'Sad, angry and betrayed': Reactions pour in after Kitchener's 570 NewsRadio taken off air

'Sad, angry and betrayed': Reactions pour in after Kitchener's 570 NewsRadio taken off air

6 radio stations in 4 Canadian cities were shut down as part of cutbacks by Rogers

Local leaders are reacting to the news of the permanent closure of 570 NewsRadio in Kitchener.

"It's rare that I feel speechless, but tonight is one of those nights. Feeling sad, angry and betrayed," said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic in an X post on Tuesday.

"Your trusted journalists & team members deserved better, the [Kitchener] community deserved better and our country that you [Rogers Sports & Media] have made billions in profits from deserved better," he said.

The news and talk radio station was one of six radio stations in four Canadian cities that were shut down as part of cutbacks by Rogers Sports & Media. A total of 230 jobs were eliminated.

A Rogers spokesperson told CBC News the shuttered stations have 80 people losing their jobs directly. The other 150 jobs involve corporate roles, including in sales and marketing, along with a small number of positions in TV and radio, and an unspecified but small number from outside the media division as well.

Rogers cuts 230 jobs, closes radio stations in Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax and Kitchener

"Today is a reminder that local journalism is not something we should take for granted," said Region of Waterloo Councillor Colleen James in a Facebook post Tuesday.

She thanked the workers impacted by the closures for their contributions to local news.

"When local news disappears, our communities lose an important connection to one another and to the democratic process," she wrote in the post.

Where will Rangers games be broadcast?

The station has been the local broadcaster of Kitchener Rangers hockey games for about three decades.

Mike Farwell, a talk show host from 570 NewsRadio, was the team's play-by-play announcer.

In a public statement Wednesday, the Kitchener Rangers said 570 NewsRadio was "an incredible partner to the Rangers. We are incredibly grateful to the entire staff."

"We recognize how important our game broadcasts are to fans across the region and beyond. We are actively exploring alternative options to ensure our passionate fans can continue to follow the team, and we look forward to sharing more information as plans come together."

In a statement to CBC News, Luca Lombardi, a spokesperson for the Kitchener Rangers, said the options they are looking into include producing all Rangers broadcasts internally, pursuing a radio simulcast while launching digital streaming and selling a presenting partner to offset costs.

CBC News has reached out to Rogers and Mike Farwell for comment.

Simon Kiss is a professor of human rights and political science at Wilfrid Laurier University. He also researches the role of Canadian news media in politics and policies. Kiss says the closure is an indication of a significant problem.

"There's a kind of a cultural loss here that we've experienced," he said on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition with host Craig Norris.

"This is a significant problem that a lot of communities are facing with the decline of or the rise of new forms of media ... There's going to be a loss, no question. When we hear of layoffs, it's often radio or newspapers. Trends show that people want news on demand on their phones. They're not waiting for a certain time to hear traffic or to get their weather update."

He says many listeners may be turning to other options.

"What seems to be happening is the rise of podcasts has actually supplanted or taken over people's attention ... [and] taken up some of the market share that would have gone to talk radio."

Rogers cuts hundreds of jobs, closes radio stations across Canada | Hanomansing Tonight

'Journalism is a public service,' says advocacy group

Mirko Petricevic is the founder of Ink-stained Wretches, a group dedicated to talking about and promoting local journalism. He says news of the closure comes as a blow to the community.

"First of all, journalism is a public service," Petricevic told CBC News.

"We as residents in a democratic society have a right to know what's going on and we have a right to verified information. And the fewer sources of news journalism that follows standards of sort of verification and traditional journalistic standards, the more rumour and misinformation can circulate in the community. I don't think that's healthy."

Petricevic urged people to consider the bigger picture.

"People will hear about this closure today and they won't think about the big picture. Many people don't realize that this type of death by a thousand cuts has been going on for nearly 20 years."

Aastha Shetty is a journalist with CBC Kitchener-Waterloo. She has lived, worked and told stories in Waterloo region and surrounding areas since 2018. She has covered a variety of topics including housing and affordability, consumer rights and social injustice. She also has experience as a court reporter and as a multimedia producer. Get in touch: aastha.shetty@cbc.ca or 226 338 7845.