By Denis Carmel
GATINEAU, TORONTO and ALBERTA – At the end of the day today, the Competition Bureau announced it had come to an agreement with Rogers and Shaw.
The companies have agreed not to close on their proposed merger until the Competition Tribunal has ruled on the bureau’s application to the tribunal seeking to block their merger.
“Rogers has also agreed not to enforce any condition in its agreement with Shaw… that limits Shaw’s ability to operate, maintain, enhance or expand its wireless business,” the bureau’s news release reads.
The companies and the bureau have also agreed to request an expedited…
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CALGARY – Shaw Communications today announced it is donating $1 million to support over 260 youth charities in Alberta to kick off the 10th anniversary of the Shaw Charity Classic.
The donation will help support the charities through Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink, which is the tournament’s charitable giving platform.
The Shaw Charity Classic, which is the PGA TOUR Champions’ only Canadian stop, has raised $76 million for over 230 Alberta-based children and youth charities over its first nine years, according to a press release.
Shaw also announced it is bringing back Chip in for Kids, which allows Canadians to…
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Bell was not consulted on Globalive/Telus network sharing agreement, CFO said
By Ken Kelley
TORONTO – Executives from each of Canada’s major telecoms, along with their counterparts from some of the country’s smaller players, gathered in Toronto on Wednesday for the first in-person edition of the TD Securities Telecom and Media Conference since the Covid pandemic began.
BCE executive vice-president and chief financial officer Glen LeBlanc kicked off the day’s proceedings, with discussion around the company’s recent financial performance as well as the implications of the sale of Shaw’s wireless assets, Freedom Mobile, in order to settle anti-competitive concerns brought on…
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Contingent on Globalive acquiring Freedom Mobile
By Amanda OYE
TORONTO – Globalive announced yesterday it has signed a network and spectrum sharing agreement with Telus, contingent on Globalive acquiring Shaw Communications’ Freedom Mobile.
“It’s a transformational agreement – it’s the first of its kind,” said Globalive’s founder and chair Anthony Lacavera in an interview with Cartt.ca.
The agreement, which would span a minimum of 20 years, “marks the first time that a Canadian carrier has entered into a network and spectrum sharing agreement with a pure-play independent wireless competitor,” according to a Globalive press release.
Globalive is the founder of Wind Mobile, which…
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By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – In a keynote speech at the International Institute of Communications’ annual conference in Ottawa on May 16, Pierre-Karl Péladeau, CEO of Québecor, in his usual frank manner urged Parliament to pass Bill C-11 and Bill C-18. As well, he wants to see more competition in wireless. (Péladeau gave his speech in a combination of English and French.)
Wireless
“Our legislative and regulatory system has to ensure a healthy competition in the market, to benefit consumers but also to ensure the perennity of the Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications systems,” he said.
Péladeau mentioned the Competition Bureau indicated…
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OTTAWA – Conservative critic John Nater (above) called into question the CRTC’s ability to effectively fulfill the responsibilities that would be handed to it by Bill C-18, the Online News Act, during second reading of the bill, which began today in the House of Commons.
Nater more specifically asked why the Commission was selected “to enforce and oversee the act when the CRTC does not have a history or experience in regulating online platforms.”
The Conservative critic further questioned the Commission’s suitability for the role by pointing to its chair Ian Scott’s “clear lack of judgement” when meeting Bell…
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CEO says they are looking with “increasing favour” on expanding their wireless business
MONTREAL – Quebecor today reported its first quarter 2022 financial results, showing revenues fell by 0.3% to $1.1 billion, compared to the first quarter of 2021.
Adjusted EBITDA was also down, with the company reporting it decreased by 2.3% to $442.1 million.
Quebecor’s telecommunications segment reported revenues declined to $903.4 million in Q1 2022, compared to $914 million in Q1 2021 and adjusted EBITDA for the segment was reported to be $460 million in Q1 2022, compared to $450.9 million in the same quarter last year.
Videotron reported an 8.7%…
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OTTAWA – The divestitures proposed by Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications to gain approval for their proposed merger will not prevent “substantial” lessening of competition, according to the Commissioner of Competition.
As Cartt.ca reported earlier this week, the Competition Bureau has filed applications with the Competition Tribunal to prevent Rogers from acquiring Shaw due to the impact it believes the merger will have on wireless competition.
Rogers is currently in the process of divesting of Shaw’s wireless assets after Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne issued a press release at the beginning of March saying he would…
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IQALUIT – Last week, after 16 years of preparation and planning, Inuit TV finally launched on Shaw Direct on channel 268.
“This is history in the making,” said Lucy Qavavauq (pictured above with her son, Inuuki Burke), co-CEO of Inuit TV, in an interview with Cartt.ca.
“This is very celebratory – not only for Inuit but for the rest of Canada… to be able to see what our beautiful culture is.”
The idea for the channel emerged because there was not much “unique content – not as much as Inuit wanted,” Qavavauq said, explaining “things started moving from there.”
Dedicated volunteers brought the…
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CRTC called out for “vague”, “unenforceable” safeguards
OTTAWA – Telus, Bell, Independent Broadcast Group (IBG), and the Canadian Communication Systems Alliance Inc. (CCSA) have each filed separate comments in support of the National Pensioners Federation and Public Interest Advocacy Centre’s (NPF-PIAC) petition to the Governor-In-Council, asking for the CRTC’s recent decision to approve Rogers Communications’ acquisition of Shaw Communications’ broadcasting assets to be set aside or referred back to the Commission.
(Cartt.ca obtained copies of the submissions from PIAC and Bell.)
Whittled down to its core, the argument put forth in NPF-PIAC’s petition and the submissions made in support of…
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