Calgary’s radio silence
Anais Loeppky, Web Editor |
Radio has been a way to tell stories and share art for over 100 years. However, the industry continues to dramatically shift as podcasts, streaming services and social media become increasingly accessible.
Off the air
On July 7, two of Calgary’s radio stations were suddenly shut down. Both 660 NewsRadio Calgary and Sportsnet 960 Calgary were closed by Rogers Sports & Media.
The shutdown also included four other Canadian stations and resulted in 230 job cuts. The other closures included 1130 NewsRadio and Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver, 95.7 NewsRadio in Halifax and 570 NewsRadio in Kitchener.
The closures meant Calgary lost both a major local news station and its dedicated sports radio station.
While Sportsnet 960 had been a longtime home for Calgary Flames radio broadcasts and the Calgary Stampeders, 660 NewsRadio provided local news and information to Calgary listeners.
In an email statement to CTV News, Rogers cited declining audience numbers and reduced advertising revenue as reasons for the closures.
This also came as part of broader organisational changes at Rogers Sports & Media, raising questions about the future of local broadcasting and how much locally produced media remains available to Calgary audiences.
Where homegrown voices live
While the closures highlight the challenges faced by commercial radio, Calgary’s community radio continues to operate in its own way.
CJSW, Calgary’s only campus and community broadcaster, has been broadcasting on the FM dial for over 40 years and was the 13th FM station in Calgary.
CJSW is a not-for-profit station that broadcasts in 10 different languages and has 110 programs in its weekly grid, all run by volunteers.
The volunteer-driven model allows CJSW to create programming curated to the community’s interests. It also creates an environment for up-and-coming artists and storytellers to share their work and contribute to Calgary’s media landscape.
Adam Kamis, the station manager of CJSW, explains the impact of having large corporations owning such a large portion of the media. “Essentially, they allowed Rogers to buy Shaw, which is kind of like the culmination of 30 years of amalgamation of our broadcasting sector in this country,” he says.
Kamis adds that 20 years ago, Calgary had substantially more independently owned broadcasters. He compares this to today, where many of these independent stations have been swallowed by large corporations.
“[Corporations will] take over the station, and then rip out all the local programming, thinking that they can substitute at a oneto-one level, using programming that is not emanating from our community.”
When asked about the importance of listening to radio, especially for university students, Kamis explains the significance of community, campus and public radio, which provide media that are not motivated by profit incentive.
He cites local radio as being essential to enjoying curated and accredited media with no subscriptions attached, only a willingness to listen with an open mind.
That willingness to encounter something new is a part of what separates community radio from carefully personalised algorithms. It gives listeners the opportunity to stumble across an artist or perspective they never would have found on their own.
For the punks, the poets and everyone in between
In a city with such a large footprint, it can be hard to find groups of people with common interests, especially when the topic is more niche.
At CJSW, Kamis experiences first-hand the role radio plays in bringing people together.
“If you’re a punk and trying to find a cool punk platform, hearing something like CJSW kind of opens up a road [of discovery],” he says.
With such a diverse range of programming, he believes there is something for everyone at CJSW.
“I can guarantee there’ll be at least an hour that would appeal to anybody.”
Radio isn’t dead; it’s just changing
CJSW often hears people dismiss radio as a dying medium.
However, Kamis believes that perception is largely shaped by their experience with commercial radio. He refers to these commercial radio stations as “soulless,” saying they aim to make a profit rather than a connection.
Local stations thus believe that there is still a desire for something more genuine, especially in an increasingly digital and AI-driven media landscape.
“There are some people that are generally thirsting for authenticity,” Kamis says.
For listeners, the recent closures reduce the number of places where Calgarians can turn for programming created specifically for their city. While streaming services and podcasts allow audiences to access more content than ever before, much of that content is designed for broad or personalised audiences rather than a specific, local community.
Community broadcasters like CJSW fill a different role, giving local musicians, organisations, and specific communities a place to be heard.
For university students, in particular, community radio can offer an alternative to the highly personalised media feeds they see every day. It is undeniable that commercial radio is changing. However, local stations like CJSW believe the need for local voices is not.
Community radio offers a platform for people and perspectives that can easily be overlooked by larger media organisations.
And, as Calgary’s traditional radio landscape continues to shrink, Kamis worries that the consequences could extend beyond the loss of local programming. “It’s kind of crazy to think Canada’s third-largest city could be classified as a news desert because there isn’t local media.”
A look inside the radio booth at the CJSW studio, located on the University of Calgary
campus. Photo by Emma Marshall
