Rogers rebrands 680 NEWS, other Canadian radio stations as CityNews
Rogers Sports & Media announced Friday that its news radio stations – including Toronto’s 680 NEWS – will be rebranded under CityNews to “become a powerhouse local news offering in each market.”
The communications and media company says the change is strictly in brand identity only, as loyal listeners will continue to receive the same content from 680 NEWS, NEWS 1130 (Vancouver), 660 NEWS (Calgary), NEWS 95.7 (Halifax), and 570 NEWS (Kitchener).
This includes the latest news, traffic and weather, along with the same beloved local on-air personalities.
Advertisement
“Putting our incredible team and all of our resources behind one brand will help to strongly convey who we are to audiences and advertisers, plus it gives us the opportunity to produce more content for social and digital to better serve each community,” said Julie Adam, Senior Vice President of News and Entertainment at Rogers Sports & Media.
“News plays a pivotal role in our organization, providing an essential service for Canadians and we’re excited to make this move to cement our investment in local news. I am so proud of our News team and grateful for everything they do.”
The rebranding for each station will be taking place in the fall of 2021. Additional details will be shared with each specific market at that time.
In December 2020, Rogers announced a similar rebrand of 1310 NEWS in Ottawa, which became CityNews Ottawa & The Valley, as two local news websites merged into one.
Rogers says the move had a positive effect in the local market, pointing to a 31 percent increase in audience digital listening year-over-year as well as a 37 percent increase in “first preference” choice by local listeners.
Advertisement
“Combining our award-winning news teams builds on the strength and reputation of stations like 680 NEWS and shows our deep commitment to continue delivering the best news to audiences, on any platform, simplifying the choice for consumers with one brand offer,” said Dave Budge, Vice President of News and Information at Rogers Sports & Media.
As part of the rebrand, CityNews will launch a centralized website and app where users can find their local news for Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Halifax, and Kitchener.
680 NEWS in Toronto first launched in 1993.
