Quebecor Stock

Quebecor Inc., through its subsidiary, Quebecor Media Inc., engages in telecommunications, media, and sports and entertainment businesses.

Segments

The company operates through Telecommunications, Media, and Sports and Entertainment segments.

Telecommunications segment

This segment offers Internet access, television distribution, mobile and wireline telephony, business solutions and over-the-top (OTT) video services in Canada; and engages in the rental of movies and televisual products through its video-on-demand service.

The company, through Videotron Ltd. (Videotron), operates as a major cable operator in Canada, as well as a major provider of mobile telephony and OTT video services in the province of Québec. Its cable network is the major broadband network in the province of Québec covering approximately 80% of the province of Québec’s estimated 3.7 million premises. Its products and services are supported by the coaxial, fibre-optic and wireless technologies. Through roaming agreements with hundreds of domestic and international network operators, the company’s customers benefit from extensive coverage in Canada and throughout the world.

Products and Services

Videotron offers to its customers wireline services, mobile telephony services, OTT video services and business telecommunications services.

Wireline Services

The company offers a variety of products and services, including Internet access, digital multiplatform television, wireline telephony and selected interactive services.

Helix Services: The company’s Internet Protocol Television service, Helix, is based on the Comcast Xfinity X1 platform and is built around voice-controlled assistant technology. Helix offers a Wi-Fi coverage, an enhanced TV experience through IP technology, seamless integration of Web content platforms and home automation features. It has also launched two mobile apps for its Helix customers, such as the Helix Fi app, which lets customers control their home Wi-Fi network, set time restrictions for children’s Internet use, disconnect a device from the network and control household smart devices; and the Helix app, which lets users control their cloud DVR remotely, watch live TV, as well as a large quantity of on demand content anytime, anywhere.

Internet Access: Leveraging the company’s cable infrastructure, it offers Internet access to its customers primarily via cable modems. The company provides this service at download speeds of up to 400 Mbps to more than 96% of its homes passed. As of December 31, 2020, the company had 1,796,800 Internet access customers.

Television: The company has installed headend equipment connected to a unified fibre-optic and coax network capable of delivering digitally encoded transmissions to a two-way digital gateway in the customer’s home and premises. In accordance with CRTC regulations, it offers a basic package, including basic television channels, access to video-on-demand (VOD) and an interactive programming guide. Furthermore, most of its custom packages include the basic package and audio channels providing digital-quality music. The company extends its digital television offering allowing customers to customize their choices with the ability to choose between custom or pre-assembled packages with a selection of additional channels, including the U.S. super-stations and other special entertainment programs. This also offers customers significant programming flexibility, including the option of French-language only, English-language only or a combination of French- and English-language programming, as well as many foreign-language channels. As of December 31, 2020, it had 1,475,600 customers for its digital television service.

VOD: VOD service enables the company’s customers to rent content from a library of movies, documentaries and other programming through their digital gateway, computer, tablet, or mobile phone. Its customers are able to rent their VOD selections for a period of up to 48 hours, which they are then able to watch at their convenience with full stop, rewind, fast forward, pause and replay functionality during their rental period. In addition, customers can resume viewing on-demand programming that was paused on either the television or mobile app offered on the iOS and Android platforms. These applications feature a customizable, intuitive interface that brings up selections of content based on the customer’s individual settings and enhances the experience by suggesting personalized themed content. These applications smartly and swiftly highlight any content available from the illico and Helix catalog, as well as third party catalogs, such as Netflix, and YouTube(provided customers have a subscription with such service), including VOD titles, live television broadcasts or recorded shows; and allow customers to transfer it directly and seamlessly from their mobile devices to their television.

Pay-Per-View and pay television channels: Pay-Per-View is a group of channels that allows the company’s digital customers to order live events, such as sports events and comedy shows based on a pre-determined schedule. In addition, it offers pay television channels on a subscription basis that allow its customers to access and watch most of the movies available on the linear pay TV channels these customers subscribe to.

Wireline Telephony: The company offers wireline telephony service to its residential customers using voice over internet protocol technology. As of December 31, 2020, it had 924,700 subscribers to its wireline telephony service.

Club illico

The company’s subscription-based OTT entertainment service, Club illico, offers a selection of unlimited, on-demand French-language content (movies, television shows, children’s shows, teen series, documentaries, comedy performances and concerts). In its efforts to offer original content to its customers, Club illico funds the production of series, documentaries, movies and shows for which it holds first window rights, prior to their linear broadcast. In 2017, Videotron launched the Club illico mobile application. As of December 31, 2020, 199,600 customers had downloaded this application. As of December 31, 2020, the Club illico service had 469,700 subscribers.

Mobile Services

Videotron is a major player in the province of Québec in delivering a range of wireless network technologies and services. The company’s wireless services are offered under the Videotron and Fizz brands and provide consumers and businesses with the latest wireless devices, services, and applications, including mobile high-speed Internet access; wireless voice and enhanced voice features; device protection; in-store expert advice; text messaging; e-mail; global voice and data roaming; and advanced wireless solutions for businesses.

In 2013, Videotron signed a 20-year agreement with Rogers Communications Inc. (Rogers) for the cooperation and collaboration in the build-out and operation of a shared LTE wireless network in the province of Québec and the Ottawa region. In 2014, Videotron launched its shared LTE wireless network, with Rogers. Videotron maintains its business independence throughout this agreement, including its product and service portfolios, billing systems and customer data.

Videotron has a total of 130 MHz of mobile spectrum in most regions of Québec and 90 MHz in the Ottawa area, spread across the AWS-1, AWS-3, 600 MHz, 700 MHz and 2500 MHz bands. During 2020, both LTE-A and 5G technologies were deployed in selected areas and will continue to be deployed for the next few years.

As of December 31, 2020, most households and businesses on the company’s cable footprint had access to its mobile services. As of December 31, 2020, there were 1,481,100 lines activated on its wireless network.

Business Telecommunications Services

Videotron Business is a premier full-service telecommunications provider servicing small, medium and large sized businesses, as well as telecommunications carriers. Products and services include mobile telephony, Internet access, telephony and television solutions, as well as fibre connectivity, private network connectivity, Wi-Fi, managed services and security solutions.

Videotron Business serves customers through a dedicated salesforce and customer service teams with expertise in the business market. Videotron Business relies on its extensive coaxial, fibre-optic and LTE-A and 5G wireless networks to provide the customized solutions to all of its customers.

Network Technology

Wireline Services: As of December 31, 2020, the company’s cable network consisted of fibre-optic cable and coaxial cable, covering approximately 3.0 million homes and serving approximately 2.4 million customers in the province of Québec. Its network is the major broadband network in the province of Québec covering approximately 80% of premises. The company’s network supports direct connectivity with networks in Ontario, the Maritimes, and the United States.

The company’s cable television network consists of four distinct parts, including signal acquisition networks, main headends, distribution networks, and subscriber drops. The signal acquisition network picks up various television, radio and multimedia signals. These signals and services originate from either a local source or content provider or are picked up from distant sites chosen for satellite or over-the-air reception quality and transmitted to the main headends by way of fibre-optic relay systems. Each main headend processes, modulates, scrambles and combines the signals in order to distribute them throughout the network. Each main headend is connected to the primary headend in order to receive the digital MPEG2/MPEG4 signals and the IP backbone for the Internet services.

The company has adopted the hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) network architecture as the standard for its network. HFC network architecture combines the use of both fibre-optic and coaxial cables. The company delivers its signals through fibre-optic cable from the headend to a group of optical nodes and then via coax to the homes passed served by the nodes. The company builds its network by implementing cells of 125 homes. Its network design provides for average cells of 159 homes throughout its footprint.

Videotron uses the CableLabs DOCSIS 3.1 standard on its network. DOCSIS 3.1 is a new-generation technology developed by the CableLabs consortium, of which Videotron is a member. DOCSIS 3.1 uses Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing modulation and Low-Density Parity Check correction algorithm that provide resiliency to radiofrequency interference and increase throughput for the same spectrum (increased Mbps/MHz). DOCSIS 4.0 specifications have been made available and this technology will potentially deliver speeds of approximately 10 Gbps for downloads and up to 1 Gbps for uploads.

The company is exploring a fibre to the home (FTTH) solution for its residential customers. Its FTTH deployment will be progressive.

Mobile Services: As of December 31, 2020, the company’s shared LTE network reached 94% of the population of the province of Québec and the Greater Ottawa Area, allowing the majority of its potential clients to have access to the latest mobile services. Almost all of its towers and transmission equipment are linked through its fibre-optic network using a multiple label switching – or MPLS – protocol.

In December 2019, following an exhaustive request for proposal process, Videotron selected Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. as its LTE-A and 5G network equipment provider. During 2020, both LTE-A and 5G technologies were deployed in selected areas and will continue to be deployed for the next few years.

In parallel, Videotron maintained its High Speed Packet Access + network throughout the province of Québec and over the Greater Ottawa Area.

Competition

Providers of Other Entertainment: Television service providers face competition from alternative methods of distributing and receiving television signals and from other sources of entertainment, such as live sporting events, movie theatres and home video products, including digital recorders, OTT content providers, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV+, Blu-ray players and video games.

Media segment

This segment’s operations in Québec include the operation of an over-the-air television network and specialty television services; the operation of soundstage and equipment leasing and post-production services for the film and television industries; the printing, publishing and distribution of daily newspapers; the operation of news and entertainment digital platforms and a music streaming service; the publishing and distribution of magazines; the production and distribution of audiovisual content; and the operation of an out-of-home advertising business.

This segment includes entertainment and news media, which includes the operations of TVA Group Inc. (TVA Group), MediaQMI Inc. (MediaQMI), Quebecor Media Out-of-Home, Quebecor Media Network Inc. (Quebecor Media Network), Quebecor Media Printing (2015) Inc. (Quebecor Media Printing), and NumériQ Inc. (NumériQ). This segment has activities in broadcasting, film production and audiovisual services, production and distribution of television content, magazine publishing, newspaper publishing and other media related operations.

The company owns 68.37% of the equity interest and controls 99.97% of the voting power in TVA Group. It also owns 100% of the voting and equity interests of MediaQMI, Quebecor Media Network, Quebecor Media Printing, and NumériQ.

Products and Services

Broadcasting

The company, through TVA Group, operates the major French-language private television network in North America. TVA Group is the sole owner of six of the ten television stations composing Réseau TVA (TVA Network); and a portfolio of specialty channels, namely LCN — Le Canal Nouvelles, TVA Sports, addikTV, Prise 2, YOOPA, CASA, MOI ET CIE, Évasion and Zeste. Its specialty channels all have a digital presence, namely through www.qub.ca/TVAPLUS, www.tvanouvelles.ca and www.tvasports.ca, which are the three most visited websites of TVA Group. TVA Group also holds interests in two TVA Network affiliates. In addition to linear television, the TVA Network and some specialty channels broadcast on-demand and stream content through their multiplatform applications. Through various subsidiaries and divisions, TVA Group also provides commercial production services.

The TVA Network is included in the basic channel line-up of major broadcasting distribution undertakings across Canada, thus enabling it to reach a significant portion of the French-speaking population of Canada outside the province of Québec.

TVA Network: TVA Network is the company’s French-language network consisting of ten stations, of which six are owned and four are affiliated stations. TVA Network is available to a significant portion of the French speaking population in Canada.

The company’s owned and operated stations include CFTM-TV in Montréal; CFCM-TV in Québec City; CHLT-TV in Sherbrooke; CHEM-TV in Trois-Rivières; CFER-TV in Rimouski, Matane, and Sept-Iles; and CJPM-TV in Saguenay/Lac-St-Jean. Its four affiliated stations are CFEM-TV in Rouyn, CHOT-TV in Gatineau, CHAU-TV in Carleton, and CIMT-TV in Rivière-du-Loup. The company owns a 45% interest of the latter two. A substantial portion of TVA Network’s broadcast schedule is originated from its main station in Montréal. The company’s signal is transmitted from transmission and retransmission sites authorized by ISED and licensed by the CRTC and is also retransmitted by satellite elsewhere in Canada as a distant signal by various modes of authorized distribution, such as cable, direct-to-home satellite distribution and wireless MMDS.

Television Specialty Broadcasting: Through various subsidiaries, the company controls the nine specialty services, such as LCN — Le Canal Nouvelles, a French-language all news service; TVA Sports, a French-language specialty television service devoted to sports; addikTV, a French-language specialty television service dedicated to the presentation of popular Canadian and American movies and television series; Prise 2, a French-language specialty television service devoted to the province of Québec and American television classics; MOI ET CIE, a French-language specialty television service featuring poignant docu-reality and dramatic series; CASA, a French-language specialty television service devoted to real estate, renovation, decoration and cooking; YOOPA, a French-language specialty television service aimed exclusively at kids, preschoolers and their families; Évasion, a French-language travel and tourism service; and Zeste, a French-language service, which brings together daily cooking and recipes, culinary competitions, epicurean adventures around the world and gastronomic discoveries. addikTV, Prise 2, CASA, MOI ET CIE, YOOPA, Évasion and Zeste each have their own dedicated section within the TVA+ website and app. Zeste also has a dedicated website offering recipes, as well as culinary tips, while TVA Sports and TVA Nouvelles have their own dedicated websites and mobile apps. In 2019, the company launched the TVA Sports Direct platform that gives users access to content in high definition from TVA Sports, live or on demand, by paying a subscription fee.

Programming: The company produces a variety of French-language programming, including a selection of entertainment, sports, news and public affairs programming. It promotes its programming and seeks to develop viewer loyalty by offering a consistent programming schedule.

A part of the company’s programming is produced by its wholly-owned subsidiaries, TVA Productions Inc. and TVA Productions II Inc. (collectively, ‘TVA Productions’). Through TVA Productions, the company produced 1,092 hours of original programming in 2020, consisting primarily of variety and magazine-style shows, galas and quiz shows.

Furthermore, TVA Sports produced 2,832 hours of original programming in 2020. The remainder of its programming is consisted of foreign and Canadian independently produced programming.

Film Production and Audiovisual Services

The film production and audiovisual services business of TVA Group includes soundstage, mobile and equipment rental services, postproduction services, expertise in visual effects services, dubbing and described video services, asset management and distribution services and proprietary online transaction and distribution platforms for VOD and digital cinema; and in addition, property rights on technologies being used for digital image restoration and for 2D conversion into 3D stereoscopic images. The company’s film production and audiovisual services business’ software, GeneSys, uses advanced algorithms for 2D to 3D contents conversion for the large screen and television.

In October 2020, the company launched a new virtual stage with a LED wall. This virtual stage is an integrated production platform that equips the company to offer a complete virtual production solution.

As part of its assets, the company’s film production and audiovisual services business includes movie and television soundstages of approximately 212,000 square feet in Montréal and St-Hubert, Québec, which have equipment, including pool of cameras, lighting and specialized equipment. The facilities are used for both local and foreign film and television productions, including American blockbusters. This sector’s main sources of revenue are film soundstage, mobile and equipment rental and postproduction services.

Production and Distribution

The production and distribution services business of TVA Group produces and distributes television shows, movies, and television series for the world market, especially in English-language markets. This business produces mainly thrillers.

Magazine Publishing

TVA Publications Inc. (TVA Publications) and Les Publications Charron & Cie inc., the wholly-owned subsidiaries of TVA Group, publish more than 50 French and English-language titles in various fields, including show business, television, fashion and beauty, food, travel and lifestyle. They also market digital products associated with the different magazine brands. TVA Group is the major publisher of French-language magazines in Québec and a major provider in the Canadian magazine publishing industry with 7.9 million cross-platform readers.

TVA Group’s Magazines segment also operates websites in order to broadcast daily on different digital platforms content related to the editorial line of its corresponding trademarks. In 2016, TVA Group released the Molto app, a digital newsstand that gives users unlimited access to the full content of all its magazines on their tablets and smartphones for monthly subscription fees.

TVA Group also holds an effective 50% share in Publications Senior Inc., publisher of Bel Âge and Good Times magazines, in partnership with Bayard Group.

Newspaper Publishing

Newspaper Operations: The company operates its newspaper business, namely Le Journal de Montréal, Le Journal de Québec and the 24 Heures Montréal, through MediaQMI. Its daily newspapers disseminate information in traditional printed ways and through daily urban newspaper web sites, namely www.journaldemontreal.com and www.journaldequebec.com, and through the fully customizable J5 mobile app.

Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec are tabloids. They are mass circulation newspapers that provide news coverage with an emphasis on local news, sports, and entertainment. The tabloid format makes extensive use of color, photographs and graphics. Each newspaper contains inserts that feature subjects of interest, such as fashion, lifestyle and special sections.

Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, already present on all platforms, also offer their readers the J5 mobile app, a fully customizable reading experience, which is supported on iOS and Android. Through J5, users can select the news they want to receive daily, based on their interests.

The aggregate circulation of the company’s Media segment’s paid and free newspapers as of December 31, 2020 was approximately 1.8 million copies per week in print and electronic formats.

Le Journal de Montréal is published seven days a week and is distributed by Quebecor Media Network. Le Journal de Montréal’s website is accessible at www.journaldemontreal.com. Le Journal de Québec is published seven days a week and is distributed by Quebecor Media Network. Le Journal de Québec’s website is accessible at www.journaldequebec.com.

The company has been publishing one free daily commuter publication in the Montréal urban market: the 24 Heures Montréal. The editorial content of this free daily commuter publication has focused on the greater metropolitan area of Montréal. The average weekday circulation of the 24 Heures Montréal for 2020 is 60,750.

Seasonality: The company’s newspaper operations’ operating results tend to follow a recurring seasonal pattern with higher advertising revenue in the spring and in the fall.

Competition: The main competitors of Le Journal de Montréal are La Presse+ and The Montreal Gazette. The main competitor of Le Journal de Québec is Le Soleil.

Other Operations

Commercial Printing: The company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Quebecor Media Printing, operates a printing facility located in Mirabel, Québec, where Le Journal de Montréal and the 24 Heures Montréal are printed. The company also offers third party commercial printing services, which provide it with an additional source of revenue.

Distribution of Periodicals in Québec: Through Messageries Dynamiques, a division of Quebecor Media Network, the company delivers magazines and newspapers to dealers through a network that serves nearly 6,700 points of sale. Its home delivery service brings many Québec and Canadian dailies, including Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, to more than 185,200 homes every day.

Out-of-Home Advertising: The company engages in out-of-home advertising through the installation, maintenance and management of out-of-home advertisement, including on transit and bus shelters. In relation thereto, it entered into a 10-year agreement with Société de transport de Lévis, a 20-year agreement with Société de transport de Laval, a 20-year agreement with Société de transport de Montréal, a 10-year agreement with Société de transport de Sherbrooke (STS), and a 10-year agreement with Réseau de transport de Longueuil.

Production of Digital Content: In 2018, the company created NumériQ, an entity that brings together the digital content and strategy production assets harnessed to create digital platforms and content for its various platforms.

NumériQ also operates a number of other digital brands, including Le Guide de l‘auto, Le sac de chips, Pèse sur Start, Silo 57 and Tabloïd. Moreover, QUB radio, an online and mobile audio platform with a live radio stream and a library of podcasts, was launched by NumériQ in October 2018.

NumériQ develops and operates the apps and websites of the company’s Media segment. The company’s apps and websites reach 7.1 million unique visitors per month in Canada.

In May 2020, the company launched QUB musique, a music streaming platform designed and produced in Québec. Accessible via a mobile application and on the web, QUB musique offers a catalogue of over 60 million songs available on demand, as well as hundreds of playlists created by local curators. QUB musique remains in its initial ramp-up phase.

Sports and Entertainment segment

This segment’s operations in Québec encompass the operation and management of the Videotron Centre in Québec City, show production, sporting and cultural events management, the publishing and distribution of books, the distribution and production of music, and the operation of two Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) teams.

Products and Services

Videotron Centre

The Videotron Centre is an arena located in Québec City that has 18,400 seats and is home to the Remparts de Québec, as well as the host of a variety of events and shows featuring local and international artists. Through a 25-year agreement entered into with Québec City, the company was granted both the management and naming rights through 2040. The company leases the Videotron Centre and generates revenues through the sale of advertisement and sponsorship opportunities, as well as through the sale of food and beverages during the events and shows.

AEG Presents and AEG Facilities, divisions of AEG Worldwide, support this segment in booking events and operating the Videotron Centre through an 8-year strategic partnership entered into in 2015. The company has also entered into strategic partnerships for the operation of the Videotron Centre with Live Nation Entertainment, involving two of its principal divisions, namely Live Nation Canada, a company in concert production and promotion; and Ticketmaster, its ticketing service operating in the province of Québec under the name ‘Admission’. Finally, it has entered into strategic partnerships with Levy Restaurants, with an emphasis on building a culinary experience in the Videotron Centre through a local food and beverage program; Labatt Breweries of Canada as the Videotron Centre’s official beer supplier; and Alex Coulombe ltée (the local Pepsi Co distributor) as the Videotron Centre’s official supplier of soft drinks, sparkling water and isotonic sports drinks. In 2020, the Videotron Centre hosted seven events and 13 hockey games, which drew a total of approximately 103,000 spectators.

Théatre Le Capitole de Québec

In 2020, the company announced the acquisition of the Théâtre Capitole in the heart of Québec City’s entertainment district.

QMJHL Hockey Teams

The company owns two QMJHL franchises, namely the Armada de Blainville-Boisbriand (73.3%) and Les Remparts de Québec (100%).

Event Production and Management and Live-Event Production

The company, through its wholly-owned Event Management Gestev Inc., a sports and cultural events manager, site manager and producer with activities in the province of Québec, Ottawa, Toronto and Edmonton, produces or has produced numerous high-profile events, such as the Red Bull Crashed Ice (urban extreme ice skating race), Vélirium (International Mountain Bike Festival and UCI World Cup), the Transat Québec Saint-Malo (transatlantic sailing race), Ski Tour (FIS Cross-Country World Cup), the Jamboree (including the FIS Snowboard and Freestyle Skiing World Cups), PBR Major event (Professional Bull Rider event), FIVB Beach Volley World Finals and the Marathon de Québec (a 3-day running event). It also produces, on an annual basis, approximately 200 corporate, private and public events. The company also manages the site of the Baie de Beauport, a beach in Québec City.

Book Distribution and Publishing

The company also engages in book publishing and distribution through academic publisher CEC Publishing Inc. (CEC Publishing), 18 general literature publishers under the Sogides Group Inc. (Sogides Group) umbrella, and Messageries A.D.P. Inc. (Messageries ADP). Through Sogides Group and the academic publisher CEC Publishing, the company engages in French-language book publishing. In 2020, the company published or reissued a total of 282 titles in paper format and 217 titles in digital format.

As of December 31, 2020, through Messageries ADP, the company’s book distribution company, it was the exclusive distributor of more than 260 Québec and European French-language publishers. The company distributes French-language books to approximately 2,500 retail outlets in Canada. In addition, Messageries ADP distributes approximately 10,000 digital books.

Music

With the company’s three labels (Musicor, Ste4 and MP3), it produces audio and video recordings, as well as shows through its ‘Musicor Spectacles’ division. In February 2021, the company completed the acquisition of Les Disques Audiogramme inc., a record company that is best-known for French-language labels.

Through certain divisions and subsidiaries of Select Music Inc (Select Music), the company offers services in the areas of music recording, video production and creative licensing, including music for films, advertising and television shows.

Through Select Music, the company distributes CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs and online music by way of file transfer.

Competition

The Videotron Centre is in competition with the Bell Centre (Montréal), Place Bell (Laval), Canadian Tire Center (Ottawa), as well as other arenas located within a radius of 700 kilometers (Boston, Kingston, Moncton). Over a two-week period during summer, the Festival d‘été de Québec is another important competitor.

The Armada de Blainville-Boisbriand hockey team has competitors as it operates less than 15 kilometers away from the American Hockey League franchise, the Laval Rockets.

Strategy

The key elements of the company’s strategy are to build on its position as a telecommunications leader with its mobile telephony network; leverage growth opportunities and convergence of content, platforms and operations; introduce new and enhanced products and services; cross-promote brands, platforms and content; leverage geographic clustering; maximize customer satisfaction and build customer loyalty; support the growth in its customer base and bandwidth requirements through strategic success driven modernizations of its network and increases in network capacity; and continue to explore investments in businesses that are expected to diversify its revenue streams.

Regulation

Videotron’s cable distribution undertakings and TVA Group’s broadcasting activities are subject to the Broadcasting Act (Canada) (the Broadcasting Act) and regulations made under the Broadcasting Act that empower the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), subject to directions from the Governor in Council, to regulate and supervise all aspects of the Canadian broadcasting system in order to implement the policy set out in the Broadcasting Act.

Certain of Videotron’s and TVA Group’s undertakings are also subject to the Radiocommunication Act (Canada), which empowers the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to establish and administer the technical standards that networks and transmitters must comply with, namely, maintaining the technical quality of signals.

Some of the company’s affiliates, including Videotron and TVA Group, have an obligation to pay copyright royalties set by Tariffs of the Copyright Board of Canada.

The CRTC has concluded that some provisions of the Telecommunications Act (Canada) may be characterized as encouraging joint use of existing support structures of telephone utilities to facilitate efficient deployment of cable distribution undertakings by Canadian carriers. The company accesses these support structures in exchange for a tariff that is regulated by the CRTC.

The major cable operators in Canada, including Videotron, have been required by the CRTC to provide third-party ISPs with access to their cable systems at mandated cost-based rates.

History

Quebecor Inc. was founded in 1965. The company was incorporated in 1965 under the laws of Québec.