MONTREAL – Radio-Canada said today it has served Cogeco Inc.-controlled broadcaster TQS with a notice of disaffiliation.
By virtue of a contractual agreement Radio-Canada’s Television programming is presently broadcasted thanks to an affiliation to TQS. The current contract will soon be up for renewal in August 2008. “Since Radio-Canada wants to have the means and tools required to fulfill its mandate and meet the needs of residents in Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and Saguenay, we concluded that disaffiliation was the best possible solution to achieve these objectives,” says a press release from Radio-Canada.
“The broadcasting environment has changed radically since the contract was first signed 50 years ago. The proliferation and specialization of distribution platforms, audience fragmentation, technological developments and fiercer competition among media outlets have forced Radio-Canada to clearly reposition itself in these markets,” continues the release.
"Disaffiliation will allow Radio-Canada to improve its services to citizens with genuine regional stations owned and controlled by Radio-Canada thus enhancing its Radio/Television/Web programming to audiences in Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and Saguenay" as declared Sylvain Lafrance, executive vice-president of Radio-Canada.
Disaffiliation will also enable Radio-Canada to convey and promote its brand image in its entirety, as well as effectively apply its group promotion strategies to each of its components and platforms (TV/Radio/Web).
The decision will also allow the parties to complete the migration to digital how and when they choose.
How TQS will fill the holes in its schedule will be the third-ranked Quebec broadcaster’s biggest challenge.
