CRTC orders Quebecor to maintain TVA Sports signal to Bell subscribers

OTTAWA — Canada’s telecom regulator has issued an order compelling Quebecor to maintain its TVA Sports signal to Bell TV subscribers and is threatening to automatically suspend its licence should it fail to comply.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission says the order will be registered with the Federal Court and may result in contempt of court proceedings, including possible fines, if it is not respected.

The CRTC says the TVA Sports signal would be suspended as long as its signal is not provided to Bell Canada.

Chairman Ian Scott says the commission is very concerned by TVA Group’s action.

The CRTC held a hearing Wednesday to hear Quebecor’s justifications for scrambling the signal of TVA Sports to Bell subscribers on the first night of National Hockey League playoffs before a Quebec judge forced it to restore the signal last Friday.

The standoff between the conglomerates Quebecor and Bell was provoked by a dispute over the royalties to be paid to the specialty channels.

Companies in this story: (TSX:QBR.B, TSX:BCE)

 

The Canadian Press

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