Rogers Sports and Media Closes Six Radio Stations
Rogers Sports and Media 關閉六座廣播電台
Introduction
Rogers Sports and Media has announced that it will stop operating six radio stations in four Canadian cities to deal with falling listener numbers and lower revenue.
Rogers Sports and Media 宣布將停止在四個加拿大城市營運六座廣播電台，以應對聽眾人數下降及收入減少的問題。
Main Body
The closures affect Sportsnet 650 and 1130 AM in Vancouver, 660 NewsRadio in Calgary, 95.7 NewsRadio in Halifax, and 570 NewsRadio in Kitchener. Consequently, 80 employees will lose their jobs, and further staff cuts are expected in television news and corporate offices. The company emphasized that this decision was caused by a steady drop in audience engagement and advertising income. For example, data shows that between October and May, the sports stations in Calgary and Vancouver averaged only 1,200 and 2,100 listeners, respectively.
此次關閉影響的電台包括溫哥華的 Sportsnet 650 和 1130 AM、卡加利的 660 NewsRadio、哈利法克斯的 95.7 NewsRadio 以及基奇納的 570 NewsRadio。因此，將有 80 名員工失業，且預計電視新聞與公司總部將會有進一步的人員削減。該公司強調，此決定是由於觀眾參與度與廣告收入持續下降所導致。例如，數據顯示在 10 月至 5 月期間，卡加利與溫哥華的體育電台平均僅有 1,200 和 2,100 名聽眾。
Experts suggest that traditional sports radio is declining because more people are listening to digital podcasts. Furthermore, sports leagues now produce their own content, which makes the traditional broadcast model less successful. Despite these closures, Rogers still owns 44 stations and will keep the regional rights for the Vancouver Canucks until 2033, although it will stop producing radio content for the Calgary Flames.
專家指出，傳統體育廣播之所以衰落，是因為更多人轉向收聽數位播客 (podcasts)。此外，體育聯賽現在自行製作內容，使得傳統的廣播模式不再那麼成功。儘管有電台關閉，Rogers 仍擁有 44 座電台，並將保留溫哥華加拿大 хоккей隊 (Vancouver Canucks) 的區域權利直到 2033 年，但將停止為卡加利火焰隊 (Calgary Flames) 製作廣播內容。
These changes are part of a larger corporate strategy to move money into different areas. For instance, Rogers recently spent $4.35 billion to buy the remaining 25% of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. While the company reported a first-quarter profit of $438 million, it admitted that advertising revenue has decreased. This trend is common across the industry, as seen when BCE Inc. previously sold 45 regional stations.
這些變動是更大規模公司策略的一部分，旨在將資金轉移至不同領域。例如，Rogers 最近花費 43.5 億美元收購了 Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment 剩餘的 25% 股份。雖然該公司報告第一季度利潤為 4.38 億美元，但坦承廣告收入已有所下降。這一趨勢在整個行業中十分普遍，先前 BCE Inc. 出售 45 座區域電台的情況便可見一斑。
Conclusion
Rogers is simplifying its media business by removing unsuccessful radio stations and increasing its ownership in professional sports teams.
Rogers 透過關閉不成功的廣播電台並增加對職業體育隊的持有權，來簡化其媒體業務。
Vocabulary Learning
🚀 The 'Connector' Leap: Moving from Basic to Professional
At the A2 level, you likely use simple words like and, but, and so. To hit B2, you need to use Logical Connectors. These are words that act like bridges, showing the reader exactly how two ideas are related.
Look at these specific 'bridges' from the text:
1. The 'Result' Bridge: Consequently Instead of saying "So, 80 people lost jobs," the text says: "Consequently, 80 employees will lose their jobs."
- The B2 Shift: Use Consequently when the second sentence is a direct result of the first. It sounds more official and precise.
2. The 'Addition' Bridge: Furthermore Instead of using and or also repeatedly, the text uses: "Furthermore, sports leagues now produce their own content."
- The B2 Shift: Use Furthermore when you are adding a second, stronger argument to support your point.
3. The 'Contrast' Bridge: Despite This is a powerhouse word. The text says: "Despite these closures, Rogers still owns 44 stations."
- The B2 Shift: While but connects two full sentences, Despite is followed by a noun (a thing).
- ❌ Despite it was raining... (Incorrect)
- ✅ Despite the rain... (Correct)
💡 Pro-Tip for your Vocabulary Expansion
Notice the word "respectively" at the end of the listener data sentence.
"...averaged only 1,200 and 2,100 listeners, respectively."
This is a classic B2-level precision tool. It tells the reader that the first number (1,200) belongs to the first city (Calgary) and the second number (2,100) belongs to the second city (Vancouver). It prevents confusion without needing to repeat the city names!