Broadcast of a benefit concert, free long-distance calls
and many other initiatives
Montréal, Québec, January 14, 2010 Quebecor announces that it is providing its assistance to the people of Haiti through a series of initiatives to raise funds for the Red Cross and the CECI (Centre for International Studies and Cooperation), including a special presentation on TVA Network of a benefit concert, as well as initiatives in the media and telecommunications sectors.
Like everywhere else, we are seeing an exceptional surge of solidarity among our teams, said Quebecor President and Chief Executive Officer Pierre Karl Péladeau. Our employees and artists are strongly expressing their desire to help and to get involved with the cause by putting their know-how and talent in their respective fields to good use. We reach millions of Quebecers every day, and we intend to harness that strength to help the Haitian people and rapidly respond to their most pressing needs. It is time to show our solidarity, on all fronts, with the communities affected by this tragedy.
BENEFIT CONCERT ON TVA AND CANOE.CA
As part of Quebecor's operation to provide assistance to Haiti, TVA Network and Canoe will broadcast a benefit concert live at 9 p.m. on Friday, January 22. This event being organized for the benefit of the Haitian population will feature several Québec artists who have expressed their desire to do their part to help the international relief effort. This initiative by TVA Network comes in response to the appeal made yesterday by singer Luck Mervil, who said he hoped to rally the Québec arts community around a benefit event. Special phone lines will be set up, telethon-style, for the entire duration of the concert to accept donations from the public. Further details regarding the organization of this benefit evening and the artists performing will be confirmed in the days to come. Quebecor is in the process of approaching other broadcasters regarding a simulcast of the concert on Québec's other television networks.
MEDIA AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Quebecor also plans to play a special role in the media and telecommunications sectors. It will support initiatives by the organization Reporters Without Borders, including the implementation, as soon as possible, of a media operations centre that will function as a press room. Quebecor will lend its technical know-how and telecommunications expertise to Reporters Without Borders as soon as the organization has completed its assessment of the situation on the ground in Haiti. The objective of the media centre is to provide a meeting point for local journalists as well as give foreign media centralized access to information provided by local authorities or other decision-makers such as humanitarian agencies, embassies, etc. This media centre will also serve as a point of contact and communication for Haitians and their families, including both the local population and around the world.
VIDEOTRON – Free long-distance calls to Haiti for Videotron residential customers
Videotron, for its part, will be supporting international communities' efforts by allowing its residential cable telephone subscribers to place calls to Haiti without incurring long-distance charges. Videotron intends to credit subscribers with any long-distance charges to Haiti retroactive to January 12, the date of this sad event. This initiative will be offered for a period of one month.
Archambault and Le SuperClub Vidéotron retail outlets, meanwhile, will make the most of their networks and presence in communities all across Québec to collect in-store donations. Because Archambault is already a partner of UNICEF, donations made by its customers and employees will go to this organization. In addition, Sun Media publications, including Le Journal de Montréal, Le Journal de Québec, 24 h and weekly newspapers, will support the Red Cross' initiatives by providing the organization with space in their pages and on their websites.
Over the immediate term, it is important to respond to the essential needs of the Haitian population, but we plan to extend our assistance to reconstruction efforts, when the time comes for that, both in terms of infrastructures and social outreach Mr. Péladeau concluded. For example, Quebecor Media Book Group plans to take part in the reconstruction of the education system by donating textbooks and other books.
Other collaborative projects initiated by Quebecor subsidiaries will be announced in the coming days and weeks.
Quebecor inc.
Quebecor Inc. (TSX: QBR.A, QBR.B) is a holding company with a 54.7% interest in Quebecor Media Inc, one of Canada's largest media groups. Quebecor Media owns operating companies in numerous media related businesses: Vidéotron Ltd., an integrated communications company engaged in cable television, interactive multimedia development, Internet access services, cable telephony and wireless telephone service; Sun Media Corporation, the largest publisher of newspapers in Canada; Canoe Inc., operator of a network of English and French language Internet properties in Canada; Quebecor Media Network, provider of flyer printing and distribution services; TVA Group Inc., operator of the largest French language over the air television network in Québec, a number of specialty channels, and the English language over the air station Sun TV; Nurun Inc., a major interactive technologies and communications agency with offices in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia; magazine publisher TVA Publishing Inc.; book publishers and distributors Sogides Group Inc. and CEC Publishing Inc.; Archambault Group Inc. and TVA Films, companies engaged in the production, distribution and retailing of cultural products; Le SuperClub Vidéotron ltée, a DVD and console game rental and retail chain; and Quebecor MediaPages, publisher of print and online directories.
