Rogers Media cuts off-air jobs at Sportsnet in a ‘repositioning’ for the future
Posted Jun 24, 2019 07:28:36 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO — Rogers Media is cutting an unspecified number of off-air jobs across its Sportsnet organization after letting go of star broadcaster Bob McCown last week after 30 years as host of the afternoon program “Prime Time Sports.”
A Sportsnet representative says the company isn’t saying publicly how many off-air people are affected by the broader changes or what types of work they do.
But an emailed statement says Sportsnet is repositioning for the future by changing how it delivers content to audiences.
The Sportsnet brand is used across several of Rogers Media platforms including radio, television and online.
Those platforms have faced rising competition for audience and advertisers as a result of new rivals and formats.
Rogers Media is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc., which generates most of its revenue and profit from its wireless, internet and cable TV services.
According to the most recent Rogers quarterly report issued in April, its media division lost about $84 million over the first three months of this year after excluding taxes and other expense items.
The company also said Rogers Media’s revenue in this year’s first quarter was flat compared with last year, after excluding a special payment received from Major League Baseball in 2018.
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