The Canadian cable TV operator Cogeco Cable has petitioned the Canadian telecoms regulator over the proposed acquisition of broadcaster CTV by the holding company BCE, according to media reports.
According to a report by the Canadian Press, published by…
The Canadian cable TV operator Cogeco Cable has petitioned the Canadian telecoms regulator over the proposed acquisition of broadcaster CTV by the holding company BCE, according to media reports.
According to a report by the Canadian Press, published by the Winnipeg Free Press, Cogeco filed a brief to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), calling on it to provide safeguards to prevent abuses in the market if BCE’s acquisition is approved.
BCE is the holding company of Bell, Canada’s largest telco.
The acquisition of CTV was announced in September and is expected to cost up to C$3.2bn (US$3.2bn). It would lead to BCE gaining control of Canada’s largest broadcaster, as well as gain a 15% equity stake in the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail.
Cogeco’s brief to the CRTC reportedly expressed concerns that the new conglomerate could disadvantage competitors in the industry and increase prices for consumers.
It suggested that the concentration and vertical integration produced by the deal risks compromising the CRTC’s aims for the Canadian telecoms market, which include universal access to services, diversity of choice and content, and affordable prices.
Cogeco also reportedly applied to appear at the CRTC’s hearing on the proposed acquisition, which is due to happen on 1 February.
Cogeco and the CRTC were unable to reply to questions before the press deadline.
