A radio station that has served the Waterloo Region area for decades has been taken off the air.
Rogers Sports and Media decided to shut down six radio stations in four market across the country, including CityNews 570 (CKGL-AM) in Kitchener.
The station has been under the Rogers umbrella since 1994 and featured talk radio programming since the 1990s. In 2021, it was renamed under the “CityNews” brand.
However, on Tuesday, listeners heard an unexpected announcement.
“Today is the last day 570 NewsRadio will be on the air,” the recorded statement said. “We are proud of to have served Kitchener and the surrounding area. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the station over the years.”
CTV News reached out to Rogers Sports and Media for comment.
“After a thorough review of our radio stations across the country, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to close 570 NewsRadio in Kitchener. We are grateful to our listeners and to our team for their contributions to the local community,” the statement said.
Rogers explained that the decision was made due to declining audience numbers and revenue trends.
They said they will continue coverage of Waterloo Region on their website, but the radio station’s licence will be returned to the CRTC.
The news came one day after Rogers Communications announced they were fully taking over Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for $4.35 billion.
“Sad, angry and betrayed”
Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic reacted to the news on Tuesday night.
“It’s rare that I feel speechless, but tonight is one of those nights. Feeling sad, angry and betrayed by @Rogers and @RogersMediaPR tonight!” he wrote on X.
He said the radio station was part of the heart and soul of the community and a vital space for democratic accountability.
“Your trusted journalists & team members deserved better, the @CityofKitchener community deserved better and our country that you have made billions in profits from deserved better,” he said.