Coalition challenges Bell/Astral's combined viewing share data

OTTAWA – The ‘Say No To Bell’ coalition is taking issue with Bell’s interpretation of its Canadian TV viewing share should its acquisition of Astral Media be allowed to proceed. The group, spearheaded by Cogeco, Eastlink, and Quebcor, issued a statement challenging Bell’s calculation that the combined English-language market share of Bell Canada and Astral Media is 33.5%. “The correct number for the Canada-wide English-language viewing share of the combined companies is in fact 41.4%”, reads the statement. “This goes to the heart of the problems inherent in the proposed transaction: a degree of single company market dominance greatly exceeding...