If they have to start looking around for cheap or free programming regardless of whether it fits in the marketplace then they have to seriously question the viability of the format.
There are already questions about the viability of the Canucks rights. TSN wasn't making money on the Canucks anymore. BUT, if that's your live property coupled with one locally produced show, in addition to national hockey type programming (they could run out of market Rogers games) and the Jays etc, then really the overhead isn't onerous.
This move is all about putting all the Rogers eggs into one basket. Nothing else. It's clean. The arena, the TV Deal, the NHL Deal, the Blue Jays, the Canucks. I highly doubt the station will be trying to put live local programming on the air from 6-6. Nor do I hear that the games will be run on the existing 3 stations on Ash Street.