Appeals court dismisses Rogers challenge of CRTC standstill ruling in Corus channel dispute

The Federal Court of Appeal has thrown out a challenge by Rogers Communications Inc. against the CRTC’s use of the standstill rule in its fight with Corus Entertainment Inc. over TV channel placement and packaging. The appeals court upheld two regulatory rulings from the CRTC, issued in November 2024, confirming the media giant cannot repackage or move specialty channels owned by Corus until their ongoing dispute over the terms of carrying those channels is settled — a measure known as the standstill rule. The court emphasized the rule exists to maintain stability and prevent one side from gaining an unfair advantage during their negotiations. “Freezing the terms and conditions related to the distribution of programming services maintains the status quo until the dispute is resolved and protects the public interest,” wrote Justice Wyman W. Webb in his decision. The fight between the two companies began back in March 2023, when Corus told the CRTC it was in disagreement with Rogers over issues including wholesale rates and the conditions under which Rogers would offer Corus’ portfolio of more than 30 channels to its customers. Corus sought mediation from the regulator and, according to a letter from the CRTC, the standstill rule went into effect as of Sept. 8, 2023. The dispute escalated after Rogers outbid Corus for the Canadian rights to a series of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. and NBCUniversal brands, including Bravo, HGTV, and Food Network content. This move stripped Corus of some of its most popular programming and effectively forced the company to rebrand its HGTV and Food Network channels as Home Network and Flavour Network. Following the loss of the Bravo content — previously offered on Corus’ Slice channel — Rogers notified Corus that it intended to repackage Slice by removing it from several pre-assembled channel bundles and offering it only as a standalone service. Rogers argued that because Slice had lost its premium content, its value to consumers had changed. Rogers also sought to change the channel numbers for Corus’ Home and Flavour networks. Corus went on to complain to the CRTC, arguing that, because an unresolved dispute over carriage terms had been ongoing since 2023, Rogers was legally prohibited from making any changes to channel packaging or placement — regardless of what their contract allowed — until the matter is settled. The CRTC agreed, affirming that Rogers could not make the changes without breaking the standstill rule. With the belief that the CRTC was applying the standstill rule unfairly, Rogers went to the Federal Court of Appeal in response. The company argued the standstill rule does not override Rogers’ “contractual right” to package the Corus services as it sees fit, calling the CRTC’s decisions “wrong” and “overreaching.” It added that the CRTC is forcing a contractual relationship at the financial benefit of Corus and the “detriment of Rogers and its customers.” “Consumers, in particular, will be forced to pay for channels that no longer carry the most popular programming that they want and expect,” Rogers said. The appeals court found that while Rogers may have had a contractual right to repackage channels, the standstill rule does in fact override those rights. “If the standstill rule simply means that the parties are bound by the contract that they had signed and the provisions of that contract continue unabated, the standstill rule would be rendered meaningless,” the decision stated. The justice pointed to a 2021 decision the court made in a case between Quebecor Inc. and BCE Inc. over TVA Sports broadcasts. “It is only by preserving the status quo with respect to programming and by neutralizing the possibility of an arbitrary withdrawal of service that the CRTC can act to protect the public interest,” ruled the court at the time. “In other words, to the extent that the standstill rule requires the provision of service, its very purpose is to maintain the existing balance and thereby protect that interest.” Corus and Rogers did not immediately respond to The Wire Report’s request for comment. phalentm@thewirereport.ca

Appeals court dismisses Rogers challenge of CRTC standstill ruling in Corus channel dispute

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By Phalen Tynes-MacDonald
|March 6, 2026

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Appeals court dismisses Rogers challenge of CRTC standstill ruling in Corus channel dispute

Court | By Phalen Tynes-MacDonald |March 6, 2026

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