Rogers Sports & Media has announced the closure of six radio stations in four Canadian cities, resulting in the elimination of 230 jobs. The stations in Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax, and Kitchener will be affected by these cutbacks. A spokesperson for Rogers informed CBC News that 80 individuals directly employed by the shuttered stations will lose their jobs. The remaining 150 job cuts will impact corporate roles, such as sales and marketing, as well as a small number of positions in TV, radio, and other divisions outside the media sector.
The decision to close the stations was described as “difficult but necessary” following a comprehensive review of the company’s radio stations nationwide. Rogers expressed gratitude to both the listeners and the team for their contributions to the local communities. The affected stations include Sportsnet 650 and News 1130 in Vancouver, 660 NewsRadio Calgary and Sportsnet 960 in Alberta, as well as NewsRadio Halifax and NewsRadio Kitchener.
Listeners tuning in to News 1130 and Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver were greeted with recorded messages and reruns on Tuesday morning. News 1130 traffic reporter Alexander Carrigan shared that he discovered the closure of his station while driving to work, hearing the announcement broadcast on air. B.C. Premier David Eby expressed sadness over the closures, highlighting the importance of local news outlets for the province.
The cutbacks did not come as a surprise to Jeffrey Dvorkin, former director of the journalism program at the University of Toronto, who suggested that media organizations are seeking ways to satisfy shareholders by consolidating media platforms. Rogers cited declining audience and revenue trends as reasons for the closures, noting low listener numbers for over-the-air sports radio in Vancouver and Calgary.
April Lindgren, co-director of the Local News Research Project at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Journalism, raised concerns about the impact of these cuts on local news availability, referring to it as “news poverty.” She emphasized the importance of local news sources in informing the public and holding leaders accountable, warning of the risks of misinformation and conspiracy theories in their absence.
Rogers announced the relocation of radio production for Canucks games to another owned station, while discontinuing the production of Calgary Flames games on radio. Despite the closures, Sportsnet 590 in Toronto will remain operational, along with 44 radio stations in nearly 30 communities across Canada under Rogers’ management. These decisions follow Rogers Communications’ recent acquisition of full ownership of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, including the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors, in a multi-billion dollar deal.