Will the CRTC let Bell buy Groupe V Media?
By Denis Carmel
MONTREAL – Another chapter in the ongoing saga between Québecor and Bell took place on Wednesday when Bell appeared in front of the CRTC to seek permission to buy Groupe V Media (once known as TQS), a French conventional television network operating in the Quebec market.
The transaction has a price tag of $20 million. The sellers are Remstar (45.14%), Fiducie Seismikmax (9.86%), Caisse de Dépôt et de Placement du Québec (15%), Fonds de Solidarité des travailleurs du Québec (15%), and Investissement Québec (15%). Maxime Rémillard, through Remstar and…
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SAN FRANCISCO — Free, ad-supported video on demand service Tubi reported Tuesday its global monthly active users have grown to 25 million and in December alone its total view time (TVT) numbers rocketed to more than 163 million hours watched. That represents a year-over-year TVT increase of 160%, according to the news release.
Although the San Francisco-based company did not provide results by individual country, it reported Canada and Australia combined saw a 357% increase in TVT year-over-year. In the coming year, Tubi plans to launch in additional territories including Mexico and the U.K. The company recently announced a…
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TORONTO — Multicultural broadcaster Ethnic Channels Group (ECG) has signed a multi-year distribution agreement with TV Asia that will see the channel launch simultaneously on five of Canada’s largest platforms.
Headquartered in Edison, New Jersey, TV Asia is the first coast-to-coast American 24/7 information and entertainment cable TV channel specially produced and distributed for the South Asian community, says Wednesday’s news release. TV Asia has 38 bureaus in North America and provides a wide range of programming in the Hindi language. Content consists of dramas, music, movies, educational and original live programs.
“We are delighted with our Ethnical Channels Group…
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GATINEAU – On Friday, the CRTC’s Internet Code of conduct officially came into force, which is aimed at giving Canadians additional safeguards when dealing with their internet service providers.
The code sets out that ISPs must provide:
easier-to-understand contracts, documentation and policies surrounding service calls, outages, security deposits and disconnections
clearer information about prices, including for bundles, promotions and time-limited discounts
bill shock protection, through notifications when customers approach and reach their data-usage limits
information on the new rules permitting customers to cancel a contract within 45 days, without paying early cancellation fees, if the contract differs from the…
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MONTREAL – Another day, another Quebecor-Bell dispute.
While Bell Media announced today a new bi-lingual Crave service – which includes its French-language pay-TV channel Super Écran – Vidéotron is calling the move “another anticompetitive maneuver by Bell.”
The Quebecor-owned cable company said in a press release Tuesday afternoon it “has been forced to discontinue on-demand access to Super Écran content for its customers,” and that “as of today. Bell is also blocking access to its Super Écran Go app… for Videotron customers who subscribe to Super Écran.
“Videotron is disappointed that Bell is again using its market dominance to place its…
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MONTREAL — Cogeco announced Tuesday its majority shareholder, Gestion Audem Inc., has entered into an agreement to sell a block of subordinate voting shares on a private placement basis. Gestion Audem is the Audet family holding company, which owns majority control of Cogeco’s voting shares.
In connection with the sale of 288,183 subordinate voting shares, Gestion Audem will convert 210,643 multiple voting shares into subordinate voting shares, the news release says. The transaction does not alter the control of Cogeco since, upon completion of the transaction, Gestion Audem will retain control of Cogeco and ownership over 1,599,017 multiple voting…
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LONDON — Non-profit regional rural broadband project SWIFT (Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology) made a slew of announcements Monday that will see $19 million in provincial and federal funding invested to increase access to broadband services in several Southwestern Ontario communities.
SWIFT is making the investments through the New Building Canada Fund – Small Communities Fund (NBCF-SCF), a joint federal and provincial infrastructure funding program, and in partnership with its member municipalities.
Starting with its announcement for Wellington County, SWIFT has signed agreements with Cogeco Connexion, EH!tel Networks and North Frontenac Telephone Corporation (NFTC) to expand high-speed broadband infrastructure access to…
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By Denis Carmel
GATINEAU – When the Competition Bureau filed in November its intervention to the CRTC’s wireless policy review, it was expected that the reactions would be spirited, and they are.
First, some objected because the Bureau (and its specially commissioned Matrix Report) reached conclusions based on confidential information and asked that some information be shared. In that regard, Bell and Rogers got what they wanted while CNOC and Telus are still waiting for word from the Commission when it comes to that data. Telus has warned the Bureau’s intervention should be deleted from the record for…
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By Steve Faguy
MONTREAL — Cogeco is closer than ever to launching a wireless service, but it still requires regulatory change before it can do so properly, company CEO Philippe Jetté told journalists on Wednesday as the company held its annual shareholders meeting in Montreal.
It’s one of several dossiers where Cogeco is seeking to either change the rules or fight to maintain them depending on their business interests.
Jetté (pictured, standing), who took over from controlling shareholder Louis Audet (seated) as CEO in 2018, said he is looking forward to presenting his company’s proposal for a “hybrid mobile…
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MONTREAL — Cogeco Inc. reported its revenues and profits increased in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the same period last year, primarily due to growth in its American broadband services business and the acquisition of several radio stations a year ago.
Overall, Cogeco’s revenue increased by 1.8% to reach $618.5 million in Q1 2020, compared to the same quarter of 2019. The company’s adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) in Q1 2020 reached $290.5 million, an increase of 5.2% over the first quarter of 2019.
Revenue from Cogeco Communications accounted for $586.8 million of the company’s…
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