Some bright spots remain
CANADIAN SPECIALTY CHANNEL revenues took a hard hit in 2020, thanks to Covid-19, with independents taking bigger shots than vertically integrated (VI) companies.
The recently published CRTC 2020 Individual Discretionary and On-Demand Statistical and Financial Summaries for the year ended August 31, 2020 shows Canada’s VI companies, taken together, reported a 6.9% year-over-year decrease in total revenues to $2.9 billion in 2020. The CRTC considers VI companies to include Bell Media, Rogers Media, Quebecor Media, and Corus Entertainment.
These companies spent 36.2% of their total revenues on Canadian programming, but total expenditures on Canadian programming was down 8.1%…
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By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – In a letter sent to François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry (IC), on August 13, Videotron CEO, Pierre-Karl Péladeau responded to claims made by Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) CEO Mirko Bibic in an interview on BNN Bloomberg (owned by BCE) that Videotron should not have been eligible to bid on set-aside wireless spectrum in the 3500 MHz auction, the results of which were announced on July 29.
IC set aside portions of spectrum in the last few auctions that the larger wireless players (Bell, Telus and Rogers) could not bid on, to try…
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By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – In a ruling issued this week, Federal Court Justice Fuhrer awarded $29.7 million to a group of Canadian media (Bell Media, Rogers Media and TVA) and distribution companies (Bell Canada and Bell ExpressVu, Rogers Cable and Vidéotron) as compensation for lost revenues, punitive damages and legal costs.
The defendants (INL3D, Morcor and Ottawa Tek) have advertised, offered for sale and sold preloaded set-top boxes (STB) and IPTV services, therefore distributing content illegally without authorization from rights holders, depriving them of significant revenues.
These companies did not offer a defence, but the Court ruled against them, satisfied with…
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MONTREAL – Quebecor Inc. announced yesterday its revenues are up 12.7% to $1.13 billion in the second quarter of 2021 compared to the same quarter of 2020.
The company’s adjusted EBITDA was up by $25.7 million, or 5.4%, to $501.4 million, according to a press release.
Quebecor’s telecommunications segment specifically increased its revenues by $59.3 million, or 6.8% and its adjusted EBITDA grew by $17.9 million, or 3.9%, for Q2 of 2021. Videotron also reported an increase in revenue specifically from wireline equipment by 127.1%, mobile services and equipment by 12.4% and Internet access by 9.3% in Q2.
TVA Group, due to…
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GATINEAU – The Competition Bureau announced today it has obtained court orders to compel Xplornet, Bell, Telus and Quebecor to produce documents relevant to its review of the proposed acquisition of Shaw by Rogers.
The Competition Bureau filed its request for the documents with the Federal Court of Canada on July 22 and the orders were granted on July 26 and August 1. They require the four telecoms “to produce records and written information related to mobile wireless services that are relevant to the Bureau’s investigation,” according to a press release.
The Bureau is currently investigating the proposed…
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All options are on the table as Quebecor considers expansion
By Amanda Oye
QUEBEC – There is a chance Quebecor will move to provide multiple services outside of Quebec, Pierre Karl Péladeau, president and CEO of Quebecor indicated in a call with analysts last week.
While refraining from confirming any specific plans, Péladeau said the company has already delivered significant growth since it started in wireless leading to “limited growth opportunity in Quebec.”
Videotron, owned by Quebecor, spent nearly $830 million on spectrum in Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia (in addition to Quebec) in the recent 3500 MHz auction, which…
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Parliament’s intent was to give CRTC broad powers, court says
By Ahmad Hathout
THE FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL denied an application by Groupe TVA on Wednesday, which challenged the CRTC’s authority to regulate economic disputes between parties after the regulator forced TVA to continue supplying Bell with its sports channel signal in 2019 despite a disagreement on the financial terms of the arrangement.
In April 2019, on the first night of the NHL playoffs, TVA owner Quebecor cut the signal of its TVA Sports channel to Bell viewers because it felt the terms of distribution were unfair. Since the original agreement in…
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OTTAWA – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada announced today the provisional results of the 3500 MHz auction, which earned a total of $8.91 billion.
The auction began in June and concluded July 23. Winning bidders have until August 13 to submit 20% of their final payment and until October 4 to submit the remaining 80%. The money will be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund administered by the Receiver General of Canada, according to an ISED press release.
In total, 15 Canadian companies were awarded 1,495 licences, 757 of which went to small and regional players.
“Results of the…
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Bureau notes past Shaw comments about its influence in the market
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The Competition Bureau has asked the Federal Court to compel the disclosure of records from four telecoms related to its inquiry into the proposed purchase of Shaw by Rogers.
The competition watchdog filed the first in a possible series of document requests on July 22, which, if approved, will force Bell, Telus, Quebecor, and Xplornet (respondents) to disclose related information on mobile wireless activity in the shared operating provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba, and outside.
That information, which falls roughly within the timeframe between…
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Want faster, cheaper piracy measures
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The country’s largest broadcasters and telecoms want new copyright legislation to include provisions that give the courts the ability to order website-blocking, prevent the CRTC from overruling blocking orders, and to expand authority over other intermediaries to choke off infringers.
Bell, Rogers, Telus, Shaw, Cogeco, Quebecor, SaskTel, Eastlink, and the Canadian Communications System Alliance also want the legislation to reflect the courts’ ability to unilaterally order search engines to de-index infringing websites, social media platforms and to force hosts, like Cloudflare, to take down infringing services and not direct users to it,…
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