Rogers Sports & Media has announced the closure of six radio stations in various Canadian cities, resulting in the loss of 230 jobs. The affected stations are located in Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax, and Kitchener.
According to a statement released by the company, 80 employees from the shuttered stations will be directly impacted, while the remaining 150 job cuts will include corporate positions such as sales, marketing, and a small number of roles in TV and radio, as well as a few positions outside the media division.
The decision to close the radio stations was described as a “difficult but necessary” one following a comprehensive review of the company’s radio operations nationwide. The company expressed gratitude to both its listeners and staff for their contributions to the local communities.
The closure of the stations includes Sportsnet 650 and News 1130 in Vancouver, and 660 NewsRadio Calgary and Sportsnet 960 in Alberta. Listeners in Vancouver were greeted with a recorded message on News 1130 and re-runs on Sportsnet 650.
Additional stations affected by the closures are NewsRadio Halifax and NewsRadio Kitchener. Traffic reporter Alexander Carrigan of News 1130 shared that he learned about the closure while driving to work, hearing the announcement broadcast on air.
B.C. Premier David Eby expressed regret over the closures on social media, emphasizing the importance of local news outlets for British Columbians.
The decision to shut down the stations aligns with a broader trend observed by media experts, such as former University of Toronto journalism program director Jeffrey Dvorkin, who noted that media organizations are seeking ways to satisfy shareholders amidst changing industry dynamics.
Rogers attributed the closures to declining audience and revenue trends, highlighting low audience numbers for over-the-air sports radio in Vancouver and Calgary. The company stated that neither station had an average audience exceeding 2,100 listeners.
According to April Lindgren, co-director of the Local News Research Project at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Journalism, the closures contribute to “news poverty” in Canada, with a net loss of nearly 200 local news outlets since 2008. She emphasized the detrimental impact on democracy and public information dissemination.
While some radio production shifts are planned, with Vancouver continuing Canucks game broadcasts on a different Rogers station, Calgary Flames games will no longer be produced for radio. Sportsnet 590 in Toronto remains operational, and Rogers maintains 44 radio stations in close to 30 Canadian communities.
The closures come shortly after Rogers Communications acquired full ownership of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors, in a deal worth $4.35 billion.
Overall, these closures reflect the evolving landscape of the media industry and the challenges faced by traditional broadcasters in adapting to changing consumer preferences and market dynamics.