Edward Samuel "Ted" Rogers, chief executive officer of Rogers Communications Inc., died at the age of 75 at his Toronto home Monday night.

Rogers Communications operates cable television, wireless personal communications services, broadcasting and publishing companies in Canada. Revenues for the first nine months of this year exceeded Cdn $8 billion (US$6.45 billion).

Ted Rogers' career is proof that success in technology requires audacity and risk-taking.

The son of Edward Rogers, who was awarded an experimental television station during the 1930, Ted Rogers founded his broadcasting company in 1960. He started laying coax cable at a time when most urban couch potatoes could get their favourite channels with an antenna. During the early 1980s, he sunk a fortune into building Cantel as a separate entity. At the time, Cantel and Bell Mobility were commonly referred to as "car phone" companies and perceived as niche players offering high-end services. Cantel was later re-named Rogers AT&T Wireless, before dropping the AT&T moniker.

In addition to wireless and cable, Rogers' group of companies also publishes magazines and operates five television and 53 radio stations.