André Provencher, a member of the National Film Board of Canada’s board of trustees and a former media executive at TVA Group and Quebecor Media, died of pancreatic cancer last Thursday at the age of 76.
“It is with deep sadness that the NFB learned of the passing of André Provencher,” said an NFB statement honouring his memory Saturday. “A skilled administrator and strategist, André Provencher was an ardent ambassador for cultural outreach. His vision and commitment have left a lasting mark on the Canadian audiovisual industry.”
Provencher had been a member…
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Quebecor’s discount wireless brand Fizz announced Wednesday the rollout of 5G service on its mobile network in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
Fizz’s 5G network covers more than 22 million Canadians, the wireless provider said in a press release.
“The launch of 5G on the Fizz network is a natural evolution of our mission: to offer our members innovative technological services that simplify their daily lives — at affordable prices,” Martin Gendron, Fizz general manager, said in the release. “This technology will transform our members’ mobile experience by delivering significantly higher speeds and better…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC said Monday that there isn’t enough evidence on the record to show that Bell is imposing on Quebecor an undue disadvantage by allegedly forcing disproportionate wholesale transport charges on its subsidiary.
Quebecor filed an application over two years ago claiming that Bell has been forcing its subsidiary, Fibernoire, to renew a wholesale fibre transport agreement on terms that would allegedly subject it to an undue disadvantage: better prices in exchange for a long-term contract and a commitment to minimum annual revenues – which Bell says is a common practice that provides revenue and…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The Quebec Superior Court has approved a class of plaintiffs to sue Videotron and Cogeco for price increases it says were made without proper notice.
The court on Friday found that the class may have a legitimate case at trial because the telecoms neglected to include in their notice of price increases certain information required by the province’s Consumer Protection Act (CPA), namely: a previous version of the amended clause and all options available for a customer to cancel their services.
Section 11.2 of the CPA stipulates that the company must provide at least 30 days notice of a…
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Quebecor Fund’s board of directors last week announced the list of Canadian production companies that will receive financial support in the 51st round of the fund’s Television Production Assistance Program, with a total of more than $2.2 million being disbursed in this round.
Under the program’s Support for the Creation of Intellectual Property component, Quebecor Fund is granting $550,000 to three projects produced by Happy Camper Média Inc., Productions du Milieu Inc., Attraction Images Inc., and Image-in Productions Inc. The broadcasters supporting the development of these projects are Télé-Québec, TV5 Québec Canada, Société Radio-Canada…
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Follows other telecoms asking for change in reporting thresholds
By Ahmad Hathout
Telesat is asking the CRTC to clarify if satellite transport providers are subject to its new outage reporting rules and, if so, to amend them because they are not privy to some of the information the regulator is asking for.
In a review and vary application made public on Monday, the Ottawa-based company said because it doesn’t provide services directly to retail customers, it cannot comply with the CRTC’s new rules that establish a new threshold for reporting to official bodies. It is asking for a new set of reporting…
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Freedom Mobile on Tuesday announced the launch of Freedom 5G Home Internet, currently available in select markets to existing eligible mobile customers by invitation only.
“This launch marks an important step in expanding Freedom’s product portfolio and our commitment to deliver innovative solutions that continue to meet the evolving needs of our customers,” Pierre Karl Péladeau, president and CEO of Quebecor, parent company of Freedom Mobile, said in a press release. “By tapping into our existing network infrastructure we’re able to create new value for customers and drive competition in this growing market segment.”
Leveraging…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Cogeco is alleging the CRTC did not adequately weigh the impact of Quebecor’s influence on editorial voices in Montreal when it allowed its internet station QUB Radio to continue operating on the FM airwaves.
Cogeco claims in a leave application to the Federal Court of Appeal on Monday that the regulator made an incomplete analysis when it determined last month that QUB Radio could continue operating on Leclerc Communication’s FM station, CJPX-FM (99.5 FM), through a simple agreement between the two companies.
The CRTC ruled that the arrangement, announced in the summer of…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC said in a letter Wednesday that it will clarify rules surrounding the disclosure of information related to last-mile fibre locations for competitors.
The letter was prompted by a Telus Part 1 application, dated June 9 but made public Wednesday, that asked the CRTC to impose enforcement action against Rogers for cutting off its access to the cable company’s wholesale access portal on April 4. The service was eventually restored within a day, but the Vancouver-based telco said the incident “severely” disrupted its operations.
Telus said it received notice on that Friday afternoon from Rogers saying that it…
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Quebecor announced Thursday the appointment of Luana Ann Church to the position of vice president of development, acquisitions and distribution, effectively immediately.
Church, who has been with Quebecor since 2011, will be responsible for content acquisition and distribution and international development for Quebecor Content, Incendo, and TVA Films, a press release says.
Church replaces Yann Paquet, who departed the role in the spring.
In her role as senior legal director for the Montreal-based company, Church was involved in matters related to intellectual property and international content partnerships. She played an active role in the acquisition of programs for TVA Group and the…
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