Rogers Shuts Down Six Radio Stations, Cuts 230 Jobs Across Canada

CANADA — Rogers Sports & Media announced July 7 that it is closing six radio stations across four Canadian markets and eliminating 230 positions, a move the company says reflects declining audience numbers and advertising revenue in traditional broadcast radio.

The closures affect stations in Vancouver, Calgary, Kitchener, and Halifax. Eighty of the job losses are directly tied to the radio shutdowns, with the remaining cuts spanning other areas of Rogers’ media operations.

The affected stations are:
– Sportsnet 650 and 1130 NewsRadio in Vancouver
– Sportsnet 960 and 660 NewsRadio in Calgary
– 570 NewsRadio in Kitchener
– NewsRadio 95.7 in Halifax

Rogers is returning the AM radio licenses to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

“We conducted a thorough review of our audio business and identified declining audience and revenue trends,” the company said in a statement. “This is a difficult but necessary decision.”

Zac Carreiro, a Rogers spokesperson, told reporters that the media business faces ongoing headwinds from shifting audience habits and reduced advertising spending. The company said it will continue operating 44 radio stations in nearly 30 communities across Canada.

Unifor, the union representing many of the affected workers, condemned the decision. National President Lana Payne called the layoffs “another devastating blow to Canada’s already fragile news industry.”

“These are trusted, fact-based local broadcast journalists who produce programming for communities across Canada,” Payne said in a statement released July 8.

The union also pointed to Rogers’ multibillion-dollar investment in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment as evidence that the company has capital but is choosing to divest from journalism.

The closures follow similar moves by Bell Media, which shut down multiple AM talk radio stations in 2023, including operations in Vancouver, Calgary, and Hamilton. Industry observers have noted a broader shift away from AM radio as listeners migrate to digital platforms and FM signals.

For Halifax, the closure of NewsRadio 95.7 removes one of the city’s dedicated news and information outlets. The station had operated as part of Rogers’ NewsRadio network, which also included the now-defunct stations in other markets.

Affected employees were notified Tuesday morning. Rogers said it is offering severance packages and outplacement services to those losing their positions.

The company emphasized that it remains committed to local news investment in the affected markets through its remaining platforms, though specific details on how local coverage will be maintained were not provided.