Search Results for: quebecor

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

Quebecor readies power play to bring NHL’s Nordiques back to Québec City

MONTREAL – Quebecor will pull out all of the stops in an effort to regain an NHL franchise in Québec City. Reacting to Wednesday’s announcement that the NHL is kicking off a formal expansion review process to consider adding new franchises to its 30-team league, Quebecor said that it “plans to participate in the process announced by the NHL and submit his (sic) candidacy in order to bring the Nordiques back to Québec City”. “Quebecor has consistently stated that its objective is to establish an NHL franchise in Québec City and it intends to make every effort to achieve that goal”, the… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

UPDATED: Why the Rogers-Mobilicity deal is “the best strategic move” Guy Laurence has made so far

TORONTO – Mobilicity has accepted, and Industry Canada, the Ontario Superior Court and late Wednesday the Competition Bureau, have blessed, Rogers’ proposal to acquire 100% of Mobilicity’s ownership for $465 million, the communications giant confirmed Wednesday morning. The announcement also said Rogers will buy Shaw's unused AWS-1 spectrum for $100 million, in addition to the down payments made when an option agreement was originally announced in January 2013, and will then divest some of that spectrum to Wind Mobile.  Specifically, Rogers and Wind will undertake an AWS-1 spectrum swap in Southern Ontario to create contiguous spectrum for Rogers, and Rogers will also divest certain… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

ANALYSIS: Addressable ads need deep corporate co-operation (which should be easier in Canada, but isn’t)

TORONTO – Everyone, and I mean everyone, agrees that if the Canadian TV industry is ever going to both boost revenues and build greater efficiency in the television advertising business, the companies here must work together. More specifically, the four large vertically integrated companies must work in harmony for the greater good. It has not yet happened. This was an important focus of the discussions that happened at last week’s very informative Future TV Advertising conference in Toronto. In theory, it should be easy. There are just four seats at the main table (Bell, Rogers, Telus and Quebecor), so the quartet… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Quebecor sells off retail operations Groupe Archambault

MONTREAL – Quebecor said Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to sell off its Archambault Group's retail operations to French-language bookstore chain Renaud-Bray.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction includes the 14 Archambault retail stores in Quebec, which are major retailers of recorded music, books, software, DVDs, periodicals, musical instruments and sheet music; the archambault.ca website; and the English-language Paragraphe Bookstore on McGill’s College Avenue. The transaction is subject to Competition Bureau approval. "The retail sector has had to face tall challenges because of technological change and the advent of digital platforms, upheavals which… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Rural Canadians to benefit from service parity after Xplornet’s auction win

OTTAWA – “It’s a great day for broadband in rural Canada without a doubt.” That was Chris Johnston, executive VP of marketing at Xplornet Communications Inc., in an interview with Cartt.ca on Tuesday after the company won 42 licences in Industry Canada’s 2500 MHz spectrum auction. With 25 MHz in 42 markets across the country, the broadband communications company will use the spectrum to rollout a near national fixed wireless LTE network, capable of providing rural Canadians with download speeds of 25 Mbps, the ability to stream HD, and all other manner of things consumers can… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Q1 revenues rise, profits fall at Quebecor

MONTREAL – Despite gains at Videotron, Quebecor saw its first quarter profits drop by nearly $10 million from the same quarter last year. For the period ended March 31, 2015, net income attributable to shareholders was $29.4 million, down $9.7 million from $39.1 million in the same period of 2014, due primarily to restructuring charges and a $20.7 million increase in amortization charge. Quebecor's revenues increased 5.7% year-over-year to $ 948.6 million, and adjusted operating income grew 1.3% to $339.0 million.  On an adjusted basis, income from continuing operations was $40.8 million, down from $44.3 million in the same period of… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

PK still hovers over Quebecor as CEO Dion says national wireless still possible

MONTREAL – Quebecor CEO Pierre Dion says the company is keeping its options open about the idea of becoming a national wireless player after this week’s CRTC decision on wholesale roaming. In a press conference after the company’s annual general meeting in Montreal on Thursday, Dion said “we will continue to use a very, very disciplined process” in evaluating whether to make use of its spectrum licenses in English Canada to expand its wireless services to other provinces, or come to agreements with other players. He said “we think that the CRTC is taking a step in the right direction” with… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

WHOLESALE WIRELESS: Initial response positive, negative, neutral, and none

THE INSTANT REACTION to the CRTC’s Tuesday decision to rate-regulate the domestic wholesale wireless roaming business was met with a range of reactions, including complete silence from the big three wireless operators at whom this decision was directed. From Quebecor, owner of Vidéotron: The company “welcomed the move to regulate roaming rates as a step in the right direction. Quebecor shares the CRTC's goal of offering Canadian consumers more competition and greater freedom of choice. “Quebecor intends to actively participate in the regulatory process established by the CRTC and hopes that it will be completed quickly. The… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Revenues up, profits fall in Q1 at TVA Group

MONTREAL – Despite an uptick in revenues, TVA Group kicked off 2014 in the red due in part to losses at TVA Sports and its new Film Production and Audiovisual Services segment. The Quebecor Media subsidiary posted a net loss attributable to shareholders of $14.7 million in the first quarter ended March 31, 2015, well below its $10.2 million net loss in the same quarter of 2014.  Revenues increased to $126.5 million from $105.3 million year-over-year. The consolidated adjusted operating loss of $7.7 million was attributed to: – a $8.5 million adjusted operating loss in the Broadcasting & Production segment, a $272,000… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Despite wireless gains, Q1 profits at BCE drop 13.5%

MONTREAL – Despite an uptick in revenues driven by its wireless division, BCE saw its first quarter profits dragged down by a $137 million charge related to its satellite TV signal piracy lawsuit with rival Quebecor, the company said Thursday. For the period ended March 31, 2015, net earnings attributable to common shareholders of $532 million was down 13.5% from $615 million in the same period last year.  Adjusted net earnings were $705 million, up from $626 million last year, reflecting a 3.6% adjusted EBITDA increase to $2.1 billion, reduced non-controlling interest as a result of the Bell Aliant privatization,… Continue Reading