When a Voice Goes Silent
On July 7th, Rogers Media shut down 570 NewsRadio in Kitchener, along with five other stations across Canada, with little warning and significant consequences for the communities those stations served. It was abrupt, and it matters more than many may realize.
Before anything else, I want to acknowledge the people who lost their jobs. There were journalists, producers, hosts, and behind-the-scenes staff who showed up every day to keep our community informed. Their work had real value. They deserved better than this.
570 NewsRadio wasn't just background noise as people progressed through their days. It was a piece of what WRCF has come to think of as social infrastructure. Local media is part of the connective tissue that holds our community together. Roads, bike lanes, and transit lines move our bodies through the region. Media moves information. It tells us what's happening in our hospitals and city halls, which festivals are needing volunteers, and which organizations are doing extraordinary work.
When that infrastructure disappears, we don't always notice right away. But the gaps accumulate. Communities become a little less informed, a little less connected, a little more vulnerable to the things that go unnoticed when no one is watching.
WRCF had a particular reason to love 570 NewsRadio, and his name is Mike Farwell.
We know Mike best because of our partnership with his annual Farwell4Hire fundraising in support of cystic fibrosis. Like many others, we also know Mike as the host of his midmorning radio show that he built around conversation, curiosity, and a genuine commitment to the people and organizations that make Waterloo Region what it is. Mike has been a champion for WRCF. He kept an open door for us to come on air and share what we were working on, helping us reach audiences we couldn't have reached on our own.
But it wasn't just us. Mike shared his megaphone with countless organizations, particularly in the not-for-profit sector. His show was a place where a local food bank, a mental health organization, or a newcomer settlement agency could tell their story and be heard by tens of thousands of neighbours. That kind of platform doesn't happen by accident. It reflects a host who understands that local media isn't just about content. It's about community.
His show's displacement is a real loss for this region, and we're hopeful it and other 570 NewsRadio shows find new homes on other platforms. But candidly, the options aren't extensive, and none are a straightforward replacement for the reach and accessibility of AM radio.
A healthy, connected community requires a network of local media and journalism. Not one or two outlets, but a network that features diverse voices, multiple platforms, and different approaches. When any part of that network disappears, the whole community is diminished.
The loss of 570 NewsRadio will be felt by the staff who gave it life, by the organizations who depended on it to share their work, and by the residents who relied on it to stay informed. However, Waterloo Region is a community with the talent, creativity, and generosity to build what it needs. At WRCF, we're committed to being part of that effort. We will continue supporting the local media that remains and amplifying the emerging voices that are stepping into the gaps.
What replaces 570 NewsRadio won't look exactly like what we had. And that’s okay. What matters is that something does.
Eric Avner
WRCF President & CEO
eric@wrcf.ca