last. This would be a tremendous expense on you Jamie. Your paper Cornwall Free News travels and not just in Cornwall but Ottawa, Montreal and beyond. See I am an oldie – a boomer.
Have faith CFN, this is more proof you have the Mayor and his “Bobs” afraid of you. Heck with all the traffic from outside the city looking in at how zoo is really ran, companies from afar will want to do anything to get this up and running for their own $$. I am done ranting tonight so think I will call Mr. Peters and get a great room rate over at the ramada inn. maybe even a free meal too. Gnite folks.
CFN is the best and I no longer look at the rag SF anymore. It is around 2 weeks now since I looked at SF and never will again. I made that promise and kept it and will continue to do so. Jamie’s CFN is the best and yes Jamie they are afraid of you because you tell the truth and like it is.
Jamie you are reaching all of us who are in different cities and towns and we had to leave because of work. The work only went to certain people and businesses folded in Cornwall. A lot of the folding was because of the BS going around. My daughter is 3 hours on buses here in Ottawa to work at very small wage and we feel sorry to see her go like that. We can’t wait to see her finish that contract and go back to college for a while so as she can find a much better job. The travel alone just kills. Cornwall is situated in the right spot near the major cities but Cornwall lacks good representation like a good mayor and a good council. Like I said only two good men there 1 left and the other is still there André and Leslie. These men went through a lot – bless them both.
@admin Maybe the problem with Seaway TV isn’t the idea or the city, maybe it is the idiot that is trying to start it up? I have never read someone more abrasive and ludicrous than you. I think that you should be wearing a tinfoil hat and going to Area 51 meetings because all you do is blame others for your mediocrity. There is no conspiracy against you. Plain and simply you are an asshole.
Well Jamie what did you really expect from the people who run and have run our city for to many years.They will do what they want, when they want, and if ANYONE tries to step on there toe,s they will pay dearly.People of this city are scared to stand up for whats right they would rather leave it wrong and corrupt then to be harassed or sued for standing up to whats right.I like you, Jamie have over the years stood up to there corruption only to pay the price dearly for pushing some matters.Jamie you can not win and you will never win in this city of corruption.The reason you will not win is because the people of this city will back down when pushed by our great officials.A little bit of advice for you Jamie.The wolfs are waiting for the right time to take you down.Goodluck
Luckyred “the wolves” have been snapping, chewing, and snarling for quite awhile. You’re right. They may win in the end, but you never know…
A very wise, wealthy, and smart man once told me that “There is always someone smarter than you out there and always someone smarter than that person.”
Jamie there is a man that you had on your newspaper – a video by the name of Pat Finnerty – an elderly gentleman who was saying the truth about Cornwall being owned by certain ones and he said it so elequently that I wish I saved that video. This gentleman used to have something to do with the city.
The word “bully” is very right indeed about how things are run in Cornwall and how people are very afraid to stand up for their rights. My husband always says that the people do not know their rights in Cornwall. I am one who is not afraid at all and I left because of these “pieces of feces” and knew that there was no future. One girl that I went to the college with way back in the “good old days” from Cornwall said to me “get out of this wretched town and go to Ottawa and just about anywhere else” and then I left and found out that she was right. She left before I did and never went back. Now she is out in Calgary since a long time now. Nobody stays in Cornwall because they know that there is no life there. The town is very lovely but it is those who act like “Boss Hogg” and worse and not just Kilger but Samsons, Grants along with others. No I would never go back again. I would like to live in a small place but it would never be Cornwall ever again. Cornwall has been finished a long time ago and even long before I was born Jamie. That goes to show you that things were never good to begin with. People of my generation and even older and younger have all left. When I went back to Cornwall I counted only a few that I knew since they inherited their fathers businesses. The rest have all flown the coop.
Cornwall had the many opportunities of getting ahead. When Kaneb was mayor he refused a General Motors plant and that plant went to Massena instead. You see Jamie Kilger controls who comes in as business and who doesn’t just like Samsons, Grant, and others. When people hear the name Cornwall they are turned off completely. Whoever can leave will leave. Those who are stuck with a house are really stuck.
Mr. Vallentine has a good idea of a beach and people come up with some very good ideas but I have to be very honest and that is when people know about what is going on no amount of beach or anything will keep them in Cornwall at all. Children are taught since they are very small to leave Cornwall when they are older because there is absolutely no future for them or their children down the line. People that I went to school with were great people and Cornwall has some excellent people who live there but are trapped in limbo and cannot do anything. I have never seen such a nightmare to live under. I could never go back to such a place ever again as long as I live. It hurts very deeply and it has hurt others as well but when you have no choice you don’t live there but you move forward and you don’t look back ever again.
Jamie there used to be a university (a kind of a one but not a real one) which was affiliated with St. Lawrence College. That was back in the good old days of my era. This university was something of a dream but never was anything real to begin with. It only offered stupid courses that you couldn’t get recognition nor a job out of it. Everything is all smoke and mirrors in Cornwall.
That gang of bullies who run Cornwall are doing it all by design to keep the people so mighty ignorant and in poverty that they cannot raise a hand or say a word to defend themselves. This is “TYRANNY” indeed.
Jamie you are a good man indeed and there are people on your staff who are very good reporters but in Cornwall people are living in “LIMBO” and they can never get out of that system unless they leave for good. Cornwall will never get ahead as long as that mentality exists and that these people continue to exist. There is much more to all this story than what people really know about and is mighty scary when you start digging down deep.
I see absolutely no future at all Jamie for Cornwall. It has potential but the “powers that be – the dirty MODERATED” will not let it grow because then they would lose power. They swept the sex abuse under the rug with a fake trial and the judge was MODERATED I could tell you a great deal but I won’t because I want to protect you and your paper. I started to and deleted it. The same with the smuggling ring I will never live in a town where this exists. Ottawa is a big city and you are lucky to know a certain number of people and in a way it is best left that way.
The “FECES” have destroyed Cornwall literally. Jamie take a good look around you and you are a very intelligent man and ask yourself who would want to move there. Jamie Cornwall was alive at one time and I can’t even begin to explain to you how alive it was. Pitt and Second had so many people shopping and going to and from work and going to lunch counters and talking to one another about work, etc. Montreal Road as well flourished and never have I ever saw anything so dead in my entire life is what Cornwall is today. Even the 1930’s was alive compared to today and that is no joke. Cornwall became a literal graveyard and all done by design. The FECES don’t want it to be known about their dirty underhanded dealings across Canada and elsewhere and that is one of the reasons that they want to boycott the TV station. The stink is much worse than what Domtar and Courthaulds could ever spew out of their smoke stacks. People are literally cornered in a type of a prison that they cannot escape from.
Jules I’m not sure what your problem is with Cornwall, but it really is a good place. Yes, Mayor Kilger and his pack are an issue, but things have a way of working out.
The public isn’t stupid. I remember during the campaign, late one night at Winners: “Bob how could you ever lose to Guy Lauzon?”
I won’t share that magic moment after, but things change. People lose elections.
The point is that people can’t wait for change, they have to be the change. In spite of all the BS people go through in this town and others good things happen. Instead of complaining we have to try and make things better.
It’s like gardening. You just don’t plant your seeds and walk away if you hope to get the best results….
Jules……….Please, enough already! Your stupid and very ignorant comments make me NOT want to check-in on CFN news.
And one more thing, we are soooo happy that you don’t want to come back to the City of Cornwall.
Yes Nugget. It does get pretty tiresome.
Jamie there are some good things about Cornwall but for many years and I mean many (even much longer than your years of being alive) things in Cornwall have been going down the drain with certain people in charge. The very worst that I have ever seen up till now is under Kilger. I have seen crooked administration but this takes the cake.
Nugget as for stupid and ignorant that I am not. I am well awake and aware of what is going on. At age 61 I have seen so many things. This present administration is the very worst along with their crooked bunch. This is nothing new and many of the crooks are brought in year after year after year and people just keep putting them all in. Who needs 10 councellors for such a tiny town. Who works for almost $300K a year and all the perks and messes up badly.
LOL LOL Jamie I found the bit on Pat Finnerty that you posted some time ago and I love it. No truer words were ever spoken. He said how he came to Cornwall in 1956 and the population remains the same. He said how the fat cats so to speak run Cornwall. He sang the song of Cher. He also said how many kids are going to bed hungry in Cornwall.
You are talking about not being successful at getting advertisement for the TV station that you want to open. Jamie you are an intelligent man and people like myself don’t have to spell things out to you word by word why you can’t get a TV station on the go. If it were someone other than yourself who wanted to open one up and had a lot of capital it would still be mighty difficult to open one up because of “the fat cats so to speak” who run Cornwall. This elderly gentleman Mr. Pat Finnerty is spot on and deserves my highest praises. I just bookmarked it. I love this dear man. I keep laughing and crying at the same time because he said the very truth of the matter. You have your answer Jamie. It is even next to impossible for anyone to do any kind of business in Cornwall and former neighbors of ours in Cornwall told us that long ago.
I am going to play Mr. Finnerty again – he is music to my ears. This is the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Go back and listen to this dear man what he said and listen very carefully to every single word. I wish that more people really paid attention and they wouldn’t think that I was some looney but someone who knew Cornwall and left for mighty good reasons. No place is heaven but at least I don’t have to put up with all the BS going around. I feel for the really good people in Cornwall but the evil ones deserve it.
OMG Jules ! You make me laugh sooo much with your comments, by belly aches.
Stop it! I can’t stand it any more. I can’t breathe, my jaw hurts, my eyes are watery! A funny lady you are.
You should have your own show on CBC and replace Rex Murphy.
Jules is being quite dramatic and likely drunk. My wife and I moved back to Cornwall, with two young daughters, from the GTA after being gone for 20 years. We have never been happier.
If the kids want to leave that is fine but we will have a business to leave them if they come back. You reap what you sow.