Veteran broadcaster Don Taylor did not hold back his criticism of Rogers Communications after the company shuttered Sportsnet 650 and five other radio stations across Canada on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Taylor, now co-host of Donnie and Dhali — The Team on CHEK, described the Toronto-based company as 'horrible, horrible people' for their handling of the closures.
Taylor's Blunt Criticism
'They just toy with people’s emotions and they don’t care,' Taylor said of Rogers. 'I get the idea that you’re not making the profit you want, but you can treat people better. It just happens again and again and again, all over Canada, except for stations in Toronto. They’re always just fine. And then they don’t get why some people (in B.C.) don’t like the Toronto Blue Jays and the Toronto Raptors.'
Rogers has owned the Blue Jays since 2004 and recently took full control of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment on Monday, July 6, 2026, by buying the remaining 25 percent stake. MLSE owns the Raptors, and the timing of the radio closures is seen as connected to these moves.
History of Corporate Decisions
Taylor, a Burnaby native, has long been critical of Toronto head offices' influence on B.C.'s sports media market. His 13-year run hosting Sportsnet TV's nightly highlight show ended in August 2014 when Rogers shut down its B.C. bureau. At the time, Taylor told The Vancouver Sun, 'I find it funny and embarrassing how much I know about the Toronto sports scene because we are so inundated with it.'
In February 2021, Taylor was a midday show host at TSN 1040 when Bell Media—another Toronto-based company—shut it down without warning, despite it routinely beating Sportsnet 650 in ratings. Bell used a pre-recorded message and played Green Day's 'Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),' drawing widespread criticism.
Lack of Warning and Confusion
With Sportsnet 650, Rogers sent emails about a staff meeting Tuesday morning but did not disclose details. Taylor noted the irony that Sportsnet 650 had recently moved its studios from Ash Street to West 2nd Avenue. 'I’m sure there were a lot of employees who thought, ‘This is great. They’re not going to pull the plug on us — we just moved,’' Taylor said. 'Why would you go through the trouble of setting up multiple radio stations at a new office and then get rid of them in a few months?'
He questioned the long-term planning of Rogers and Bell: 'Did all the great minds back east not see this coming? Did they not see digital coming? Did they not see Twitter and Facebook and all the social media platforms coming? You can look at social media as a competitor or you can make it work for you like CHEK has. I don’t think Rogers and Bell really tried.'
Future of Sports Media in Vancouver
Taylor and fellow TSN 1040 alum Rick Dhaliwal joined CHEK in April 2021, an employee-owned station that Taylor regularly praises. 'The big daddies owning everything clearly doesn’t work,' Taylor said.
CHEK CEO Rob Germain, when asked about adding former Sportsnet 650 staff, replied via text: 'We’re always open to opportunities that arise in the shifting media landscape, but that is all I can say. We feel for everyone affected by the layoffs.'
Other TSN 1040 alums have moved to digital platforms. Matt Sekeres and Blake Price launched the Sekeres and Price podcast in March 2021 and joined the Nation Network in November 2023. Price commented on the shifting landscape: 'In the immediate aftermath, I think people will probably do a lot of stuff that we have done and go into the digital space if they are feeling entrepreneurial enough. But is there a resorting down the road? I don’t know the answer to that.'
Impact on Journalists
Price noted that corporate exits from sports media have forced journalists to become entrepreneurs. 'Selling is tough. I’m not the greatest salesman. I don’t terribly enjoy it. It’s tough work to be entrepreneurial and be your own boss, and so many of us who grew up in this business have none of that background. We have to pick that up and all of a sudden be business people and be making financial decisions for a group. It’s going to be a tough transition for people. I hope that some of them can make it, if that’s what they desire. But, yeah, our media world has been shaken.'
