The morning show on Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver was absent from the airwaves Tuesday, fueling speculation that the sports radio station is facing severe cuts or possible closure. Listeners expecting Mike Halford and Jason Brough heard syndicated programming from Westwood One instead.
All-Hands Meeting Called for 10 a.m.
Postmedia understands that station staff have been summoned to an all-hands meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, where the future of the station is expected to be announced. It is widely anticipated that changes will be drastic, with heavy cuts. How radio broadcasts will continue remains unclear, and it is unknown whether any local shows will survive. If local programming is shut down, the station might broadcast programming from Toronto's Fan 590 and possibly retain Canucks play-by-play broadcasts.
Cam Barra, program manager at 650, declined to comment and referred inquiries to Sportsnet's management team in Toronto. The number of employees affected is not yet known, though not all on-air voices were full-time Rogers employees; some were contractors.
Station's Future Uncertain Despite Canucks Deal
Rumors of the station's uncertain future have circulated for some time, even after the Vancouver Canucks renewed with Sportsnet 650 as the team's official radio voice. The team and Rogers signed a 10-year deal four years ago, running through 2032-33, covering TV and radio rights in one bundle. That structure presumably allowed Rogers to broadcast as they saw fit.
It has been just over five years since TSN 1040 was suddenly closed by Bell Media, with Halford and Brough on air and unaware that the station's time was ending. They went to break and never returned as control of the broadcast was taken over remotely.
Impact on Local Sports Media
The loss of Sportsnet 650 would be a devastating blow to local sports media. AM radio has been in great decline over the past decade as technology moved past the century-old broadcast format. In many ways, it is perhaps surprising that 650 held on as long as it did; the remaining radio stations in the Vancouver market are almost entirely on FM frequencies.
In addition to possibly ending programming at 650, it is believed that Sportsnet 960 in Calgary will also be affected similarly, although unlike 650, 960's morning show was on air Tuesday morning.
Background of Sportsnet 650
Sportsnet 650 launched in 2017 as a rival to TSN 1040, which was a powerhouse at the time. As part of their launch, they secured the Canucks broadcast rights and brought a new array of voices to the airwaves. However, the station struggled to make an impact in the ratings, even after 1040 closed, as listeners moved increasingly towards podcasts and streaming audio, away from traditional radio.
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