Rogers Sports & Media lays off dozens of workers in audio business

Rogers Sports & Media says it has laid off a few dozen employees in its audio business, citing uncertainty in the advertising market and declining revenue.

"With the radio industry continuing to feel the pressure of an uncertain advertising market, we made some difficult but necessary changes in our audio business impacting roles in several markets," Rogers Sports & Media spokesperson Charmaine Khan told CBC News in an email on Tuesday.

There will be no station closures and the company has no plans to curtail programming or podcasts, Khan confirmed. 

Citing declining revenue in the audio business, Khan added that the company was adjusting its operating expenses to navigate what she referred to as an unpredictable advertising market.

"We recognize and thank the team members who are leaving us for their dedication to our listeners and advertisers."

A company news release from November 2023 said Rogers Sports & Media had the "largest ad-supported audio network" in Canada, with a reach of eight million Canadians per month. It owns 56 radio stations across the country.

The layoffs follow similar announcements made by Rogers competitors earlier this year, which were also attributed to a slump in advertising revenue.

Corus Entertainment announced in July that it would cut jobs and shut down some of its radio stations to account for a "challenging advertising environment."

And BCE, which owns Bell Media, sold off a significant portion of its radio portfolio in February, selling dozens of its radio stations and laying off thousands of employees.