Phil Lind, a close confidante of Rogers Communications (RCI) founder Ted Rogers and a longtime director of the company, has passed away. He was 80.
Also a member of the Advisory Committee of the Rogers Control Trust, Lind first joined the company in 1969 as Programming Chief.
“Phil worked for Rogers for 54 years, nearly 40 of them with my father and helped build Rogers into the telecom and media powerhouse it is today,” said Edward Rogers, Chair, Rogers Communications, in a statement. “He has been involved in every key decision in the company’s history and we are forever grateful for his countless contributions.”
The company said from Rogers’ acquisition of Maclean Hunter in the mid-’90s to the recent Rogers-Shaw deal, Lind played an integral role in every major transaction in company history.
“He was a tireless advocate for multilingual, multicultural and specialty programming. Phil was instrumental in the creation of the Rogers Group of Funds and championed Canada’s independent film and television sector,” the company statement continued. “He was the architect and founder of CPAC (Cable Public Affairs Channel) and the driving force behind the acquisition of both Sportsnet and the Toronto Blue Jays. Phil proudly led the company’s growth and cable expansion into the United States.”
“Phil has been a constant steady force for over five decades,” added Edward Rogers. “We will miss his deep devotion, relentless determination, and sage counsel.”
Lind, often referred to as Ted Rogers’ “right hand man” – the title of the broadcast executive’s 2018 memoir – was among those caught up in the 2021 power struggle for control of the company, with his support helping tilt the power balance in Edward Rogers’ favour, alongside longtime RCI executive Alan Horn, who passed away in January.
“Right Hand Man: How Phil Lind Guided the Genius of Ted Rogers, Canada’s Foremost Entrepreneur” detailed the more than four decades Lind spent working alongside Ted Rogers, offering an insider’s look into RCI’s move into live sports and the launch of Sportsnet.
Among other accolades he received over the years, Lind was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada in 2002. In 2012, he was inducted into the U.S. Cable Hall of Fame, just the third Canadian to receive the honour after Ted Rogers and J.R. Shaw.
In June, he was recognized by OCAD University with an honourary degree as a “changemaker,” both as one of the founders of Rogers and for his philanthropy work. Among the institutions he supported were The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, where he served as Chair; Art Gallery of Ontario; Vancouver Art Gallery; and the Sierra Club of Ontario, which he founded. Proud of his family roots in the North as a descendant of 1890s Klondike prospector Johnny Lind, who later founded St. Mary’s Cement in London, ON once his claims dried up, he was also a benefactor to the Dawson City Museum and Historical Society.
Former federal Conservative party leader Erin O’Toole was among those who paid tribute to Lind on social media.
“Rebecca and I got to know Phil Lind when she worked at Rogers. We shared a love of Tory politics, CPAC TV, and St. Mary’s Cement given his roots. A gentleman, business trailblazer & proud Canadian,” wrote O’Toole. “RIP.”
Subscribe Now – Free!
Broadcast Dialogue has been required reading in the Canadian broadcast media for 30 years. When you subscribe, you join a community of connected professionals from media and broadcast related sectors from across the country.
The Weekly Briefing from Broadcast Dialogue is delivered exclusively to subscribers by email every Thursday. It’s your link to critical industry news, timely people moves, and excellent career advancement opportunities.
Let’s get started right now.
