Rogers Sports & Media

Background, formation, and early expansion

Rogers Media was established in 1960 when Ted Rogers and Joel Aldred acquired CHFI. The origins of Rogers can be traced to 1927 when Edward S. Rogers Sr. launched a radio station that would eventually become CFRB.

In August 1925, the name Rogers came into view on the Canadian broadcasting scene with the introduction of the Rogers Batteryless Radio at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. This invention was made with new tubes by Edward S. (Ted) Rogers, who invented them. Rogers Sr founded the holding company Standard Radio Manufacturing Corporation Ltd. During the year 1927, the first ever seen radio broadcasting transmitter was built by Edward Rogers. This was seen as a significant advancement because it operated from power lines without the assistance of batteries or converters. Rogers Batteryless was born from this invention.

In 1939, Edward Rogers died, and his son was only six years old. The Rogers family had involvement in Canada's broadcasting until about the mid-1940s; Velma, Edwards's wife, sold her shares away in Standard Radio Limited. Sixteen years later, the business would resurface again due to the son of Edward Rogers, Ted.

Rogers Media business began in 1960, when Ted borrowed $85,000 to buy Canada's first FM radio station, CHFI. That year, Rogers and Aldred formed Baton Aldred Rogers Broadcasting (a forerunner to present-day competitor Bell Media) when it acquired the license for CFTO-DT, which launched the following year. In 1962, Rogers bought Aldred's shares of CHFI, which changed its name to CHFI-FM Limited, then Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. By 1964, CHFI-AM, which would eventually become CFTR went on air.

In 1986, Rogers acquired CFMT, Canada's first multicultural station. It also received many stations from Selkirk Communications in 1989.