NDP criticizes Bell acquisition of Astral Media
Posted Mar 16, 2012 6:24 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – The federal opposition is not too happy about Bell Canada’s takeover bid for Astral Media.
If the $3.38-billion deal goes through, Bell’s parent company BCE will acquire more television and radio stations across the country.
But the NDP has a big problem with the buyout, saying there are too many media properties being run by too few parent companies.
The NDP criticizes the deal saying it may lead to larger user fees and could have a big impact on Canadian programming.
Critic Peter Julian says the government should be taking action to prevent this concentration of the media.
However, the Harper Conservatives are not getting involved, saying it is up to the regulators to decide whether the takeover should be approved or not.
