Although Rogers Communications' $120M agreement to
purchase the Blue Jays (see THE DAILY, 8/17) is pending,
"buying CTV SportsNet could prove problematic" for the
company, which holds a 29.9% stake in CTV, according to Etan
Vlessing of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. CRTC, Canada's
broadcast regulator, has a "policy of blocking cablecasters
from owning analog specialty services to guard against self-
dealing," and CTV's new parent, "phone giant" BCE Inc., is a
"longtime rival" of Rogers, as both "battle for supremacy"
on the Internet, and "would likely be loathe to satisfy"
Rogers Founder & CEO Ted Rogers' "appetite" for sports
content (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 8/18). In Toronto, Josh Rubin
cites analysts as saying that Rogers' bid for the Blue Jays
"will have a negligible effect" on its share price. Merrill
Lynch Canada analyst Glen Campbell said the $120M purchase
price is "small potatoes" for a company like Rogers and
noted that the company "has far bigger fish to fry" in its
$4.65B offer to buy Quebec-based Videotron. Rogers B shares
closed yesterday at $39, up from $38.20 Wednesday. Canadian
Shareowners Association President John Bart, on why he
"likes the deal": "Content is king. In the future when all
of this consolidation has taken place, no one's going to
want to share their content with each other, so whoever has
the best content is going to get the most viewers" (TORONTO
STAR, 8/18). The NATIONAL POST's Brent & Lewis cite a
source "close" to the negotiations as saying, "They are
still working on some stuff. It has been close for months
but at the end of the day it could fall apart in no time
flat" (NATIONAL POST, 8/18).
CALLING LORIA? In Toronto, Blair & Millson wonder if
Expos Majority Owner Jeffrey Loria might "make some type of
approach" to Winnipeg-based CanWest Global Communications --
which has stated "publicly its intention to pursue a sports
property" and was rumored "at one time to be interested" in
buying the Blue Jays -- about a partnership "once he gets
total control of the Expos." Blair & Millson: "It's a
notion that would appear to be a no-brainer for someone
wanting to keep a team in Canada, not to mention providing
summer-time scheduling fodder. It's a notion that causes
Expos fans to salivate, as they see [the Blue Jays] on the
verge of taking a big, bold step" (GLOBE & MAIL, 8/18).
