Cogeco challenges CRTC decision on Quebecor’s Montreal radio deal in Federal Court of Appeal

Cogeco Inc. wants the Federal Court of Appeal to overturn a recent decision by the CRTC that allows content from Quebecor Inc.'s internet radio platform, QUB Radio, to be broadcast on a licensed Montreal radio station. The dispute stems from a deal signed in August 2024, by which Leclerc Communication Inc. agreed to broadcast programming from QUB Radio on its CJPX-FM (99.5 FM) radio station during prime time (6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday). Cogeco and BCE Inc. contended that the arrangement effectively gives Quebecor control over CJPX, contrary to cross-media ownership rules. Quebecor already owns a local TV station and a newspaper and is forbidden to operate a radio station in the same market. Almost a year after Cogeco and Bell’s submissions to the CRTC, the regulator dismissed their arguments. Cogeco escalated its challenge to the Federal Court of Appeal on Monday, Nov. 24, filing applications for leave to appeal and for judicial review of the CRTC’s decision. Cogeco alleges, according to a translation of its French-language submissions, that the CRTC committed an error of law by adopting an “erroneous and unduly restrictive” interpretation of broadcasting policy on the diversity of editorial voices. The CRTC’s decision, the company asserts, validates a strategy that intentionally bypasses the rules and risks “saturating the airwaves with sole editorial perspective.” Cogeco contends that although Quebecor does not hold the license for CJPX, the agreement effectively grants Quebecor control over the programming and should be considered a de facto change in control. Because Quebecor already controls TVA and Le Journal de Montréal — a local TV station and newspaper in Montreal — cross-media ownership rules forbid the company from also controlling a radio station in the same market. By limiting its analysis of the cross-media ownership rule, the CRTC failed to assess the broader impact of the deal on the diversity of editorial voices within the Montreal “marketplace of ideas,” Cogeco maintains. The company argues that allowing this practice to continue would enable Quebecor to achieve indirectly what regulatory policy forbids it from doing directly. Cogeco requests that the Federal Court of Appeal issue an order granting permission to appeal the CRTC's decision. The company seeks to have the decision thrown out and for the CRTC to issue an order prohibiting Leclerc and Quebecor from broadcasting QUB Radio content on CJPX-FM (99.5 FM) during prime time. Cogeco is also requesting clarification from the court that the diversity of voices policy requires the commission to assess the impact of a transaction on the diversity of voice within the specific type of programming affected, namely opinion content. The Wire Report has reached out to the CRTC for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. None of the allegations has been tested in court. phalentm@thewirereport.ca

Cogeco challenges CRTC decision on Quebecor’s Montreal radio deal in Federal Court of Appeal

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By Phalen Tynes-MacDonald
|November 28, 2025

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Cogeco challenges CRTC decision on Quebecor’s Montreal radio deal in Federal Court of Appeal

Broadcast | By Phalen Tynes-MacDonald |November 28, 2025

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By Phalen Tynes-MacDonald
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