Rogers Communications Inc. president and CEO Ted Rogers smiles as he speaks with the media prior to the company's annual general meeting in Toronto in April. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Rogers Communications Inc. CEO Ted Rogers has been admitted to hospital for what the company calls an existing cardiac condition.

The 75-year-old Rogers will temporarily step aside as the company's CEO as a result of his illness.

The cable TV operator and cellphone company says his leave will be determined by his overall health and medical progress.

Alan Horn, currently chairman of Rogers' board, will be acting CEO in the meantime.

Rogers has continued to play an active role in the company that now owns the Toronto Blue Jays, five Citytv television stations across the country as well as the Rogers cable TV, wireless and radio and magazine businesses.

Rogers turned 75 in May, raising speculation as to who will succeed the founder of Canada's largest wireless company.

The most likely contenders include Nadir Mohamed, who has risen from head of the company's wireless business to chief operating officer, president and CEO of the broader Rogers communications group, which includes wireless, cable and telecom.

Mohamed is credited by many investors for building the Rogers cellular business into the Canadian market leader.

Rogers's son Edward is another possibility. The 38-year-old is currently the head of Rogers Cable, but working against him is a reputation for being the opposite of his father.

Ted Rogers, who founded the company in 1960, has been an outspoken, sometimes unpredictable leader for the corporation, known for going against the grain and taking risks that pay off in the end.

Rogers has built itself almost as much on image as its services, placing its name on what was once known as the SkyDome, buying the Toronto Blue Jays and investing in cutting-edge services for its customers.

Rogers' investment in high-speed Internet around the turn of the millennium was one of the pivotal decisions that solidified the company's presence on the market.

Rogers believed that while only a limited number of people would subscribe to high-speed services initially, the investment would pay off in the long term.

About 15 years earlier, Rogers was also the driver behind a decision to invest in wireless technologies, which was only in its infancy at the time.

Over the past five years, stock in the company has shot up as much as 410 per cent. It has lost some of its momentum in the past year, and tumbled from its high of $52.20 last July.

On Friday, shares closed down 76 cents to $34.99 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.