Roseman: Bell & Rogers to monopolize sports broadcasting and how you’re complicit

By Ellen Roseman for Moneyville Every day, I hear from Rogers and Bell customers about overcharging, recurring bill errors and unfair contract terms. Most people tell me how hard it is to reach these companies, to get through to anyone who listens and can resolve problems quickly. So, I trembled to hear that Rogers and Bell bought a majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment from the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. “Rogers and Bell will be much better owners. Look at how well they treat their customers in their current monopoly,” said a Twitter message I saw (and retweeted) just before the official announcement.

Where does each company find an extra $533 million to get a stranglehold on sports broadcasting in Toronto?

It’s coming from all of us — the long suffering customers who pay too much for home phone, wireless phone, TV and Internet services from these two giant telecom firms.

We pay too much because of a misguided federal government policy that has allowed Bell and Rogers to dominate and control the telecom markets in eastern Canada.

In the past 20 years, Ottawa has stripped away much of the regulation that once applied to home phone service and cable TV. Meanwhile, it has refused to regulate Internet and wireless phone service. Read more »

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