Rogers Media - Broadcasting

Broadcasting

Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. operates 54 Canadian radio stations, (45 FM and 9 AM radio stations) including three FM stations launched in the Maritimes in October 2005; Omni Television, which operates five multicultural television stations (two in Ontario, two in Alberta, and one in British Columbia); Citytv; which operates 5 stations in Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver; Rogers Sportsnet, a specialty sports television service licensed to provide regional sports programming across Canada; The Shopping Channel, Canada's only nationally televised shopping service, The Biography Channel Canada, acquired outright in August 2006 when Rogers bought out the 40% stake owned by Calgary's Shaw Communications and A&E Television Networks' 20% ownership. and a majority and managing interest in G4 Canada, a technology themed digital channel. Rogers has returned to Canada's third-largest radio broadcaster behind Astral Media and Newcap Broadcasting.

Rogers also is a partner in TVtropolis and Viewers Choice. Rogers also is a non-managing partner in OLN, although on November 16, 2007, it was announced that Rogers will be acquiring 100% interest in the service from the remaining interest holders, CTVglobemedia and Comcast.

Some of the better known radio stations are CHFI Toronto (Canada's most-listened to radio station), Kiss 92.5, CJCL Toronto (The FAN 590), CFTR Toronto (680 News), and various stations operating under the Jack FM brand. In summer 2006, Rogers acquired five stations from OK Radio in Alberta and, with regulatory approval, will be operating in Edmonton, Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie. Existing clusters of stations are in Vancouver-Victoria-Whistler, Calgary-Lethbridge, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Kitchener and Halifax-Moncton-Saint John, NB.

In 2007, Rogers entered a tentative deal to purchase the A-Channel stations, CKX-TV, Access Alberta, Canadian Learning Television and SexTV: The Channel from CHUM Limited, as part of the latter company's pending takeover by CTVglobemedia. On June 8, 2007, the CRTC approved the CTV transaction of CHUM, but it added a condition that CTV must divest itself of Citytv rather than A-Channel, effectively voiding the deal. On June 12, it was announced that Rogers had made a new offer of $375 million for the Citytv stations. On June 28, Rogers further offered to sell the two religious-licensed Omni stations in Winnipeg and Vancouver as part of the Citytv deal, although the company stated that it intended to retain the multilingual-licensed Omni stations.

In September 2007, Rogers also applied to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to acquire a 20 per cent interest in CP24, a local news channel in Toronto which shares the same staff and resources from Citytv Toronto. Both stations were previously owned by CHUM Limited, but CTVglobemedia retained ownership of CP24 following the CRTC's approval of the CHUM purchase. In early December, CTV withdrew the application and announced that Rogers Media and CTVgm had come to a deal in which Rogers waived their 20 per cent stake. In July 2008, Rogers filed an application with the CRTC to launch a separate 24-hour news station to be affiliated with Citytv Toronto, and to be known as CityNews Toronto. On December 10, 2008, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission approved the application by Rogers to launch CityNews Channel, a 24-hour cable news channel that will serve the GTA starting October 3, 2011.

In October 2009, Rogers acquired a minority interest in the web-based video production firm, Vuguru.

In June 2010, Rogers Media announced it had entered into an agreement to buy London, Ontario's radio station, CHST-FM from CHUM Radio, a division of CTVglobemedia, (subject to CRTC approval).

On August 25, 2012, Rogers Media acquired Score Media's broadcast business for $167 Million, including a 10% stake in its digital business.

On October 26, 2012, Bell Media announced that Rogers Media is interested in purchasing certain Astral Media assets in which is now allowing BCE/ Astral Media to extend Merger to December 16, 2012 and to allow of a Re-introduction to CRTC of new proposal of Astral Media.