The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that Rogers used the last day of CRTC hearings reviewing its proposed takeover of Shaw Communications to reject the criticism of its main rivals, while offering some concessions to independent producers and distributors. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe says that Rogers lobbyist Ted Woodhead said Friday that Bell Canada parent BCE and Telus were speaking in self-interest rather than the public interest when raising concerns about the size Rogers would reach if the deal goes through. "For decades, these two companies have consistently advocated for the notion of scale for themselves, but have now decided that scale is a bad thing when it comes to Rogers and Shaw." Mr. Woodhead said the combined company would lead to stronger competition in Western Canada, and that there are more regulatory safeguards in place than there were in 2012 when the CRTC forced concessions from Bell before approving its purchase of Astral Media. He noted that Bell was also in talks to buy Shaw's assets, which would have seen BCE reach the same scale Rogers is seeking with the deal. The combined Rogers-Shaw would control 47 per cent of Canada's English-language subscriber base.