Rogers Sports & Media’s radio station closures in Vancouver, Calgary, Kitchener, and Halifax, have sparked a handful of petitions to the House of Commons.
The company announced last week it was eliminating 230 positions and abruptly taking six stations off the air, including 1130 NewsRadio (CKWX-AM) Vancouver; Sportsnet 650 (CISL-AM), Vancouver’s last remaining sports radio station; 660 NewsRadio (CFFR-AM) Calgary; Sportsnet 960 AM The Fan (CFAC-AM) Calgary; NewsRadio 95.7 (CJNI-FM) Halifax; and 570 NewsRadio (CKGL-AM) Kitchener.
Kelly DeRidder, Member of Parliament for Kitchener Centre, said the loss of “an essential platform for local journalism” in the Waterloo Region raises immediate concerns, including the future of radio coverage for local Ontario Hockey League (OHL) team, the Kitchener Rangers.
In a statement released last week, the Conservative MP said the current federal strategy for safeguarding local news and employment is simply not working.
“After approving the Rogers-Shaw merger, Former Industry Minister and now Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne promised to ‘watch Rogers like a hawk,’ insisting the merger would benefit consumers. Yet here in Kitchener, workers have lost their jobs and residents have lost a vital source of community news,” said DeRidder.
“Canadians deserve more opportunities to have their stories told, not fewer. Local journalism is instrumental in a healthy democratic society, she continued. “The current federal government must explain how its extensive support for Rogers is serving Canadians.”
Among the calls of a locally-circulated petition are to keep local stations open for those with limited internet access “as these stations served an essential public-interest function that national media, websites, or social platforms cannot fully replace — especially during emergencies, severe weather, elections, or transportation disruptions.”
It also demands “a full public inquiry” into the closures and their impact on local news, emergency information, and democratic accountability in affected communities and seeks the introduction of legislation to mandate local news and information radio services as essential public services, requiring licensed broadcasters to maintain minimum local programming and news operations in their markets, with meaningful penalties for non-compliance.
Additionally, it wants to strengthen oversight of the “Rogers-Bell-TELUS oligopoly” to ensure these companies fulfill their public-interest obligations, including greater competition and accountability measures.
As of Monday morning, the petition had garnered about 500 signatures.
Community petitions
At least one community petition has also popped up on Change.org.
Kitchener resident Linda Brown wrote in her appeal – calling for 570 NewsRadio to be revived – that “our stories matter, our voices deserve a platform, and our public radio is worth saving.”
“Like many in our community, I rely on local radio, not billionaire-owned platforms like X, to provide essential information about road conditions and weather updates,” she wrote. “Local journalists are the backbone of our community; they report on the issues and stories that truly matter to my family, our neighbours, and our local athletes. They are here, present in our lives, reflecting our concerns, championing our narratives, and celebrating our victories.”
“The abrupt cancellation of 570 News as well as stations in Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax, is a devastating blow to us all. Rogers Media’s decision reflects a concerning direction—one away from community engagement and local journalism toward profit-driven motives that disregard the community they are supposed to serve. It’s not just a business decision; it feels like a betrayal to the heart and soul of our cities.”
“It’s time for us to stand together and demand that Rogers Media reinstate 570 News. We need to show them that our community values its local radio presence and that we are committed to preserving it. Restoring 570 News will ensure the continuity of local journalism that holds significant importance in our daily lives.”
Another petition calls for the reinstatement of Victoria morning show AJ & Mira on Ocean 98.5 (CIOC-FM), who were also caught up in last week’s layoffs.
