OTTAWA — Rogers, Shaw, and the Competition Bureau have agreed to sit in front of a mediator to hash out a possible settlement on the issues involving the cable companies’ proposed merger, according to a letter dated yesterday to the Competition Tribunal.
The first scheduled mediation dates are July 4 and 5, the letter said. The process involves a neutral person assisting the disputing parties to come to a voluntary settlement of the issues. Options for that neutral person include a judicial member of the tribunal or the Federal Court, and the parties can give a preference…
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OTTAWA – In response to a report from the industry committee urging the federal government to block Rogers’s proposed takeover of Shaw Communications, Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne declined to comment on the matter specifically but pointed to a number of policy developments that he says will help alleviate concerns about telecom competition and prices.
In March, the committee recommended that the government block the proposed deal on the grounds that it allegedly would stunt competition. If ISED – which is reviewing the spectrum licensing portion of the deal – permits the merger, the committee urged the government…
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TORONTO, CALGARY and MONTREAL – Rogers Communications, Shaw Communications and Quebecor Inc. announced late Friday night they have reached an agreement for the sale of Freedom Mobile to Quebecor in a deal valued at $2.85 billion, subject to regulatory approval.
Rogers initiated a process of selling Freedom several months ago, after the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne released a statement saying he would not permit Rogers to acquire all of Shaw’s wireless assets.
The sale of Freedom to Quebecor “will ensure the presence of a strong and sustainable fourth wireless carrier across Canada,” a press release says. “The…
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Tribunal releases scheduling order putting hearing in November
COMMISSIONER OF COMPETITION Matthew Boswell is pushing back against claims Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications have made about the competitive impact of their proposed merger and the proposed divestiture of Freedom Mobile, arguing that selling Freedom is not enough to outweigh the negative effects he claims the deal will have on competition.
In replies to Rogers’ and Shaw’s responses to the commissioner’s application to the Competition Tribunal seeking to have the proposed merger blocked, which were made public by the tribunal today, the Commissioner of Competition reiterated that he does not…
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Initial deployment in Nanaimo to be followed by launches in major urban centres
TORONTO — Rogers Communications announced today it has started to deploy its 5G 3500 MHz spectrum on its wireless network.
The first location went live this morning in Nanaimo, B.C., according to a press release.
Rogers says it will continue its deployment across Canada, including in the major urban centres of Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver, as well as multiple rural areas.
“More regions will follow as they are released according to the ISED timetable,” the release reads.
Rogers acquired the most 3500 MHz spectrum licences of all other…
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TORONTO – Rogers family matriarch Loretta Rogers has passed away, according to an announcement from the family made on today on Twitter.
Loretta Rogers, wife of the late Ted Rogers, was a director on the Rogers board and a member of the advisory committee of the Rogers Control Trust. She was formerly president of the Canadian Lyford Cay Foundation, sat on the board of the Canadian and American Lyford Cay Foundations and was a member of the Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation, according to the Rogers website.
“The Rogers family is profoundly saddened by our mother’s passing. We are grieving…
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THOSE WHO ARE CLOSELY following the approval process of the proposed merger of Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications will know the outside date for closing the transaction was extended from March 15, 2022, to June 13, 2022, and was extended again last month to July 31, 2022.
So, we are already looking in the rear-view mirror at one (soon to be two) outside closing dates.
What is going on? A lot.
Competition Tribunal
Last month, the Commissioner of Competition Matthew Boswell filed an application to the Competition Tribunal seeking to block the merger. He also filed an application seeking…
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By Etan Vlessing
AS ROGERS SPORTS AND MEDIA unveiled its 2022-23 slate of original programming to Canadian advertisers and agencies, a major focus was showcasing online offerings as the line between traditional linear TV and digital streaming platforms increasingly blurs.
The company’s strategy to engage marketers increasingly shifting ad dollars online is simple: Begin with tried-and-true content, whether scripted franchises like American Idol and America’s Got Talent on Citytv, or National Hockey League and Major League Baseball games with Canadian teams and passionate fan bases on Sportsnet. Then scramble to connect marketers and viewers across each and every platform and device…
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Shaw says Freedom was built to be easily separated from Shaw
ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS AND Shaw Communications today filed their responses to the Competition Bureau’s application to the Competition Tribunal for an order blocking their proposed merger, with Rogers calling Commissioner of Competition Matthew Boswell’s position “unreasonable”.
In an application to the Competition Tribunal, filed last month, the commissioner indicated he is seeking to prevent the Rogers and Shaw merger due to concern over the impact he alleges it will have on wireless competition in the country.
Rogers, however, says the commissioner’s analysis “is flawed and incomplete.”
“Contrary to the Commissioner’s allegations, the…
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TORONTO – Rogers Communications announced today Xumo, a free, ad-supported streaming TV provider owned by Comcast, is now available on Rogers Ignite TV and Ignite SmartStream.
The service offers “more than 100 channels for customers to enjoy,” a press release explains, adding that it gives “customers more choice and unparalleled access to the most integrated free content of any other major provider in Canada.”
Ignite TV and Ignite SmartStream users can say “free to me” into their voice remotes to discover free content and can access Xumo channels through the main app menu. Users can also say Xumo into the remote…
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