Internet Stock Profiles| Internet Stock Profiles |
| Stock Symbol: RCI.B (TSE) Profile News: Forums: |
Rogers, Canada's largest cable television
company, jumped 14.5% the week ending July 9th, 1999 on
speculation that Microsoft may invest in the company.
Fueling the speculation is the fact that Ted Rogers was
one of the few Canadians who attended a recent Seattle
conference for chief executives hosted by Bill Gates.
Microsoft has previously invested in cable in the U.S.
with a billion dollar stake in Comcast Corporation. Microsoft's interest in cable is a natural result of convergence - the ultimate union of computers and television broadcasting. The increasing popularity of the @Home service for Internet access is just the beginning. Rogers is one of the Canadian licensees for @Home. Microsoft is interested in developing the software that will be used to drive the set-top boxes that decode digital signals. Rogers is part of the Cable-Labs consortium that is working on developing standards, a consortium that includes such giants as Time-Warner, Cox Communications, TCI Communications, Continental Cablevision and Comcast. The consortium has met with Mr. Gates to discuss issues. Despite its far-flung empire - cable systems, wireless technology and print and broadcast media, Rogers has not always been profitable. Although it had the ninth largest profits in 1998 at $634,769,000 according to the Financial Post 500, it lost almost that much the previous year. It topped the list for turnarounds in profitability in 1998 and Rogers share price has grown accordingly. It's more than doubled since January 1st, the best showing of any cable company. Rogers is the 59th largest company in Canada by revenue. Shares Outstanding: 243,310,503
Address: Phone: (416) 935-7777 This page last updated: Sept. 19, 1999 |