Halifax talk radio station 'will be missed' as airwaves go silent

Halifax talk radio station 'will be missed' as airwaves go silent

95.7 News Radio Halifax was one of 6 stations closed by Rogers Sports & Media on Tuesday

As the airwaves fell silent at Halifax talk radio station 95.7 News Radio on Tuesday, observers say the closure of the station is a loss.

The radio station was abruptly taken off the air as its owner, Rogers Sports & Media, shuttered six radio stations in four Canadian cities.

Listeners heard an occasional announcement Tuesday that said: "Today is the last day 95.7 News Radio will be on the air. We are proud to have served Halifax and the surrounding area. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the station over the years and thanks to you for listening to 95.7 News Radio."

Tim Roszell is one of those who contributed to the station. He was hired to help with its launch in 2005, which took place alongside the launches of News 88.9 in Saint John and News 91.9 in Moncton.

He said when the station started, the Halifax newsroom had a staff of about eight.

"We had varying levels of experience, but … we put our heart and soul into it," Roszell said.

"Everybody who worked at those stations really dove in with both feet and really wanted to make a mark and show that there was a place for that type of format and that type of radio in this region."

Roszell said the end of the station is "sad" and "disappointing."

Tributes flowed on social media as politicians, former guests and regular listeners lamented the station's closure.

'They punched well above their weight'

The station was known for its breaking news coverage, call-in shows and host personalities.

Roszell said the up-to-the-minute coverage will be missed.

"When there are emergencies, when there are, you know, hurricane warnings, forest fires, things like that, that's where these types of stations are really, really missed because these stations were hyperlocal. If it was going on … the stations were on it."

Retired University of King's College journalism professor Stephen Kimber said the closure of 95.7 News Radio Halifax is not surprising, but is disappointing.

"The work that they did was important and it will be missed," Kimber said. "There's no question about that."

Kimber said the station provided an alternative to the CBC and the private radio stations that were not required to have a news element.

"I was always impressed by the quality of the hosts, particularly Rick Howe when he was doing it," Kimber said. "He would be almost by himself producing three or four hours every day of radio with really incisive interviews. They punched well above their weight, that's for sure."

Kimber said there is reason to be hopeful about the state of media in Halifax with the rise of independent outlets such as the Halifax Examiner, but the loss of yet another news outlet is still a blow.

The demise of the station's call-in shows is also a loss, said Kimber, noting that regular callers would develop a relationship with the hosts, and the listeners formed a sort of community.

"It's another reduction in what we think of as the public square."

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With a file from Information Morning Nova Scotia