TORONTO – Controversial radio host Dean Blundell is out at Rogers' Toronto sports radio station Sportsnet 590 The Fan as the station seeks a return to its complete sports format.
Rogers said Wednesday that the station’s new morning show, Sportsnet’s Starting Lineup with Brady & Price, will kick off February 27 featuring co-hosts Greg Brady and Elliott Price along with long-time Toronto sportscaster Hugh Burrill.
As a result, the two year old Dean Blundell & Co. show has been cancelled, effective immediately. Former Blundell co-host Andrew Walker will headline a new show on the station from 1:00 – 4:00 PM ET.
“Greg,…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – Leave the Wireless Code of Conduct alone, for the most part, three of Canada’s largest wireless operators told the CRTC on the second day of a hearing which is the code’s scheduled three-year review.
Rogers, Bell and Quebecor said consumers now have a much better understanding of their rights, and the code has led to a more competitive environment – so therefore there is little need to make major changes.
“The current Code strikes the right balance of providing standardized protection for consumers, while allowing competitive market forces to introduce differentiated products and customer support,” said David Watt, senior…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers Media is rolling out the red carpet for Sunday’s 59th Annual Grammy Awards.
Hosted by late-night host James Corden (The Late Late Show with James Corden), this year’s lineup of performers includes Adele, The Weeknd and Daft Punk, Bruno Mars, John Legend, Alicia Keys, and Chance the Rapper, with more to be announced in the coming days.
The 59th Annual Grammy Awards will air live on February 12 at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT (check local listings) on City and online at Citytv.com/GRAMMYs
Rogers Media’s multiplatform coverage of ‘music’s biggest night’ will include a Grammys radio special on…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – With bill shock, data overages and problematic trial periods still issues, consumer groups told the CRTC, as it kicked off its review of the Wireless Code of Conduct on Monday, that the code needs tightening.
Speaking on behalf of a number of organizations, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) reminded commissioners the Canadian wireless market is concentrated among a few providers and even with the provisions of the wireless code, it’s still too difficult for consumers to switch providers if they wish.
“Because we have three providers with well over 90% in almost all markets, a few with four…
Continue Reading
VANCOUVER – Kiss Radio listeners in Vancouver will wake up to a new morning show on Valentine’s Day.
Rogers said Monday that real life best friends Kevin Lim and Sonia Sidhu will sign on as the new hosts of the KiSS RADiO breakfast show from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM beginning February 14. Current host Ara Andonian will continue hosting The Ara Show weekday afternoons from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
The duo, who met as classmates in 2002, most recently hosted a popular show on Vancouver’s 102.7 The Peak that was also syndicated in Kelowna through Q103.1. That gig came…
Continue Reading
Coalition of Canadian multicultural media producers readying competing proposal to OMNI in anticipation of CRTC call
FEW CANADIANS OUTSIDE of the TV industry are aware of a major decision under consideration by the CRTC right now that involves the Rogers Communications-owned multicultural TV channels known as OMNI TV.
Rogers is asking the Commission to turn OMNI Free TV into OMNI Pay TV and for all Canadians to chip in about $80 million to help Rogers run the channel (Cartt.ca has reported on that here, here, here and Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers Communications chief corporate affairs officer, Jacob Glick, is stepping down from his position, Cartt.ca has learned.
As CAO, Glick oversees regulatory affairs, public policy, government relations, internal and external communications, and social media. His last day will be March 3.
A lawyer by training, he joined Rogers from Google, where he had been head of the global public policy and government relations team. Prior to that, he led Google Canada's policy and government relations team.
Glick (pictured) was one of several senior executives brought aboard by former CEO Guy Laurence and the CAO position was newly created then as…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers Media is once again teaming up with Seneca College on an internship program that allows students to gain on-air radio experience while earning a course credit.
Now in its fourth year, the 10 week GenNOW internship program launched this week and sees Seneca students Robyn Thomson, Jordan Kerr, and Leeron Stern host overnight on KiSS 92.5 between 2:00 AM to 4:00 AM Monday to Wednesday. Rogers Radio and KiSS 92.5 ensure ongoing feedback is provided, creating a unique experience for the interns to work closely with programming staff.
“At Rogers, we are not only committed to putting the…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Viceland is readying its first scripted comedy, Nirvanna the Band the Show, which will debut February 2 at 10:00 PM ET/PT on Rogers’ Viceland and City.
The eight-part, half-hour comedy, adapted from the web series by the same name, features Canadians Matt Johnson (The Dirties, Operation Avalanche) and Jay McCarrol as a hapless, two-piece Toronto “band” who will do anything to play a show at The Rivioli. Each episode follows Matt and Jay as they cook up yet another hair-brained scheme to get on stage – that inevitably goes wildly awry. (Catch the series’ trailer here).
Nirvanna the…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers’ decision to pull the plug on its own IPTV product pushed it in to the red with a $9 million loss for its fourth quarter.
On Thursday, Rogers posted a $484-million charge related to discontinuing its IPTV product when it opted to go with Comcast’s X1 platform instead. Adjusted net income increased 15% to $382 million this quarter from $331 million in the same period last year, as a result of higher adjusted operating profit, lower depreciation and amortization, and lower finance costs, partially offset by higher income tax expense.
Consolidated revenue for the period ended December 31,…
Continue Reading
