Political voices, fans across Canada continue reacting to Rogers radio shutdowns

VANCOUVER — On Tuesday morning, listeners who tuned to Sportsnet 960 The Fan expecting the usual mix of Flames discussion, breaking news, and debate were met with static. Many others experienced the same thing in Vancouver and elsewhere across the country..By mid-afternoon Tuesday, transmission on 960 AM had ended after periods of dead air and a recorded farewell message. Rogers cited declining audience and revenue trends.The sudden loss triggered an immediate and vocal reaction from fans, former broadcasters, sports media figures and politicians — an outcry that quickly extended well beyond Calgary.Similar scenes played out in other cities. In Vancouver, Sportsnet 650 and NewsRadio 1130 went dark the same day. Listeners there described the abrupt silence and a poignant final appearance by a regular guest on the long-running Halford and Brough show..In Kitchener, federal MP Kelly DeRidder posted simply: “Local journalism matters. Canadians deserve answers.” One of the shuttered stations served the Kitchener market..Fellow Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner similarly highlighted the shutdown of a Rogers station in the Kitchener area and criticized Rogers for receiving what she called “extreme preferential treatment from the federal government” while making the cuts..BC Premier David Eby weighed in on the Vancouver closures, writing that the loss of Sportsnet 650 and AM 1130 was “a blow for British Columbians.”“We all benefit from having local news outlets,” Eby said. “Journalism > Profits. BC is going to miss Sportsnet 650 and AM 1130. I’m thinking of all their staff, producers, and journalists today.”.Across platforms, fans and media professionals expressed nostalgia for the daily connection radio provided, frustration with corporate consolidation, and questions about whether robust local sports and news coverage can be sustained in its traditional form. .The reaction that began with static on Canadian dials on Tuesday morning has become part of a wider national conversation about local media, corporate decisions and what communities stand to lose when longstanding stations disappear suddenly.

Political voices, fans across Canada continue reacting to Rogers radio shutdowns

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