Edward S. "Ted" Rogers, O.C.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Rogers Communications
Mr. Rogers is the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rogers Communications, and telecommunications and media company that serves millions of Canadians from coast-to-coast and employs more than 25,000. Rogers Communications began in 1960 with an $85,000 loan and the vision and relentless determination of a twenty-something young man who saw potential in a new technology called FM radio. While still studying law, Mr. Rogers bought CHFI and, at the time, only 5 per cent of Toronto radio listeners had an FM radio. Today, CHFI is Canada's largest and most profitable radio station. Like his genius father before him, an inventor who died when Ted was only five years old, Mr. Rogers has long believed in the power and potential of new technologies to educate, entertain and improve our lives. Following FM radio, Mr. Rogers has compiled a pioneering record second to none in seeing and investing in groundbreaking new technologies: cable television, wireless telephony, high-speed Internet service, multicultural TV programming, digital television, personal video recorders (PVRs) and more. Today Rogers Communications owns Canada's largest wireless telecommunications company, one of the country's largest cable companies, the Toronto Blue Jays and Rogers Centre, 52 radio stations, several television stations including Rogers Sportsnet, the Shopping Channel, the OMNI multicultural stations, and Citytv stations, and 70 magazines and trade journals. Mr. Rogers earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in 1956, and his LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1961. He was called to the bar of Ontario on April 13, 1962. In addition to his formal education, Mr. Rogers has been awarded a number of honourary doctorates from notable Canadian and American universities. In October 1990 Mr. Rogers was made an Officer of The Order of Canada and in April 1994 was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame. In October 2002 Mr. Rogers was the first Canadian to be inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame in Denver, Colorado. In October, 2006, he was inducted into Canada's Telecommunications Hall of Fame. He and his wife, Loretta, were named Outstanding Philanthropists of the Year in 2002 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Toronto Chapter. The Rogers have given millions of dollars to educational and health-related charities, including donations to the University of Toronto and Ryerson University.