Bell Welcomes French-Language Conventional TV Network V and Noovo.ca

– Enhancing choice and competition in the Québec television market –
– French-language content teams bolstered with new appointments –

MONTRÉAL (May 15, 2020) – Bell welcomes French-language conventional TV network V and the ad-supported VOD service Noovo.ca to its Bell Media division with the completion of their acquisition from Groupe V Média today. The acquisition strengthens choice for TV viewers in Québec while enhancing investment in French-language content creation. “The addition of the V team to Bell’s broad range of media properties is key to our strategic imperative to deliver the most compelling content to our customers everywhere,” said Mirko Bibic, President and CEO of BCE and Bell Canada. “Bell Media has the commitment and resources to invest in French-language content necessary to take V forward, and to bring much-needed consumer choice and competition to Québec’s television sector.” Karine Moses, President, Bell Media Québec and Bell’s Vice Chair, Québec, leads the Montréal-based team responsible for the day-to-day operations of V and Noovo.ca. “We are thrilled to add the first French-language conventional TV network to our portfolio, providing Québec viewers with expanded opportunities for news and entertainment programming on all platforms,” said Moses. “We are committed to broadening relationships with viewers, local independent producers, and advertisers. Today is only the beginning, and we look forward to the many more exciting developments to come.” The acquisition of V underscores Bell Media’s commitment to increase the production of original local content in Québec, and aligns with the reorganization of the company’s French-language original programming teams under Suzane Landry, Vice-President, French-Language Content Development and Programming. Landry announced today the appointment of Mélanie Bhérer as General Manager, Variety, Lifestyle, and Documentary, and Sophie Parizeau as General Manager, Fiction and Digital Content. Bell Media also welcomes V’s Brigitte Vincent as General Manager, Programming Strategies, Acquisitions and Commercialization. All these appointments are effective immediately. “Mélanie, Sophie, and Brigitte are industry veterans with remarkable experience and credited for their strong instincts and passion for high-quality content,” said Landry, “I am confident that with these strong leaders and a renewed spirit of industry collaboration and creativity, we are well-positioned to bring Québecers even more exceptional content across all platforms.” V Média owns and operates television stations in Montréal, Québec City, Saguenay, Sherbrooke, and Trois-Rivières, and has affiliate stations in Gatineau, Rivière-du-Loup and Val-d’Or. Noovo.ca is an ad-supported VOD service allows viewers to get the latest entertainment from V including unique video, access to stars, and blog posts.

About Bell Media Québec

Bell Media is a leading content creation company with premier assets in Québec in television, radio, digital media, out-of-home, and more. Bell Media operates a number of French-language TV services in Québec including the V conventional network (with five corporate-owned local stations and three network affiliates), as well as eight specialty and pay TV services – Canal D, Canal Vie, Z, VRAK, Investigation, SUPER ÉCRAN, Cinépop, and RDS, Québec’s #1 sports channel. Bell Media currently has three of the Top 5 most-watched shows on French Entertainment Specialty in key demos, including six of the Top 10 original productions. Bell Media also operates CTV Montreal (the #1 English news outlet in Québec), and develops and operates websites, apps, and online platforms for its news, sports, and entertainment brands, including RDS Direct and Noovo.ca. Bell Media owns Crave, the only Canadian bilingual video streaming service, offering more than 6,000 hours of exclusive French-language content. Bell Media is Québec’s leading radio broadcaster, with 25 stations in 14 communities, all part of the iHeartRadio Canada brand and streaming service. Bell Media owns Montréal-based Astral, an out-of-home advertising network of 50,000 faces in five provinces. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company. Learn more at BellMedia.ca.

About Bell
Canada’s largest communications company with more than 22 million consumer and business connections, Bell provides advanced broadband wireless, TV, Internet and business communication services throughout the country. Bell Media is Canada’s premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out of home and digital media. Founded in Montréal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.

The Bell Let’s Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let’s Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research and workplace leadership initiatives throughout the country. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.