News releases from and about Canada's Rogers Wireless mobile phone provider

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Rogers Reports Second Quarter 2011 Financial and Operating Results

Rogers Communications Inc.

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Rogers Reports Second Quarter 2011 Financial and Operating Results

Second Quarter Revenue up 3% to $3.1 Billion, Adjusted Operating Profit Grows 4%, Adjusted Diluted EPS up 8% to $0.85, $559 Million of Free Cash Flow Generated;

Wireless Subscribers up 135,000 Driven by Record Number of New Smartphone Customers, While Wireless Data Revenue Growth Strong at 31% and Network Margins at 47%;

Cable Operations Adjusted Operating Profit Increases 17% Driving Margins to 48% on Continued Subscriber Growth and Cost Efficiencies;

Media Revenue up by 13% Reflecting Top Line Growth Broadly Across Portfolio

TORONTO, July 26, 2011 /CNW/ - Rogers Communications Inc. today announced its consolidated financial and operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS").

Financial highlights are as follows(1):                            
                             
        Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30,
(In millions of dollars, except per share amounts)       2011   2010   % Chg   2011   2010   % Chg
                             
Operating revenue
Adjusted operating profit
Adjusted net income
Adjusted earnings per share
Adjusted diluted earnings per share
      $   3,115
      1,242
         467
$     0.85
$     0.85
  $  3,017
     1,194
        464
$    0.80
$    0.79
           3
            4
            1
            6
            8
  $  6,102
     2,402
        890
$    1.62
$    1.61
  $  5,893
     2,353
        861
$    1.47
$    1.46
              4
            2
            3
          10
          10

(1)   This summary of our second quarter 2011 results should be read in conjunction with our second quarter 2011 MD&A, our second quarter 2011 Interim Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto, and our 2010 Annual Report all of which are incorporated by reference in this news release. The financial information presented herein has been prepared on the basis of International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") for interim financial statements and is expressed in Canadian dollars.

"Rogers delivered a solid performance in the second quarter both for financial and subscriber results, delivering solid growth in a highly competitive environment," said Nadir Mohamed, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rogers Communications Inc. "The strength of our asset mix combined with successful execution on our priorities - wireless data growth, customer retention and managing our cost structure - enabled Rogers to generate continued strong margins and substantial free cash flow."

Highlights of the second quarter of 2011 include the following: 

  • Generated consolidated quarterly revenue growth of 3%, with Wireless network revenue growth of 1%, Cable Operations revenue growth of 5%, and Media revenue growth of 13%, versus the same quarter last year. Adjusted operating profit increased by 17% at Cable Operations and by 47% at Media, but was partially offset by a 7% decline at Wireless primarily reflecting costs associated with the record number of new smartphone sales and ongoing declines in voice ARPU.

  • Wireless data revenue growth accelerated to 31% and net postpaid subscriber additions totalled 108,000, helping drive wireless data revenue to now comprise 35% of Wireless network revenue.  During the quarter, Wireless activated and upgraded 591,000 additional smartphones, of which approximately 40% were for subscribers new to Wireless, compared to 385,000 in the prior year quarter. This resulted in subscribers with smartphones, who typically generate ARPU nearly twice that of voice only subscribers, representing 48% of the overall postpaid subscriber base as at June 30, 2011, up from 35% as at June 30, 2010.

  • Wireless launched the first Canadian commercial deployment of Long Term Evolution ("LTE") network services in Ottawa.  Rogers expects to follow this launch with market launches of LTE in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver later this year, and in the rest of the top 25 Canadian markets in 2012.  LTE is a next generation technology that enables unparalleled connectivity, offering speeds that are between three and four times faster than HSPA+ with peak theoretical download rates of up to 150 Megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of up to 70 Mbps.

  • Rogers began a $80 million investment to further enhance our wireless voice and data network in the Maritimes, extending the Rogers 4G HSPA+ coverage to almost one million more people across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, representing a 130% increase over the current population coverage of our network in those provinces.

  • Rogers won an important contract to provision machine to machine ("M2M") wireless connectivity for Hydro-Quebec over the next six years.  Rogers will connect Hydro Quebec's central system with up to 600 Smart Meter collectors, which aggregate electrical service utilization data relayed from Quebec's approximately 3.8 million Smart Meters.

  • Wireless launched Canada's first Wi-Fi voice service for smartphones to help business customers save time and money by enabling mobile calls from their smartphones over a Wi-Fi network that do not count towards monthly voice plan minutes. Calls that originate on a Wi-Fi network are automatically transferred to the Rogers wireless network when the person leaves the Wi-Fi coverage area.

  • The Small Business Specialist program was launched which is an innovative Canada-wide initiative that gives small business owners direct access to in-store trained specialists at 157 retail locations across Canada who can expertly and efficiently advise them on all of their business communications solutions needs.

  • Rogers Remote TV Manager was launched by Cable in Ontario enabling digital TV subscribers the freedom and flexibility to search TV programming and manage PVR recordings online from anywhere with their computers, tablets and certain smartphones.

  • Cable began the initial deployment of its innovative new Smart Home Monitoring offering, a first of its kind service in Canada that provides real-time customizable home monitoring, control, viewing and alerts from any computer or smartphone over a combination of Rogers' broadband and wireless networks. 

  • Media announced the launch of CityNews Channel, a new 24-hour, interactive, local news channel in Toronto leveraging trusted news brands Citytv, 680 News and Maclean's; as well as the launch by Citytv of reality TV competition series, "Canada's Got Talent". In addition, Media announced the launch of Sportsnet Magazine, Canada's first national biweekly sports magazine, leveraging the Rogers Sportsnet franchise and brand to connect readers with the premier source for sports features and opinion.

  • Generated $559 million of consolidated free cash flow in the quarter, defined as adjusted operating profit less PP&E expenditures, interest on long-term debt (net of capitalization) and cash income taxes, relatively consistent with the second quarter of 2010 and reflecting steady levels of adjusted operating profit being offset by an increased level of PP&E expenditures. Free cash flow per share increased by 2% over the same period reflecting accretion from share buybacks which have decreased the base of outstanding shares.

This earnings release, which is current as of July 25, 2011, is a summary of our second quarter 2011 results and should be read in conjunction with our second quarter 2011 MD&A, second quarter 2011 Interim Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto, our 2010 Annual MD&A and our 2010 Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto and other recent securities filings available on SEDAR at sedar.com.

The financial information presented herein has been prepared on the basis of International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") for interim financial statements and is expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.  Comparative amounts for 2010 included in this earnings release have been restated to reflect our adoption of IFRS, with effect from January 1, 2010. Periods prior to January 1, 2010 have not been restated and are prepared in accordance with Canadian GAAP.

Concurrent with the impact of the transition to IFRS, we made certain changes to our reportable segments. Commencing January 1, 2011, the results of the former Rogers Retail segment are reported as follows: the results of the Video retailing portion are now presented as a separate operating sub-segment under the Cable segment, and the portions related to retail distribution of cable and wireless products and services are now included in the results of operations of Cable Operations and Wireless, respectively. In addition, certain intercompany transactions between the Company's Rogers Business Solutions ("RBS") segment and other operating segments, which were previously recorded as revenue in RBS and operating expenses in the other operating segments, are now recorded as cost recoveries in RBS beginning January 1, 2011. While there is no change to the consolidated results of the Company or to the adjusted operating profit of RBS, as a result of this second change, the reported revenue of RBS is lower as intercompany sales are no longer included. Comparative figures for 2010 have been reclassified to conform to the current year's presentation of both changes discussed above.

As this earnings release includes forward-looking statements and assumptions, readers should carefully review the sections of this earnings release entitled "Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements, Risks and Assumptions".

In this earnings release, the terms "we", "us", "our", "Rogers" and "the Company" refer to Rogers Communications Inc. and our subsidiaries, "Wireless", "Cable", and "Media".

SUMMARIZED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL RESULTS                          
                               
      Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30,
(In millions of dollars, except per share amounts)     2011   2010   % Chg   2011   2010   % Chg
                           
Operating revenue                          
  Wireless
Cable
    $  1,759
 
  $  1,707
 
  3
 
  $  3,480
 
  $  3,369
 
      3
 
    Cable Operations
RBS
Video
            832
        100
          18
        791
        115
          37
  5
         (13)
         (51)
       1,645
        216
          42
     1,581
        226
          78
        4
           (4)
         (46)
              950         943   1       1,903      1,885           1
  Media
Corporate items and eliminations
            437
         (31)
        386
         (19)
  13
          63
        776
         (57)
        676
         (37)
    15
          54
Total          3,115       3,017   3     6,102      5,893         4
                           
Adjusted operating profit (loss)                          
  Wireless
Cable
           761
 
       819
 
  (7)
 
    1,551
 
    1,648
 
    (6)
 
    Cable Operations
RBS
Video
            397
          21
           (2)
      340
            9
           (6)
  17
        133
         (67)
       779
          47
           (9)
        680
          17
           (8)
     15
        176
          13
              416     343   21     817           689     19
  Media
Corporate items and eliminations
              91
         (26)
      62
         (30)
  47
         (13)
        81
         (47)
      67
         (51)
     21
           (8)
Adjusted operating profit
Stock-based compensation expense
Settlement of pension obligations
Integration, restructuring and acquisition expenses
Other items, net
         1,242
         (41)
         (11)
         (19)
             -
  1,194
           (9)
             -
           (8)
           -  
  4
n/m
n/m
        138
n/m
    2,402
         (49)
         (11)
         (30)
             -
       2,353
         (35)
             -
         (10)
         (15)
        2
          40
n/m
        200
n/m
Operating profit
Other income and expense, net
         1,171
        761
  1,177
        725
  (1)
            5
  2,312
     1,567
    2,293
     1,473
        1
            6
Net income     $     410   $     452   (9)   $     745   $     820       (9)
                           
Basic earnings per share
Diluted earnings per share
    $    0.75
$    0.75
  $    0.78
$    0.77
  (4)
           (3)
  $    1.35
$    1.34
  $    1.40
$    1.39
    (4)
           (4)
                           
As adjusted:                          
  Net income
Basic earnings per share
Diluted earnings per share
    $     467
$    0.85
$    0.85
  $     464
$    0.80
$    0.79
  1
            6
            8
  $     890
$    1.62
$    1.61
  $     861
$    1.47
$    1.46
       3
          10
          10
                           
Additions to PP&E                          
  Wireless
Cable
    $     298
 
  $     206
 
  45
 
  $     516
 
  $     405
 
       27
 
    Cable Operations
RBS
Video
            177
          18
             -
        159
            8
            3
  11
        125
n/m
        327
          29
             -
       277
          14
            4
       18
        107
n/m
               195        170   15       356        295          21
  Media
Corporate
              12
          15
       9
          54
  33
         (72)
    20
          23
         13
          91
         54
         (75)
Total     $     520   $     439   18   $     915   $     804        14

SEGMENT REVIEW

WIRELESS

Summarized Wireless Financial Results                            
                             
        Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30,
(In millions of dollars, except margin)       2011   2010   % Chg   2011   2010   % Chg
                             
Operating revenue                            
  Postpaid
Prepaid
      $1,558
        80
  $1,549
        74
          1
          8
  $3,102
      151
  $3,053
      140
          2
          8
  Network revenue
Equipment sales
         1,638
      121
  1,623
        84
          1
        44
  3,253
      227
  3,193
      176
          2
        29
Total operating revenue          1,759   1,707           3   3,480   3,369         3
                             
Operating expenses before the undernoted                            
  Cost of equipment sales
Other operating expenses
            339
      659
      243
      645
  40
          2
       641
   1,288
     480
   1,241
      34
          4
              998       888     12      1,929   1,721     12
Adjusted operating profit
Stock-based compensation expense
Settlement of pension obligations
Integration, restructuring and acquisition expenses
Other items, net
            761
        (7)
        (2)
        (8)
          -
      819
        (2)
          -
          -
          -
      (7)
n/m
n/m
n/m
n/m
     1,551
        (8)
        (2)
        (8)
          -
  1,648
        (7)
          -
        (1)
      (10)
     (6)
        14
n/m
n/m
n/m
Operating profit       $   744   $   817        (9)   $1,533   $1,630      (6)
                             
Adjusted operating profit margin as
 % of network revenue
      46.5%
50.5%   (8)   47.7%   51.6%   (8)
                             
Additions to PP&E       $   298   $   206        45   $   516   $   405           27
                             
Data revenue included in network revenue       $   572   $   435        31   $1,114   $   851      31


Summarized Wireless Subscriber Results
                           
                             
(Subscriber statistics in thousands,         Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30,
except ARPU, churn and usage)        2011   2010   Chg   2011   2010   Chg
                             
Postpaid                            
  Gross additions
Net additions
Total postpaid retail subscribers
Monthly churn
Average monthly revenue per user ("ARPU")
            376
      108
   7,458
1.21%
$70.07
       321
        98
   7,124
1.06%
$73.07
        55
        10
      334
0.15%
$(3.00)
    692
      153
   7,458
1.22%
$70.12
    599
      145
   7,124
1.08%
$72.33
          93
          8
      334
0.14%
$(2.21)
                             
Prepaid                             
  Gross additions
Net additions (losses)
Total prepaid retail subscribers 
Monthly churn
ARPU
            215
        27
   1,669
3.82%
$16.14
       165
        21
   1,502
3.26%
$16.61
      50
          6
      167
0.56%
$(0.47)
     396
        17
   1,669
3.84%
$15.22
     293
      (13)
   1,502
3.43%
$15.64
  103
        30
      167
0.41%
$(0.42)
                             
Total                             
  Gross additions
Net additions 
Total postpaid and prepaid retail subscribers
Monthly churn
            591
      135
   9,127
1.68%
     486
      119
   8,626
1.44%
    105
        16
      501
0.24%
  1,088
      170
   9,127
1.70%
  892
      132
   8,626
1.49%
     196
        38
      501
0.21%
                             
Blended ARPU       $60.26   $63.27   $(3.01)   $60.07   $62.41   $(2.34)
Blended average monthly minutes of usage             475         495         (20)     463       485        (22)


Wireless Subscribers and Network Revenue

The year-over-year increase in subscriber additions for the quarter reflects increases in gross subscriber additions in both the postpaid and prepaid categories. Included in postpaid gross additions are a record number of new smartphone subscribers. The increase in prepaid subscriber additions primarily reflects sales activity from Wireless' launch of its urban zone-based unlimited voice and text service, chatr, as well as prepaid wireless data plans for tablets and USB devices.

The increase in network revenue for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, compared to the corresponding periods of 2010, was driven predominantly by the continued growth of Wireless' subscriber base and the increased adoption and usage of wireless data services.

For both the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, wireless data revenue increased by approximately 31% from the corresponding periods of 2010, to $572 million and $1,114 million, respectively. This growth in wireless data revenue reflects the continued penetration and growing usage of smartphone and wireless laptop and tablet devices which are driving increased usage of e-mail, wireless Internet access, text messaging and other wireless data services. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, data revenue represented approximately 35% and 34%, respectively, of total network revenue, compared to approximately 27% in the corresponding periods of 2010.

For the three months ended June 30, 2011, Wireless activated and upgraded approximately 591,000 smartphones, compared to approximately 385,000 smartphones in the second quarter of 2010. These smartphones were predominantly iPhone, BlackBerry and Android devices, of which approximately 40% were for subscribers new to Wireless, during the three months ended June 30, 2011. This resulted in subscribers with smartphones representing 48% of the overall postpaid subscriber base as at June 30, 2011, compared to 35% as at June 30, 2010. These subscribers generally commit to new multi-year-term contracts, and typically generate ARPU nearly twice that of voice only subscribers. This is the largest number of new smartphone customer additions that Wireless has ever reported in a quarter.

Year-over-year postpaid ARPU decreased by 4%, which reflects declines in most categories of wireless voice revenues, offset by higher wireless data and feature revenues. The approximately 15% decrease in the wireless voice component of postpaid ARPU is primarily due to the general level of competitive intensity in the wireless voice services market. During the quarter, Wireless heightened its focus on initiatives aimed at slowing the decline of voice ARPU which has accelerated in recent quarters.

Wireless Equipment Sales

The year-over-year increase for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 in revenue from equipment sales, including activation fees and net of equipment subsidies, versus the corresponding periods of 2010, reflects the significant increase in the number of smartphone activations.

Wireless Operating Expenses                            
                             
        Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30,
(In millions of dollars)       2011   2010   % Chg   2011   2010   % Chg
                             
Operating expenses                            
  Cost of equipment sales
Other operating expenses
      $    339
       659
  $    243
       645
        40
           2
  $    641
    1,288
  $    480
    1,241
       34
           4
Operating expenses before the undernoted
Stock-based compensation expense
Settlement of pension obligations
Integration, restructuring and acquisition expenses
Other items, net
             998
           7
           2
           8
            -
       888
           2
            -
            -
            -
        12
n/m
n/m
n/m
n/m
    1,929
           8
           2
           8
            -
     1,721
           7
            -
           1
         10
       12
         14
n/m
n/m
n/m
Total operating expenses        $ 1,015   $    890         14   $ 1,947   $ 1,739        12

The $96 million increase in cost of equipment sales for the three months ended June 30, 2011, compared to the corresponding period of 2010, was primarily the result of an increase in gross additions versus the prior period and a continued increase in the mix of smartphones for both new and upgrading subscribers. This was the single largest factor driving the year-over-year increase in expenses, and Wireless views these costs as net present value positive investments in the acquisition and retention of higher ARPU, lower churning customers who are on term contracts. These factors also contributed to the increase in cost of equipment sales for the six months ended June 30, 2011, compared to the corresponding period of 2010.

Total retention spending, including subsidies on handset upgrades, was $192 million and $375 million in the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, respectively, compared to $161 million and $311 million in the corresponding periods of 2010. The significant increase is a result of a higher mix of smartphone upgrades by existing subscribers, versus the corresponding periods in 2010.

The year-over-year increase in other operating expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2011, excluding retention spending discussed above, was driven by higher sales costs associated with both the volume and mix of sales, which were offset by savings resulting from cost reduction initiatives and scale efficiencies across various functions and a one-time commodity tax adjustment.

Wireless Adjusted Operating Profit

The 7% year-over-year decrease in adjusted operating profit and the 46.5% adjusted operating profit margin on network revenue (which excludes equipment sales revenue) for the three months ended June 30, 2011 primarily reflect the increase in the total operating expenses discussed above, driven heavily by the high level of smartphone activations and upgrades and related level of subsidy spending, partially offset by the increase in network revenue.

Wireless Additions to PP&E

Wireless additions to PP&E are classified into the following categories:
                                 
            Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30,
(In millions of dollars)           2011   2010   % Chg   2011   2010   % Chg
                                 
Additions to PP&E                                
  Capacity
Quality
Network - other
Information technology and other
          $    155
         59
         16
         68
  $      96
         73
           7
         30
     61
       (19)
       129
       127
  $    283
         93
         27
       113
  $    224
       116
         13
         52
       26
       (20)
       108
       117
Total additions to PP&E           $    298   $    206      45   $    516   $    405       27

Wireless PP&E additions for the three months ended June 30, 2011 reflects spending on network capacity, such as radio channel additions, network core improvements and network enhancing features, including the continued deployment of our HSPA+ network and the initial construction and launch of our LTE network. Quality-related additions to PP&E are associated with upgrades to the network to enable higher throughput speeds in addition to improved network access associated activities, such as site build programs and network sectorization work. Moreover, Quality includes test and monitoring equipment and operating support system activities. Investments in Network - other are associated with network reliability and renewal initiatives, infrastructure upgrades and new product platforms. Information technology and other wireless specific system initiatives include billing and back-office system upgrades, and other facilities and equipment spending.

The increase in Wireless PP&E additions for the three and six months ending June 30, 2011 is largely due to investments to build out the LTE network in Canada's top four markets and spending on Information technology investments on our customer interfacing systems.

CABLE

Summarized Cable Financial Results                            
                             
        Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30,
(In millions of dollars, except margin)       2011   2010   % Chg   2011   2010   % Chg
                             
Operating revenue                            
  Cable Operations
RBS
Video
      $    832
       100
         18
  $    791
       115
         37
           5
        (13)
        (51)
  $ 1,645
       216
         42
  $ 1,581
       226
         78
         4
          (4)
        (46)
Total operating revenue              950   943            1      1,903   1,885          1
                             
Adjusted operating profit (loss) before the undernoted                            
  Cable Operations
RBS
Video
             397
         21
          (2)
      340
           9
          (6)
          17
       133
        (67)
        779
         47
          (9)
     680
         17
          (8)
        15
       176
        13
Adjusted operating profit
Stock-based compensation expense
Settlement of pension obligations
Integration, restructuring and acquisition expenses
Other items, net
             416
          (5)
          (5)
        (10)
            -
    343
          (3)
            -
          (7)
            -
        21
         67
n/m
         43
n/m
    817
          (6)
          (5)
        (18)
            -
     689
          (6)
            -
          (8)
          (5)
         19
            -
n/m
       125
n/m
Operating profit       $    396   $    333      19   $    788   $    670          18
                             
Adjusted operating profit (loss) margin                            
  Cable Operations
RBS
Video
      47.7%
21.0%
(11.1%)
  43.0%
7.8%
(16.2%)

 
 
  47.4%
21.8%
(21.4%)
  43.0%
7.5%
(10.3%)
   
 
 
                             
Additions to PP&E                            
  Cable Operations
RBS
Video
      $    177
         18
            -
  $    159
           8
           3
        11
       125
n/m
  $    327
         29
            -
  $    277
         14
           4
           18
       107
n/m
Total additions to PP&E       $    195   $    170         15   $    356   $    295   21

The following segment discussions provide a detailed discussion of the Cable operating results.


CABLE OPERATIONS 

Summarized Financial Results                            
                             
        Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30,
(In millions of dollars, except margin)       2011   2010   % Chg   2011   2010   % Chg
                             
Operating revenue                            
  Cable Television
Internet
Home Phone
      $     480
        232
        120
  $     449
        214
        128
           7
            8
           (6)
  $     948
        456
        241
  $     907
        418
        256
         5
            9
           (6)
Total Cable Operations operating revenue               832           791              5        1,645        1,581           4
                             
Operating expenses before the undernoted                            
  Cost of equipment sales
Other operating expenses
                  6
        429
        7
        444
      (14)
           (3)
         12
        854
        21
        880
       (43)
           (3)
               435      451         (4)         866           901          (4)
Adjusted operating profit
Stock-based compensation expense
Settlement of pension obligations
Integration and restructuring expenses
Other items, net
              397
           (5)
           (4)
           (3)
             -
       340
           (3)
             -
           (1)
             -
       17
          67
n/m
        200
n/m
        779
           (6)
           (4)
           (3)
             -
          680
           (6)
             -
           (1)
           (7)
        15
             -
n/m
        200
n/m
Operating profit       $     385   $     336         15   $     766   $     666       15
                             
Adjusted operating profit margin       47.7%   43.0%       47.4%   43.0%    
                             

Summarized Subscriber Results                          
                           
      Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30,
(Subscriber statistics in thousands)     2011   2010   Chg   2011   2010   Chg
                           
Cable homes passed         3,737     3,661         76   3,737     3,661        76
                           
Television                          
  Net additions (losses)
Total television subscribers
              (9)
    2,294
             -
    2,296
        (9)
          (2)
        (17)
    2,294
           1
    2,296
        (18)
          (2)
                           
  Digital cable                          
    Households, net additions
Total digital cable households
               2
    1,745
         11
    1,701
        (9)
         44
           7
    1,745
           37
    1,701
       (30)
         44
                           
Cable high-speed Internet                          
  Net additions
Total cable high-speed Internet subscribers
             11
    1,729
           7
    1,643
         4
         86
       19
    1,729
    24
    1,643
          (5)
         86
                           
Cable telephony lines                          
  Net additions and migrations
Total cable telephony lines
             14
    1,028
          16
       975
         (2)
         53
         21
    1,028
        38
       975
         (17)
         53
                           
Total cable service units                          
  Net additions
Total cable service units
             16
    5,051
        23
    4,914
            (7)
       137
         23
    5,051
        63
    4,914
         (40)
       137
                           
Circuit-switched lines                          
  Net losses and migrations to cable telephony
platform
Total circuit-switched lines
    (5)
           3
  (11)
         97
  6
        (94)
  (11)
          3
  (27)
         97
  16
        (94)


Cable Television Revenue

The increase in Cable Television revenue for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, compared to the corresponding periods of 2010, reflects the timing of pricing changes made in March 2011 this year and August 2010 last year, together with continued increase in penetration of our digital cable product offerings and greater usage of on-demand and pay-per-view services.

The digital cable subscriber base grew by 3% and represented 76% of the television subscriber base as at June 30, 2011, compared to 74% as at June 30, 2010. Increased demand from subscribers for the larger selection of digital content, video on-demand, HDTV and personal video recorder ("PVR") equipment continues to contribute to the growth in the digital subscriber base and Cable Television revenue.

Cable Internet Revenue

The year-over-year increase in Internet revenue for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 reflects the increase in the Internet subscriber base, combined with the timing of Internet service pricing changes made in July 2010 and in March 2011. Also impacting the increase is the timing and mix of promotional programs and a general movement by subscribers towards higher end tiers, and to a lesser extent the transfer of the wholesale cable Internet from RBS to Cable Operations.

With the high-speed Internet base at approximately 1.7 million subscribers, Internet penetration is approximately 46% of the homes passed by our cable networks and 75% of our television subscriber base, as at June 30, 2011.

Home Phone Revenue

The year-over-year decrease in Home Phone revenue for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, reflects the declines in revenue associated with the legacy circuit-switched telephony base that Cable has almost completed with the process of divesting, which was partially offset by the increase in the cable telephony customer base combined with price changes in March 2011.

Cable continues to focus principally on growing its on-net cable telephony line base. As a result, in Q3 2010, it announced that it was divesting the assets of its off-net circuit-switched telephony business where services cannot be provided over Rogers' own cable network facilities. Under this arrangement, most of its co-location sites and related equipment were sold. In addition, the sale involved residential circuit-switched lines, with the customers served by these facilities being migrated to a third-party reseller starting late in the third quarter of 2010 and continuing over the first half of 2011. This is the principal driver of the decline of 94,000 in the legacy circuit-switched telephony base from June 30, 2010 to the current level today. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, approximately 20,000 and 32,000 circuit-switched lines, respectively, were all migrated to third-party resellers, with the exception of 3,000 which were migrated to RBS in the first quarter of 2011. The balance remaining is approximately 3,000, which will be migrated during the third quarter of 2011. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, the revenue reported by Cable Operations associated with the residential circuit-switched telephony business being divested totalled approximately $3 million and $10 million, respectively, whereas the circuit-switched telephony revenues in the three and six months ended June 30, 2010 totalled approximately $16 million and $35 million, respectively.

Cable telephony lines in service grew 5% from June 30, 2010 to June 30, 2011. At June 30, 2011, cable telephony lines represented 28% of the homes passed by our cable networks and 45% of television subscribers.  The lower net additions of cable telephony lines in the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, versus the corresponding periods of 2010, are the result of lower sales associated with a combination of product maturation and increased competition.

Excluding the impact of the declining circuit-switched telephony business that Cable is in the process of divesting, the year-over-year revenue growth for Home Phone and for Cable Operations overall for the three months ended June 30, 2011 would have been 4% and 7%, respectively.

Cable Operations Operating Expenses

The decrease in Cable Operations' operating expenses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, compared to the corresponding periods of 2010, was primarily due to cost reduction and efficiency initiatives across various functions, with activity driven costs generally benefiting from the lower number of new customer additions and customer churn versus the same period in the prior year, and a one-time commodity tax adjustment. Cable Operations continues to focus on implementing a program of permanent cost reduction and efficiency improvement initiatives to control the overall growth in operating expenses.

Cable Operations Adjusted Operating Profit

The year-over-year growth in adjusted operating profit was primarily the result of the revenue growth and cost changes described above. As a result, Cable Operations' adjusted operating profit margins increased to 47.7% and 47.4% for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, respectively, compared to 43.0% in both the corresponding periods of 2010.

ROGERS BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

Summarized Financial Results                            
                             
       Three months ended June 30,     Six months ended June 30,
(In millions of dollars, except margin)     2011   2010   % Chg     2011   2010   % Chg
                             
Operating revenue     $    100   $    115        (13)     $    216   $    226        (4)
                             
Operating expenses before the undernoted              79         106        (25)           169         209     (19)
Adjusted operating profit              21             9        133            47      17     176
Settlement of pension obligations              (1)              -   n/m           (1)           -   n/m
Integration, restructuring and acquisition expenses              (5)            (2)      150            (6)      (3)      100
Operating profit     $      15   $        7        114     $      40   $      14      186
                             
Adjusted operating profit margin     21.0%   7.8%         21.8%   7.5%    
                         

Summarized Subscriber Results                                                
                                                 
                          Three months ended June 30,     Six months ended June 30,
(Subscriber statistics in thousands)                         2011   2010   Chg     2011   2010   Chg
                                                 
Local line equivalents                                                
  Total local line equivalents                                136       156       (20)       136      156       (20)
                                                 
Broadband data circuits                                            
  Total broadband data circuits                                  32        35      (3)          32        35             (3)


RBS Revenue

The decrease in RBS revenue for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, primarily reflects the planned decline in certain categories of lower margin legacy business, partially offset by the growth in next generation IP and other on-net services. RBS focus is primarily on IP-based services and increasingly on leveraging higher margin on-net and near-net revenue opportunities utilizing both the acquired Atria and Blink networks and Cable's existing network facilities to expand offerings to the medium-sized enterprise, public sector and carrier markets. The lower margin legacy business, which includes long-distance, local and certain legacy data services, continues to decline and is down 32% for the quarter and 25% year to date. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, the acquisition of Atria contributed revenue of $17 million and $37 million, respectively.

RBS Operating Expenses

Operating expenses decreased for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, compared to the corresponding periods of 2010 and reflects the decrease in legacy services related costs due to lower volumes and subscriber levels, permanent cost reductions resulting from a 2010 restructuring of the employee base, lower sales within the medium and large enterprise and carrier segments, and operating efficiencies stemming from the integration of Blink and Atria.

RBS Adjusted Operating Profit

The year-over-year growth in adjusted operating profit reflects the acquisition of the higher margin Atria and Blink on-net data businesses and the RBS focus on growing its on-net next generation data revenue. This strategic shift has more than offset the declines in the lower margin legacy voice and data services. Cost reductions and efficiency initiatives across various functions have also contributed to higher operating profit and operating profit margins in the quarter. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, the acquisition of Atria contributed adjusted operating profit of $9 million and $22 million, respectively, contributing to the growth of the next generation services market, including data and Internet.

VIDEO

Summarized Financial Results                            
                             
        Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30,
(In millions of dollars, except margin)       2011   2010   % Chg   2011   2010   % Chg
                             
Operating revenue       $      18   $      37        (51)   $      42   $      78          (46)
                             
Operating expenses before the undernoted                20          43       (53)            51            86         (41)
Adjusted operating loss
Integration, restructuring and acquisition expenses
Other items, net
                (2)
          (2)
            -
        (6)
          (4)
            -
      (67)
        (50)
n/m
            (9)
          (9)
            -
           (8)
          (4)
           2
         13
       125
n/m
Operating loss       $     (4)   $    (10)      (60)   $    (18)   $    (10)          80
                             
Adjusted operating loss margin       (11.1%)   (16.2%)       (21.4%)   (10.3%)    


Video Revenue

The results of the Video segment include our video and game sale and rental business which has and continues to be restructured and downsized coinciding with the declining market opportunity. The decrease in Video revenue for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, compared to the corresponding periods of 2010, was the result of a continued decline in video rental and sales activity and the reduction of nearly 20% in the number of store locations since the start of 2010.

Video Adjusted Operating Loss

The adjusted operating loss at Video decreased for the three months ended June 30, 2011, and was relatively flat for the six months ended June 30, 2011, compared to the corresponding periods of 2010, reflecting the trends in revenue and operating expenses above.

Cable Additions to PP&E

Cable additions to PP&E are classified into the following categories:
                                 
             Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30,
(In millions of dollars)           2011   2010   % Chg   2011   2010   % Chg
                                 
Additions to PP&E                                
  Customer premise equipment
Scalable infrastructure
Line extensions
Upgrades and rebuild
Support capital
          $       35
65
11
3
63
  $       66
47
12
5
29
         (47)
38
(8)
(40)
117
  $       81
125
20
4
97
  $     112
87
20
8
50
         (28)
44
-
(50)
94
Total Cable Operations
RBS
Video
          177
18
-
        159
8
3
          11
125
n/m
          327
29
-
        277
14
4
         18
107
n/m
             $     195   $     170           15   $     356   $     295     21

The Cable Operations segment categorizes its PP&E expenditures according to a standardized set of reporting categories that were developed and agreed to by the U.S. cable television industry and that facilitate comparisons of additions to PP&E between different cable companies. Under these industry definitions, Cable Operations additions to PP&E are classified into the following five categories:

  • Customer premise equipment ("CPE"), which includes the equipment for digital set-top terminals, Internet modems and associated installation costs;
  • Scalable infrastructure, which includes non-CPE costs to meet business growth and to provide service enhancements, including many of the costs to date of the cable telephony initiative;
  • Line extensions, which includes network costs to enter new service areas;
  • Upgrades and rebuild, which includes the costs to modify or replace existing coaxial cable, fibre-optic equipment and network electronics; and
  • Support capital, which includes the costs associated with the purchase, replacement or enhancement of non-network assets.

Additions to Cable PP&E include continued investments in the cable network to enhance the customer experience through increased speed and performance of our Internet service and capacity enhancements to our digital network to allow for incremental HD and On-Demand services to be added.

The increase in Cable Operations PP&E for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, compared to the corresponding periods of 2010, resulted primarily from higher Scalable infrastructure and Support capital expenditures due to projects associated with increasing capacity on our Video platform and quality related investments on our Voice platform and timing on Infrastructure projects.

The increases in RBS PP&E additions for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 reflect the timing of expenditures on customer networks and support capital.

MEDIA

Summarized Media Financial Results                            
                             
        Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30,
(In millions of dollars, except margin)       2011   2010   % Chg   2011   2010   % Chg
                             
Operating revenue       $    437   $    386     13   $    776   $    676          15
                             
Operating expenses before the undernoted              346         324         7       695        609           14
Adjusted operating profit
Stock-based compensation expense
Settlement of pension obligations
Integration, restructuring and acquisition expenses
               91
         (5)
         (3)
         (1)
          62
         (2)
            -
         (1)
       47
       150
n/m
            -
        81
         (7)
         (3)
         (4)
         67
         (6)
            -
         (1)
      21
         17
n/m
n/m
Operating profit       $      82   $      59        39   $      67   $      60        12
                             
Adjusted operating profit margin       20.8%   16.1%       10.4%   9.9%    
                             
Additions to PP&E       $      12   $        9       33   $      20   $      13       54

Media Revenue

The increases in Media's revenue for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, respectively, compared to the corresponding periods of 2010, were mainly the result of increased advertising sales and new subscriber fees generated from Sportsnet ONE. Publishing, Radio, Television, Sports Entertainment, and Digital Media all drove growth in revenue for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, which was partially offset by a slight decline at The Shopping Channel.

Media Operating Expenses

Media's operating expenses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 increased, compared to the corresponding periods of 2010, primarily due to additional costs related to acquisitions of BV Media, BOUNCE, BOB-FM and planned Television programming principally in the area of sports content.

Media Adjusted Operating Profit

The increase in Media's adjusted operating profit for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, compared to the corresponding periods of 2010, primarily reflects the revenue and expense changes discussed above.

Media Additions to PP&E

Media's PP&E additions during the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 increased from the corresponding periods in 2010 due primarily to Television broadcast equipment additions related to the CRTC mandated digital transition and planned software upgrades.

2011 FINANCIAL AND OPERATING GUIDANCE

We have no specific revisions to the 2011 annual guidance ranges which we provided on February 16, 2011. See the section entitled "Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements, Risks and Assumptions" below.

Rogers Communications Inc.
Unaudited Interim Consolidated Statements of Income
(In millions of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts)

                   
        Three months ended       Six months ended
        June 30,       June 30,
        2011   2010       2011   2010
                           
Operating revenue $   3,115 $   3,017     $   6,102 $   5,893
                         
Operating expenses:                    
    Operating costs     1,925     1,832         3,760   3,590
    Integration, restructuring and acquisition costs   19   8       30   10
    Depreciation and amortization        444        405            862        811
                           
Operating income        727       772         1,450     1,482
                         
Finance costs      (166)      (154)          (434)      (337)
Other income, net           5           4               7           2
Share of the income of associates                    
  and joint ventures accounted for                    
  using the equity method, net of tax            -           3               3           7
                           
Income before income taxes        566        625         1,026     1,154
                         
Income tax expense:                    
    Current        134        105            279        219
    Deferred         22         68               2        115
      156      173          281             334
Net income for the period $      410 $      452     $      745 $      820
                         
Earnings per share:                    
  Basic $     0.75 $     0.78     $     1.35 $     1.40
  Diluted       0.75       0.77           1.34       1.39

 

Rogers Communications Inc.
Unaudited Interim Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
(In millions of Canadian dollars)

           
      June 30,   December 31,
      2011   2010
             
Assets        
             
Current assets:        
  Accounts receivable                                        $        1,564   $        1,498
  Other current assets                475                364
  Current portion of derivative instruments                    -                    1
                   2,039              1,863
             
Property, plant and equipment              8,710              8,437
Goodwill              3,282              3,108
Intangible assets               2,708              2,514
Investments                961                878
Derivative instruments                    -                    6
Other long-term assets                178                175
Deferred tax assets                  45                  52
      $      17,923   $      17,033
             
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity        
             
Current liabilities:        
  Bank advances   $            69   $            45
  Accounts payable and accrued liabilities              1,808              2,133
  Income tax payable                653                376
  Current portion of provisions                  22                  21
  Current portion of derivative instruments                  47                  67
  Unearned revenue                336                329
                   2,935              2,971
             
Provisions                  68                  62
Long-term debt               9,558              8,654
Derivative instruments                687                840
Other long-term liabilities                207                229
Deferred tax liabilities                573                517
               14,028            13,273
              
Shareholders' equity               3,895              3,760
      $      17,923   $      17,033



Rogers Communications Inc.
Unaudited Interim Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(In millions of Canadian dollars)

                               
               Three months ended       Six months ended
          June 30,       June 30,
          2011   2010       2011   2010
                             
Cash provided by (used in):                    
                           
Operating activities:                    
  Net income $      410 $      452     $      745 $      820
  Adjustments to reconcile                     
    net income to net cash flows                       
    from operating activities:                       
      Depreciation and amortization             444        405            862        811
      Program rights and Video                          
        rental amortization              49         56            100        105
      Finance costs             166       154            434        337
      Current income tax expense             134        105            279        219
      Deferred taxes              22         68               2        115
      Pension contributions,                         
        net of expense             (30)          (8)            (32)        (20)
      Settlement of pension obligations              11            -             11            -
      Stock-based compensation expense              41           9             49         35
      Amortization of fair value                         
        decrement (increment) on                         
        long-term debt                1          (1)               1          (3)
      Share of the income of associates                         
        and joint ventures accounted                         
        for using the equity                         
        method, net of tax                 -          (3)              (3)          (7)
      Other                5            -               9           4
            1,253     1,237         2,457     2,416
  Change in non-cash operating                     
    working capital items         (184)        (86)          (424)      (269)
             1,069     1,151         2,033     2,147
  Income taxes paid           (3)          (5)              (6)        (12)
  Interest paid         (87)      (193)          (309)      (339)
               979        953         1,718     1,796
                             
Investing activities:                    
  Additions to property, plant                      
    and equipment ("PP&E")       (520)      (439)          (915)      (804)
  Change in non-cash working                      
    capital items related to PP&E         (31)         19          (159)        (70)
  Acquisitions, net of cash and                      
    cash equivalents acquired         (28)          (2)          (532)      (132)
  Additions to program rights         (59)        (39)            (90)        (85)
  Other          (16)         16            (19)         24
             (654)      (445)       (1,715)   (1,067)

Financing activities:
                   
  Issuance of long-term debt         395         50         3,410         50
  Repayment of long-term debt       (545)        (51)       (2,362)        (51)
  Premium on repayment of                      
    long-term debt             -            -       (76)            -
  Payment on settlement                      
    of cross-currency interest rate                      
    exchange agreements                      
    and forward contracts             -            -       (1,208)            -
  Proceeds on settlement                      
    of cross-currency interest rate                      
    exchange agreements                      
    and forward contracts             -            -            878            -
  Financing costs incurred             -            -            (10)            -
  Repurchase of Class B                      
    Non-Voting shares             -      (328)          (285)      (630)
  Proceeds received on exercise                      
    of stock options             -           1                -           2
  Dividends paid        (195)      (188)          (374)      (363)
             (345)      (516)            (27)      (992)
                             
Decrease in cash and                     
  cash equivalents (bank advances)        (20)          (8)            (24)      (263)
                             
Cash and cash equivalents                     
  (bank advances), beginning of period        (49)        123            (45)        378
Cash and cash equivalents                     
  (bank advances), end of period $      (69) $      115     $      (69) $      115
                             
The change in non-cash operating working                     
  capital items is as follows:                    
  (Increase)/Decrease in accounts                      
    receivable $    (124) $    (100)     $      (22) $       41
  (Increase)/Decrease in other assets         (26)        (12)          (135)      (130)
  Increase/(Decrease) in accounts payable                      
    and accrued liabilities           (7)         35          (266)      (190)
  Increase/(Decrease) in income taxes payable            -            -               3            -
  Increase/(Decrease) in unearned revenue         (27)          (9)              (4)         10
          $    (184) $      (86)     $    (424) $    (269)



Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements, Risks and Assumptions

This earnings release includes forward-looking statements and assumptions concerning our business, its operations and its financial performance and condition approved by management on the date of this earnings release. These forward-looking statements and assumptions include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to our objectives and strategies to achieve those objectives, statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates or intentions, including guidance and forecasts relating to revenue, adjusted operating profit, PP&E expenditures, free cash flow, dividend payments, expected growth in subscribers and the services to which they subscribe, the cost of acquiring subscribers and the deployment of new services, the currently estimated financial impacts of converting to IFRS accounting standards, and all other statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are based on current objectives, strategies, expectations and assumptions, most of which are confidential and proprietary, that we believe to be reasonable at the time including, but not limited to, general economic and industry growth rates, currency exchange rates, product pricing levels and competitive intensity, subscriber growth and usage rates, changes in government regulation, technology deployment, device availability, the timing of new product launches, content and equipment costs, the integration of acquisitions, industry structure and stability, and current guidance from accounting standard bodies with respect to the conversion to IFRS accounting standards.

Except as otherwise indicated, this earnings release and our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or other special items or of any dispositions, monetizations, mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations or other transactions that may be considered or announced or may occur after the date of the financial information contained herein.

We caution that all forward-looking information, including any statement regarding our current intentions, is inherently subject to change and uncertainty and that actual results may differ materially from the assumptions, estimates or expectations reflected in the forward-looking information. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements or could cause our current objectives and strategies to change, including but not limited to new interpretations from accounting standards bodies, economic conditions, technological change, the integration of acquisitions, unanticipated changes in content or equipment costs, changing conditions in the entertainment, information and communications industries, regulatory changes, litigation and tax matters, the level of competitive intensity and the emergence of new opportunities, many of which are beyond our control and current expectation or knowledge. Therefore, should one or more of these risks materialize, should our objectives or strategies change, or should any other factors underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results and our plans may vary significantly from what we currently foresee. Accordingly, we warn investors to exercise caution when considering any such forward-looking information herein and that it would be unreasonable to rely on such statements as creating any legal rights regarding our future results or plans. We are under no obligation (and we expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or alter any forward-looking statements or assumptions whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Before making any investment decisions and for a detailed discussion of the risks, uncertainties and environment associated with our business, fully review the sections of our second quarter MD&A entitled "Updates to Risks and Uncertainties" and "Government Regulation and Regulatory Developments", and also the sections entitled "Risks and Uncertainties Affecting our Businesses" and "Government Regulation and Regulatory Developments" in our 2010 Annual MD&A. Our annual and quarterly reports can be found online at rogers.com, sedar.com and sec.gov or are available directly from Rogers.

About Rogers Communications Inc.

Rogers Communications is a diversified Canadian communications and media company. We are Canada's largest provider of wireless voice and data communications services and one of Canada's leading providers of cable television, high-speed Internet and telephony services. Through Rogers Media we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, televised shopping, magazines and trade publications, sports entertainment, and digital media. We are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). For further information about the Rogers group of companies, please visit rogers.com.

Quarterly Investment Community Conference Call

As previously announced by press release, a live webcast of our quarterly results conference call with the investment community will be broadcast via the Internet at rogers.com/webcast beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET today, July 26, 2011. A rebroadcast of this teleconference will be available on the Events and Presentations page of Rogers' Investor Relations website rogers.com/investors for a period of at least two weeks following the conference call.

 

 

 

 

 

For further information:

Investment Community Contacts

Bruce M. Mann, 416.935.3532, bruce.mann@rci.rogers.com
Dan Coombes, 416.935.3550, dan.coombes@rci.rogers.com

Media Contact

Terrie Tweddle, 416.935.4727, terrie.tweddle@rci.rogers.com


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