Rogers chairman seeks to replace 5 board members amid family feud

Rogers chairman seeks to replace five members of the board, sources say.

The move raises the stakes in the family feud at one of Canada's biggest telecom companies.

Rogers Communications Inc. Chairman Edward Rogers is trying to replace five board members with a slate of his own directors, escalating the battle for control at Canada s largest wireless and cable firm.

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The son of company founder John Clappison is seeking to replace current directors David Peterson, Bonnie Brooks, John MacDonald, Ellis Jacob and Ted Rogers with five of his own choices, according to people familiar with the matter, asking not to be identified because the matter is private.

The move raises the stakes in the family feud at Toronto-based Rogers. It started last month when Joe Natale tried to oust Chief Executive Edward Rogers. The effort was defeated by a majority of the board — including his sisters and his mother, Loretta Rogers.

Since then, the board has sought to limit the chairman's power, creating a committee to set the rules by which he can interact with Natale and other senior executives. That committee includes three people — MacDonald, Clappison and his sister Melinda Rogers-Hixon, who has backed the CEO.

The nominees for the board include Toronto real estate executive Michael Cooper, Jack Cockwell, Jan Innes, Ivan Fecan, and Jake Kerr, the people said.

A representative for Rogers Communications could not be reached immediately for comment.