Peladeau lambasts “contradictory” decision
By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC said Thursday that Quebecor must come to an agreement on separate terms with Bell unrelated to the commission-approved tariff in order to access the telco’s national wireless network.
After the commission picked Bell’s access rate in final offer arbitration with the regional carrier last fall, Quebecor filed a complaint to the CRTC alleging Bell is attempting to delay its access to the large network by making it agree to terms that were outside of those already approved by the commission – and that there was an expected access date of…
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By Connie Thiessen
Cogeco has reportedly withdrawn its offer of employment to Montreal radio veteran Martin Spalding, who was to assume the helm of Cogeco Media as its president.
His appointment was announced to employees on Wednesday, however La Presse now reports that in a subsequent follow-up memo on Friday, Cogeco President Frédéric Perron relayed to staff that the former Bell Media and Astral Radio veteran would not be joining the company after all.
Spalding was to set to take over from Caroline Paquet, who had held the role since July 2021. The former longtime Quebecor executive parted ways with Cogeco earlier in the week.
Spalding had been working in Montreal media for most of…
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Quebecor Media announced last week its Quebecor Out-of-Home division has reached an agreement in principle with Montreal-based Media Group Inc. to acquire NEO-OOH’s Canada-wide out-of-home advertising business.
Financial details were not disclosed about the transaction, which is subject to customary conditions and is expected to close in the coming weeks, a Quebecor Media press release said.
When the deal closes, Quebecor Out-of-Home’s advertising network footprint will expand to more than 17,000 advertising faces across Canada, the release said. NEO’s out-of-home (OOH) networks include more than 3,000 advertising faces at more than 600 sites in 250 communities across nine…
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By Connie Thiessen
Martin Spalding has been named the new president of Cogeco Media.
Spalding succeeds Caroline Paquet, who had held the role since July 2021. Paquet came into the job after almost two decades with Quebecor, with her most recent title there being vice president of marketing and content at Vidéotron.
A former Bell and Astral executive, Spalding has been in the Montreal market for more than 30 years. Up until 2021, he served as Bell Media’s regional vice president and general manager of local radio and television for eight years, overseeing 10 general managers in the day-to-day operations of…
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Quebecor’s Videotron announced Wednesday it has added 45 new destinations to its Canada-International mobile plan.
“Starting today, subscribers to the Canada-International plan can use their mobile service in Australia, Japan, India, Vietnam, Sweden, Iceland and more,” says a Videotron press release.
Subscribers can now travel to a total of 66 international destinations and stay in touch without worrying about roaming charges, the release says.
Current Canada-International subscribers will have the new destinations added to their plan at no extra charge, while new customers can sign up for the 25 GB phone plan at…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Media company Blue Ant’s request to reduce its obligations to programs of national interest (PNI) from 13.5 to five per cent of annual revenues is “unprecedented” and would spell the loss of an important contribution to the content production system, creatives are saying in submission published Tuesday.
The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) said in an opposing submission to Blue Ant’s July request that the Toronto-based company’s PNI spending is essential to independent productions and the expression of diversity of Canadian and indigenous talent.
“Blue Ant’s historical PNI report is a testimony of the broadcaster’s important…
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The Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) has upheld a lower court ruling in 2022 that found Videotron’s illico set top box platform did not violate patented technology claimed by U.S.-based Rovi, now known as Adeia Guides.
The FCA said in its August 6 decision that Rovi’s appeal was dismissed as “the Federal Court did not make a reviewable error in its obviousness analysis concerning the 870 Patent and the 344 Patent” — two of four patents at the centre of Rovi’s original patent infringement claims against Videotron involving interactive television program guide technology.
In its…
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Competitors are left wondering about rates and implications of five-year access immunity
By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC on Tuesday ordered the largest telephone companies to provide wholesale access to their existing last-mile fibre networks across the country by February 13, 2025, but is shielding from the regime any new builds for five years.
The order is an expansion of the temporary regime ordered in November 2023 that forced Bell and Telus to provide competitors bundled access to their middle- and last-mile fibre networks in Ontario and Quebec, which has been in force since May 7. The CRTC will keep the existing rates…
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Quebecor’s Videotron announced Tuesday it is consolidating its French-language content offerings Club illico and Vrai into a single subscription video-on-demand platform, illico+, which will launch Oct. 23.
Providing a seamless transition for existing subscribers of both platforms on Helix and illico, the illico+ platform will include scripted, unscripted and specialized content, including Quebec and international exclusives, movies and TV series for all audiences, true crime documentaries, docu-reality shows, reality series, comedy programming and more, Videotron says in a press release.
“Videotron will maintain its content creation investments to keep showcasing local original productions,” the release reads. “More committed…
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Quebecor announced Monday two members of its management team have been appointed to new positions at subsidiary Videotron and Freedom Mobile.
Effective Monday, Jean-François Lescadres becomes senior vice president and chief financial officer of Videotron and Freedom Mobile, and Jean B. Péladeau becomes senior vice president and chief marketing officer of the two companies.
“Jean-François Lescadres and Jean B. Péladeau are seasoned managers who have held various strategic positions over the years and played key roles in Quebecor’s growth, particularly its success in establishing itself as Canada’s fourth major mobile carrier,” said Quebecor CEO and president Pierre Karl…
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