Rogers Sports & Media is closing down six radio stations in four different Canadian cities as part of a restructuring effort that will lead to the loss of 230 jobs.
The affected stations are located in Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax, and Kitchener. According to a spokesperson from Rogers, 80 individuals directly employed by the shuttered stations will be impacted, with an additional 150 job cuts in corporate functions such as sales, marketing, TV, radio, and other non-media division roles.
The company stated that the decision, while difficult, was necessary following a comprehensive evaluation of its radio stations nationwide. They expressed gratitude to both their audience and employees for their contributions to the local communities.
In Vancouver, Sportsnet 650 and News 1130 will cease operations, while in Alberta, 660 NewsRadio Calgary and Sportsnet 960 will also be affected.
Listeners in Vancouver were greeted with pre-recorded messages on News 1130 and reruns on Sportsnet 650. Similarly, NewsRadio Halifax and NewsRadio Kitchener are set to close as well.
Alexander Carrigan, a traffic reporter at News 1130, shared that he learned about the station’s closure through an on-air announcement while driving to work. He expressed his uncertainty on how to process the news, acknowledging the importance of the station’s services to the community.
B.C. Premier David Eby expressed his disappointment on social media, highlighting the impact the closures will have on local news availability and emphasizing the value of journalism over profits.
The decision by Rogers to close these stations was attributed to declining audience and revenue trends, with low average listenership reported for the sports radio stations in Vancouver and Calgary.
Experts like Jeffrey Dvorkin and April Lindgren noted that these closures contribute to the ongoing issue of “news poverty” in Canada, with a significant loss of local news outlets over the years. They highlighted the detrimental effects on democracy and public information caused by the diminishing availability of local news sources.
Despite the closures, Rogers confirmed that the radio production of Canucks games will be relocated to another station under their ownership, while Calgary Flames games will no longer be produced for radio. Toronto’s Sportsnet 590 will continue its operations, along with 44 other radio stations in nearly 30 Canadian communities under Rogers.
The restructuring comes shortly after Rogers Communications acquired full ownership of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors, in a multi-billion-dollar deal, solidifying their position in the sports entertainment industry.