Rogers to Shutter Six News and Sports Stations in Canada
Canadian media company Rogers Sports and Media is shutting down six of its news and sports stations, including CISL-AM, Vancouver “Sportsnet 650”; CFAC-AM, Calgary “Sportsnet 960”; CFFR-AM, Calgary “660 NewsRadio”; CXWX-AM, Vancouver; CJNI-FM, Halifax “NewsRadio 95.7”; and CKGL-AM, Kitchener 
“570 NewsRadio.” Yahoo! is reporting that Rogers says the closures will mean layoffs for 80 employees of the stations. Other simultaneous staff reductions at Rogers are costing another 150 people their positions. These cuts are revenue based as Rogers spokesperson Zac Carreiro states, “The media business continues to face headwinds driven by declining advertising revenue and changing audience habits. These changes are part of our plan to focus our investment in areas that will drive growth long-term. After a thorough review of our radio stations, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to close six radio stations in four markets due to declining audience and revenue trends.” Rogers will continue operate 44 radio stations in some 30 markets. See the Yahoo! story here.
CHQR, Calgary; CHED, Edmonton; CJOB Winnipeg; and CFPL, London. Cooper is focusing on Canadian markets because he was born in Toronto and was heard in Canada on the iHeartRadio talk network. Cooper says, “It’s what happens when you mix relationship advice, scientific breakthroughs, and the world’s weirdest headlines into one show. Somehow, it all makes sense.” Cooper says the show targets the 25-54 demographic. He also serves as technical director and host at Burning Man Radio during his annual Nevada festival pilgrimage. He adds, “What do I know? Talk radio programmers call it a strategic counterprogramming solution, designed to capture audiences from alt-rock or NPR stations.”