A defiant Quebecor Media Inc. appeared before the CRTC last month, continuing to argue that a subsidiary that took over the inside wiring of multi-unit dwellings (MUDs) in Quebec is not subject to commission rules. In an opening statement at a public hearing into the matter, counsel Robert Buchan from the law firm Johnston & Buchan noted that the commission dropped facilities ownership requirements in the new Broadcasting Distribution Regulations that came into force in January 1998. As a result, he argued that Quebecor Media unit Vidéotron ltée could legitimately sell its inside wiring to another subsidiary, Câblage QMI Inc. (CQMI).

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