The suspension of creative arts programs at Ontario colleges is raising concerns about its impact on new creative talent and the future of the creative industry.
Guillermo Acosta, the senior dean of the Faculty of Media, Creative Arts and Design at Humber Polytechnic, said in an email in March that Humber Polytechnic is suspending the radio broadcasting diploma, the public relations advanced diploma and the film and multiplatform storytelling graduate certificate for the Fall 2025 term due to low enrolment.
Current students can complete their studies in these programs. New applicants applying to these programs will have alternative options at Humber Polytechnic. These programs will undergo reviews with the program's facility.
Paul Cross, the coordinator of the Radio Broadcasting Diploma at Humber Polytechnic, said It's unfortunate that the suspension of the radio broadcasting diploma program was made to all faculty before informing the students.
“We carry on with the curriculum for this semester, for both the first-year students and the second-year students,” Cross said. “The students who are currently in their first year will have their second-year courses next year.”
Cross said Humber has failed to capitalize on and promote the success and value of the radio broadcasting program, the alumni, and graduates for the world to see.
“I would probably want to see Humber initiate the changes that the faculty have worked on tirelessly and exhaustively for hours in the last two years that Humber now has killed,” Cross said.
Cross said many young people don’t listen to the radio.
“We know there's a demographic shift that was going on for some time in who listens to radio, and many people under 40 don't listen to radio, hardly at all,” he said.
Journalism programs at some Ontario colleges have recently been suspended, including at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Centennial College in Toronto and Sheridan College in Oakville, Ont.
Brent Jolly, president of the Canadian Association of Journalists and the managing director of the National NewsMedia Council of Canada, said the association’s goal is to support journalists.
Jolly said the association focuses on professional journalism development and training to foster a healthy media ecosystem, not just for the association's benefit but for the broader good of democracy and communities.
Jolly said the journalism industry should explore new ways for young journalists to establish themselves in the newsroom and the broader field of media. There needs to be better training to help freelancers not only pitch but to build a sustainable career in journalism.
“ My main concern with this is that there are fewer opportunities for students to hone their craft to learn the ins and outs and to be ready to make an impact as soon as students get on the job, when those jobs do present themselves,” he said
Jolly said he wonders if university and college administrators may start to see journalism as part of an elective rather than a major. At Toronto Metropolitan University, “the creative school and journalism is a department within it, but maybe it becomes more centralized,” he said
Jennifer Lanktree, lead organizer of the PodCamp Toronto and the Canadian Podcast Awards, said the arts are undervalued and do not receive the respect, funding or support they deserve
Lanktree said when her team took over 11 years ago, the PodCamp community had changed with independent podcasters and media creators.
“ The Canadian Podcast Awards is a free industry award for Canadian podcasters and people working or hobbying in podcasting. It’s a community. We provide space at different events for podcasters to come and promote their podcast for free,” she said.
Lanktree said Podcamp Toronto supports artists and creatives by providing people to network and build creative connections, and collaborate.
“I think podcasting in general is a terrific way for anyone to get their voice, their opinions, their business out there. There's a lot more that's involved in podcasting now. It's not just about recording and putting it out there. You also have to have a social media presence to go along with it,” she said.
Lanktree said the podcast field can only continue to grow, but it will be harder for new podcasters to find their audience.
She said the PodCamp Toronto and the Canadian Podcast Awards messages or emails are welcome to help and engage new podcasters and new creatives to meet with people at their free events.
June Findlay, brand and content strategist, says networking in Toronto is important in the fields of creative and media. | HumberETC/Ryan Persaud
June Findlay, a brand and content strategist, said fields like law, science and economics are essential, but the humanities give life meaning.
She said when people look at it in a business sense, corporate sense, shareholder sense and finances, creatives have to keep the economic experts happy. And the arts don't make much money.
Findlay said that in Toronto, creatives and students need to network because it is essential for the marketing and advertising field.
“ It's just building community, like finding people who are like-minded,” she said.
Findlay said Gen Z has the ability to make a personal brand.
“ They're probably the best of us that do this well, is they make a name for themselves,” she said.
Findlay said students don’t need a formal arts education. When students graduate from high school, students decide what they like, what they're passionate about, and then students can go from there based on what options are available to them.
