On Eve of CRTC Hearings, a Growing Chorus of Canadians and Industry Players Say No to Bell Canada - Astral Media Inc. Deal Français
MONTREAL, Sept. 7, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - With Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) hearings into the proposed Bell Canada merger with Astral Media Inc. poised to begin next week, thousands more Canadians have added their voice against this transaction. In only one month, nearly 50,000 Canadians - both consumers and industry leaders - have signed their name to a petition through the www.SayNoToBell.ca campaign and website in opposition to this bad deal.
Public hearings will continue the vocal opposition that Bell Canada has heard in recent months, with 42 of the 60 intervenors to be heard having already publicly opposed the controversial deal or questioned the transaction. Notable presentations include:
Industry:
- Québécor - Monday, September 10
- Eastlink - Tuesday, September 11
- Cogeco Cable - Wednesday, September 12
- Rogers Communications - Wednesday, September 12
- Telus - Wednesday, September 12
- Canadian Cable Systems Alliance - Friday, September 14
Consumer:
- Option consommateurs - Tuesday, September 11
- Union des consommateurs - Wednesday, September 12
- The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) - Wednesday, September 12
Presentations will be made by organizations representing Canadians from all walks of life. Other organizations who have made their opposition clear include: OpenMedia.ca, the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC), Canada Without Poverty, the CWP Advocacy Network, the Canadian Media Guild, the Consumers' Association of Canada, the Council of Canadians, and the Council of Senior Citizens' Organizations of British Columbia.
Concern over the proposed merger has galvanized debate across Canada in recent weeks as consumers realize that their freedom of choice could be jeopardized. Canadians can voice their opposition to the deal by visiting www.SayNoToBell.ca and submitting a letter through the website to Canada's Ministers of Heritage and Industry, the Competition Bureau, and the CRTC.
About the website at SayNoToBell.ca
The SayNoToBell.ca website and public information campaign are initiatives of Canadians who are concerned about increasing media concentration in Canada. We are opposed to the proposed $3.38 billion Bell Canada acquisition of Astral Media Inc. and wish to inform the public and regulatory bodies about the risks posed by the merger. We call on the Competition Bureau, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, and the Government of Canada to block this deal.
SOURCE: SayNoToBell.ca
Lyla Radmanovich
[email protected]
514.843-2336
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