The shutdown of six Rogers radio stations, including the Sportsnet networks in Vancouver and Calgary, directly impacts rights holders and local broadcasters by eliminating key platforms for sports audio content and reducing advertising inventory for music and urban programming. This consolidation signals a broader retreat from traditional radio as declining audience habits and lower ad revenue force major media companies to cut jobs and exit markets, leaving songwriters, publishers, and radio programmers with fewer outlets to reach Canadian listeners.
Major Closures and Job Losses
Rogers Sports and Media has officially closed Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver and Sportsnet 960 in Calgary, alongside four other stations including 660 NewsRadio in Calgary and 1130 AM in Vancouver. The decision results in 80 employees losing their jobs specifically due to these six station closures, contributing to a total of 230 job losses across Rogers Sports and Media from organizational changes announced Tuesday. The company cited declining audience numbers and lower advertisement revenue as the primary drivers, stating that the media business faces headwinds from changing audience habits and reduced ad spending.
Impact on Sports Broadcasts
While Rogers will continue broadcasting Vancouver Canucks games on one of its remaining radio properties in Vancouver, the company will no longer produce radio broadcasts for the Calgary Flames, Hitmen, or Wranglers. From October to May of the past year, Rogers reported that its Calgary sports radio station averaged just 1,200 listeners, while the Vancouver sports station averaged 2,100 listeners during the same period. Rogers spokesperson Zac Carreiro confirmed that the company will continue operating 44 radio stations in nearly 30 communities and will invest in local news in the impacted markets despite these closures.
Strategic Shift in Media Investment
The closures represent a strategic pivot to focus investment on areas that will drive long-term growth rather than maintaining underperforming radio assets. Rogers noted that its Sportsnet 590 station in Toronto will continue to operate, indicating that the company is retaining stronger-performing markets while exiting those with significant audience decline. This move follows five years after Bell Media shuttered TSN’s all-sports radio stations in Vancouver and other cities, marking a continued contraction of dedicated sports radio in Canada. The decision leaves urban radio professionals and Black music stakeholders with fewer traditional radio partners in these major Canadian cities.
For editorial consideration and industry coverage inquiries, contact Radio Facts.
