Alleges monopoly in northern of Quebec
OTTAWA – After asking the CRTC to force Bell to provide access to its cable network in the region of Abitibi-Témiscaminque (which is branded Cablevision), Vidéotron and five residents of that remote region of Québec (Including outgoing MP, Christine Moore), wrote Jeanne Pratt, senior deputy commissioner-mergers and monopolistic practices branch at the Competition Bureau asking her to investigate Bell under sections 75 and 79 of the Competition Act.
Section 75 states the Commissioner may apply to the Competition Tribunal which, if it finds that
“(a) a person is substantially affected in his business or is…
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Vidéotron says Bell is undercutting BDUs by making it available on Alt TV
GATINEAU – Back in April 2019, Bell Media complained to the CRTC saying Vidéotron had relegated Bell’s premium French language service Super Écran deeper into its line-up in a way that Bell says disadvantages Super Écran to the benefit of Québecor’s Club illico, which means undue preference.
In its response, on June 3rd, Vidéotron explained rates Bell would be charging in the future for the channel would make its tiers unaffordable and, in any case, Super Écran and Club illico are totally different…
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MONTREAL – Videotron Ltd. announced this week the pricing of its new issuance of C$800 million aggregate principal amount of 4.5% Senior Notes due 2030.
The new senior notes will be sold at par, will carry a coupon of 4.5% and will mature on January 15, 2030, reads the press release. The Quebecor division “intends to use the proceeds of this offering to repay a portion of the amounts outstanding under its senior credit facility and to pay transaction fees and expenses,” says the release.
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OTTAWA – As part of its campaign pledge to “make life affordable for Canadian families,” the federal Liberal Party says that if it remains in power following next month’s election, it will “take strong action” to have cellphone bills reduced by 25% within four years and save a family of four nearly $1,000 a year.
To reach that target, the Liberals say they will “work with telecom companies to offer plans comparable to global prices,” along with an unlimited family plan, according to their party’s platform on cellphone bills released Sunday.
The governing party also targets…
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TORONTO – Everyone knows Rogers Media owns the national NHL rights for all of Canada (and sublicences to Quebecor’s TVA for the French language national broadcasts), but there are regional rights and both Bell Media’s TSN and Sportsnet announced some of their schedules for the upcoming NHL season today.
The releases also note where those games can be found on Bell Media’s and Rogers Media’s radio stations.
TSN’s Ottawa Senators schedule features 55 regular season games.
TSN’s Toronto Maple Leafs schedule will consist of 26 games.
TSN’s Winnipeg Jets Regional schedule includes 60 games.
TSN’s…
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MONTREAL – Quebecor Media’s TVA Sports, which is the official French-language broadcaster of the National Hockey League (NHL), will air over 250 games this coming National Hockey League season, including 22 Montreal Canadiens games.
TVA Sports will begin broadcasting the second Habs pre-season game on Wednesday, September 18 at 7 p.m. as the team faces the Florida Panthers.
The regular season will begin Wednesday, October 2, with a double-header of Ottawa Senators vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs, then the Las Vegas Golden Knights vs. the San Jose Sharks in the last series.
www.tvasportsdirect.ca
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TORONTO – Expect network investment to plummet, the growth of the digital economy in Canada to stall and an invasion of well-heeled foreign broadband resellers if the recent CRTC decision on third party internet access wholesale rates is not overturned, says a report published this week by TD Securities.
While saying he expects the decision to be challenged and overturned or at least revised, TD telecom and media analyst Vince Valentini pulls no punches in his analysis, saying the Commission-set wholesale rates and retroactive rebates are bad for the incumbent carriers, their customers and Canada as…
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MONTREAL – Patrick Jutras has been named senior vice-president and chief advertising officer of Quebecor and TVA Group, the company announced today.
He will oversee the corporation’s advertising network and further expand Quebecor’s multiplatform advertising proposition, as the company’s business model shifts to “360° multiplatform solutions,” reads the press release.
In addition to sales, two new business units will report to him: the marketing solutions and content production specialist unit headed by Robert Renaud and the data and digital performance expertise centre headed by Jean Péladeau.
Jutras has spent close to 15 years in key roles in developing and growing cross-platform…
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CEO Pruneau wants it to be the in-home hub for Quebecers
MONTREAL — Vidéotron has officially joined the IPTV family, announcing Tuesday its Helix platform is available to the general public as of now.
Using Comcast's X1 technology, which is also deployed by Rogers (Ignite) and Shaw (BlueSky), it includes features like cloud-based DVR, restart of missed live TV programs, voice-controlled remote, intelligent Wi-Fi and combined search of live TV, video-on-demand and three streaming apps: YouTube, Netflix and Videotron's own Club Illico.
But those three apps are it for now. No Amazon Prime Video, or Bell's Crave, or DAZN, or Radio-Canada's Tou.tv,…
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MONTREAL – TVA and Endemol Shine North America announced last week the reality show Star Academie will return to the Quebecor Media channel in 2021.
Over its five broadcast seasons, the popular talent show was viewed by millions in Quebec from the time it first aired in 2003.
"We are happy to partner with TVA again for the return of Star Academie," said Tania Jacobson, vice-president of Canadian sales at Endemol, in French in the TVA press release. "This program has been a resounding success in Quebec and we are working with TVA to offer a concept that is stronger…
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