Rogers shuts down sports radio effective immediately

Vancouver has long been one of Canada's most passionate hockey cities, home to a fervent Canucks fanbase that has fuelled sports talk radio for decades. But that tradition took a devastating hit on Monday when reports surfaced that Rogers has pulled the plug on Sportsnet 650, the city's last remaining sports radio station.

According to trending reports online, Rogers shuttered SN650 with what appears to be no advance warning. The closure reportedly took effect immediately.

The move leaves Vancouver without a single dedicated sports radio outlet for the first time in modern memory. It also comes roughly five years after Bell shut down Team 1040, the other major sports radio station in the market, in a similarly abrupt fashion.

Reaction across the sports media community was swift and pointed. Samantha Pell, a media figure who commented on the closure, called the decision "absolutely outrageous and devastating," adding that Rogers had "callously" eliminated the station. She noted that the talented staff who worked at SN650 "deserved better" and that the Vancouver market as a whole "deserves better."

The shutdown raises serious questions about the future of sports radio in major Canadian markets. Vancouver is home to the Canucks, the BC Lions, the Whitecaps, and a thriving sports culture that has historically supported robust local coverage.

Details around the reasoning behind the closure remain unclear. Rogers has not publicly commented on the decision, and it is not yet known how many jobs were affected or whether any programming will be absorbed into other Sportsnet platforms.

The timing is notable given that the NHL offseason is in full swing, a period when sports radio typically generates significant engagement around free agency, trades, and roster building.

Vancouver sports fans are left without a dedicated radio home, and the broader Canadian sports media landscape continues to shrink. Whether another outlet steps in to fill the void remains to be seen, but the loss of SN650 marks the end of an era for one of the country's most devoted hockey markets.

I am absolutely gutted for all the talented folks that have just lost their jobs in Vancouver.