Rogers closes six radio stations and cuts 80 jobs

Rogers Sports and Media is shutting down six radio stations in Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax and Kitchener, affecting 80 employees. The closures include Sportsnet 650 and Sportsnet 960, along with several NewsRadio stations in those markets. The company said the decision was driven by declining audience numbers and weaker advertising revenue. Rogers said it will keep operating 44 stations in nearly 30 communities and plans to continue investing in local news in the affected markets. The changes also affect some sports coverage. Rogers said it will keep broadcasting Vancouver Canucks games on one of its radio properties, but it will stop producing Calgary Flames radio broadcasts. The company said shifting listener habits, especially toward podcasts and other digital audio options, have changed the economics of traditional radio.