Rogers dismisses Bell’s channel packaging complaint as ‘trivial,’ ‘gamesmanship’

Rogers Communications Inc. is urging the CRTC to dismiss a complaint filed by BCE Inc. regarding the packaging of certain Bell channels on its services, arguing the application is “frivolous,” “trivial,” and an example of “regulatory gamesmanship.” Bell is alleging that Rogers — through its satellite broadcast distribution undertaking (BDU) Shaw Direct — has been giving itself an unfair advantage since January by automatically including Rogers’ channels in its TV subscription packages, while leaving out similar channels offered by Bell. Bell is calling on the CRTC to force Rogers to repackage its offerings so that Bell’s discretionary USA Network and Oxygen True Crime channels will be automatically included in the same packages as Rogers’. However, Rogers contends the complaint is “fundamentally flawed” because a standstill rule has been in effect in the companies’ dispute since Oct. 30, 2024, prohibiting Rogers from changing or repackaging Bell’s services. Rogers argues it has complied with the standstill rule and that finding it gave undue preference during this period would be “blatantly inconsistent, and patently unreasonable.” The dispute stems from Rogers’ acquisition of content from Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., announced last June, which included programming that was previously licensed to Bell Media and Corus Entertainment Inc. Rogers says that Bell has filed four complaints against it in relation to the dispute and is engaging in “procedural abuse.” “The complaint was clearly filed to artificially manufacture an additional ‘dispute’ in an attempt to inappropriately extend the standstill for as long as possible for commercial advantage, rather than to address a legitimate regulatory concern,” alleges Rogers in its response. Rogers claims this gives Bell “inappropriate leverage” and forces Rogers to continue paying “grossly inflated rates” for Bell's services, which no longer have “premium” Warner Bros. content. Rogers also repeats its argument that Bell is being hypocritical, noting that the company “deliberately omits the critical fact that Bell’s BDUs do not carry” any of Rogers’ new Warner Bros. programming. “The inequities alleged by Bell in connection with Shaw Direct’s packaging of fall well short of being ‘undue’ and are negligible when compared to Bell’s treatment, to-date, of Discovery services,” Rogers maintains. “Granting Bell’s requested relief would therefore amount to an incorrect, arbitrary, and asymmetrical application of , perpetuating regulatory asymmetry between Rogers and Bell, which Bell has exploited since triggering the standstill in October 2024, to the detriment of consumer choice and competition.” news@thewirereport.ca

Rogers dismisses Bell’s channel packaging complaint as ‘trivial,’ ‘gamesmanship’

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By Wire Report Staff
| May 27, 2025

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Rogers dismisses Bell’s channel packaging complaint as ‘trivial,’ ‘gamesmanship’

Broadcast | By Wire Report Staff | May 27, 2025

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Broadcast |
By Wire Report Staff
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