Rogers Communications Growth

Ted Rogers pioneered cable television in the 1960s and 1970s with superior picture quality, more
channels through converters and community and multicultural programming. (Innovation
continues today with Rogers cable a North American leader in the development and deployment
of high-speed Internet service as well as digital television, video-on-demand and cable
telephone.)

In 1979, Rogers became Canada's largest cable company by taking over the much larger
Canadian Cablesystems Ltd. and in 1980 purchased Premier Cablesystems in Vancouver to
consolidate its cable presence. In the early 1980s, Rogers moved into the U.S. cable market and
proved to be a leader among U.S. cable company peers. Rogers recorded a $1-billion profit when
the company sold its U.S. assets in 1989.

Ted Rogers Founder and CEO

To fund his expansion and innovation strategy, Rogers met in Beverly Hills with Michael Milken
at Drexel, Burnham Lambert Inc. in 1983 and pioneered the high-interest corporate bond market
in Canada.

Colloquially known as "junk bonds", this financing tool was bitter-sweet for Mr. Rogers. He
despised the "junk" connotation and its implications on his company. In his later years, Mr.
Rogers strived for an "investment grade" rating for his company, which he achieved. But there is
little doubt many of the company's achievements would not have been possible without the high-
interest corporate bonds.

Besides growing cable assets on both sides of the border, Rogers entered the wireless phone
market in 1985 with partners Marc Belzberg and Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien to launch Cantel.
Unlike television, where the trend was from over-the-air to wired reception, Mr. Rogers
envisioned that telephones were the exact opposite because of changing lifestyles.

Today that company, now called Rogers Wireless, is the largest - and fastest growing - wireless
service provider in Canada, available to 93% of Canadians, with more than 7 million subscribers
from coast-to-coast.

In 1989, Rogers Communications jumped into the long distance business by purchasing 40 per
cent of CN/CP Telecommunications (later Unitel). Things started out favourably with the 1992
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission decision to open up the market
that for a century had been a monopoly held by incumbent phone companies like Bell Canada.

But in the end, it was the most expensive mistake that Rogers made. When Rogers
Communications exited Unitel in 1995, it had taken a $500-million loss. Fortunately, the
company was big enough to absorb the loss without the company going under.

Within five years, Rogers got all the lost Unitel money back and $1 billion more by building up a
new venture - Rogers Network Services - and selling it to AT&T Canada, which had taken over
Unitel.

At age 60, Ted Rogers attempted his boldest move to date: a hostile takeover of Maclean-Hunter
Ltd. In 1994, it was the largest takeover in Canadian communications industry history to that
point. In the end, Rogers won the battle for the former "widows and orphan" conglomerate of
cable, broadcast and publishing assets for $3.1 billion.

"Ted doesn't have a business life and a personal life - it's all one - he works 18 hours a day every
day," Phil Lind said. "When we did the takeover of Maclean Hunter in 1994, we couldn't sit and
enjoy it for a day. Ted doesn't rejoice in any conquest because he's always thinking - where will
it lead? What's next? He knows events will overtake him if he doesn't overtake events."
 Maclean's Magazine: William and Kate's Wedding
This work ethic was legendary. He expected his management team to work just like he did. His
personality and work ethic instilled tremendous loyalty.
Mr. Rogers could take a joke, and there are many cases where he could give as good as he got.
One example involved fellow cable operator Jim Shaw in Calgary. The companies had a friendly
competition on who could sign up the most Internet customers with the loser buying the winner a
steak dinner. Upon losing, Mr. Rogers sent Mr. Shaw a live 1200 pound steer to his home with a
sign on its back "As requested, a big STEAK".

By the mid-1990s, potentially the greatest threat to Rogers' cable assets arrived on the scene - the
so-called "Death Stars" or direct-to-home satellite receivers that were small enough to fit almost
anywhere and offered digital picture quality. Amazingly, instead of hunkering down into a
bunker mentality, Mr. Rogers continued his "damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead" business
approach.

During these turbulent times, the company made a misstep with the "negative option". This sales
process required customers to alert the cable company if they did not want new services, instead
 of putting the onus on the provider to "sell" the new services. The practice was commonly used
in many industries, but this time it created a major consumer backlash.

Rogers quickly reversed course within days of the outcry, but the public relations damage was
done.

The late 90s were difficult years for Rogers Communications with the stock hitting an all-time
low of $4.80 in 1998 and a debt that was worrying Bay St. But, ever the optimist, Ted Rogers
persevered; promising customers and investors new and exciting services. (Mr. Rogers ended
every public speech with "The Best is Yet to Come.")

But, he didn't disappoint: High-speed Internet connections to the home; digital television; text-
messaging, email and ring tones for mobile phones; and more all quickly arrived on the scene for
Rogers customers.

Immediately into the new century, Rogers Communications was back in acquisition mode and in
2000 bought the Toronto Blue Jays, ostensibly with the break-up fee paid to Rogers
Communications for the failed friendly takeover bid of Quebec's cable giant Videotron.

Then in 2004,  Telus Corp. attempted a hostile bid for Microcell Communications and its Fido
brand of wireless phones. This was a company long in the sights of  Rogers Communications
who believed Fido a perfect fit for Rogers Wireless because of similar corporate cultures and
they were the only two wireless companies in Canada using the international-standard GSM
technology.

The problem was that Rogers Wireless partner AT&T Corp. was blocking Rogers from riding in
as Fido's White Knight. So, Rogers bought out AT&T for $1.8 billion and then paid $1.6 billion
for Microcell Communications.  

In 2005, Rogers Cable acquired Call-Net and began offering local telephone service. The
following year, in addition to a portable Internet service for wireless access, Rogers also
launched "Hello!" magazine. Five City-TV stations were acquired in 2007. After Ted Rogers'
passing in 2008, Alan Horn became the CEO. In 2009, Nadir Mohamed was named President
and CEO. He has since announced his plan to step down in 2014.

Today, Rogers Communications has annual revenue of $12 billion and it employs 29,000
Canadians.

Source: Rogers