Rogers TV Peel has closed effective immediately on Tuesday, May 2.

Speaking at the station on Wolfedale Road in Mississauga, station manager Jake Dheer would neither confirm nor deny reports that the station has closed and said he “cannot be the spokesperson on the issue.”

But, an email obtained by The News by producer Marissa Corrigan to Rogers volunteers reveals the cable station has closed and ceased operations.

“Effective today, Rogers TV Mississauga has closed and ceased operations. Thank you for your continued dedication, enthusiasm and years of service to Rogers TV,” the email reads.

Rogers spokesperson Stephanie Leslie confirmed that 15 full-time positions were affected at Rogers TV Peel.

“In today’s saturated media market, viewers in the GTA have access to, and the choice of, more news sources than ever before. Recognizing the financial challenges associated with producing local news, the CRTC established greater funding flexibility in its new policy framework for local and community programming,” Leslie stated.

“We are reallocating resources from Rogers TV in Mississauga and the GTA to support our evolving local programming strategy, positioning us to deliver quality local news and relevant content in the communities where we can make the greatest impact.”

The journalism industry has been hit hard in recent years due to financial struggles that have resulted in thousands of layoffs in both print and broadcast and Rogers isn’t immune to that trend.

A similar move to reallocate resources to local television was performed last week by Corus Entertainment Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. Funds were redirected to Global News stations in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton and Shaw TV stations in those cities will be closed, effective Aug. 15 as a result.

For many years, Rogers Peel has provided budding young volunteers with valuable broadcast careers to strengthen their resumes.