Rogers-Shaw merger deadline extended to Feb. 17

Rogers, Shaw, and Québecor have extended their proposed transactions deadline to February 17th.

January 31st was previously set as the suggested deadline, but the companies are still waiting on Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne to approve the transfer of Shaw’s wireless licenses to Québecor subsidiary Vidéotron.

In a recent interview with the Toronto Star, Champagne said he’s in no hurry to provide his stamp of approval. “As the regulator, I am not bound by any deadline,” Champagne told the publication.

In its joint statement, Rogers, Shaw, and Québecor say they continue working with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED).

The transactions recently cleared two major hurdles, both of which stem from the Competition Bureau’s opposition to the mergers. The bureau argued the transactions won’t benefit Canadians and took its case to the Competition Tribunal, which backed the telecoms. The bureau appealed the decision but did not succeed.

“All parties remain committed to the pro-competitive transactions, which will deliver significant benefits to Canada and Canadian consumers,” Rogers, Shaw, and Québecor said in the statement.

Source: Rogers, Shaw, and Québecor