Montréal, September 9, 2004 – To usher in the fall television season, Vidéotron is bringing subscribers to its illico digital TV service a wide selection of exciting new channels. The new services are being phased in over a period of several weeks starting on September 7.
24 new channels and three new high-definition services will be added
- Three regional channels from Rogers Sportsnet
- 15 more Galaxie music channels
- Three English-language specialty channels
- Three French-language channel: Mystère, RIS, TFO
Three Rogers Sportsnet regional channels
Rogers Sportsnet delivers varied content by operating a family of regional channels. In response to strong consumer demand, Vidéotron will carry Rogers Sportsnet Ontario (on channel 82), West (channel 83) and Pacific (channel 84) starting on September 30, in addition to the Rogers Sportsnet East signal, which is already available in the illico lineup on channel 61 and will now be transmitted on channel 81 as well.
A boon for customers who subscribe to Rogers Sportsnet: four channels for the price of one
The three additional Rogers Sportsnet signals (Ontario, West and Pacific) will be added at no extra charge to all digital packages that already include Rogers Sportsnet East. Sports fans will get more categories of content and more sporting events.
15 new Galaxie music channels at no additional cost to illico customers
Over the next several weeks, 15 new digital music channels will gradually be added to the 30 existing stations. The new services are Opera Plus, FrancoRétro, Electronic, Celtic, Reggae, Latino Tropical, BigBand, SmoothJazz, The 90s, Standards, EasyListening, ContemporaryChristian, UrbanAdult, Rap/HipHop and Rock. The Galaxie channels are part of the basic illico service.
Three new English-language specialty channels
1. Fine Living
As the name suggests, Fine Living is a lifestyle channel for people looking to pursue their passions, realize their dreams and maximize their precious free time. Fine Living will be carried on channel 149 and will be unscrambled through December 31, 2004.
2. Discovery Kids
Stimulating and imaginative programming for kids of all ages – a fun way to satisfy children's natural curiosity. Interactive content and action shows featuring memorable characters and real-life young heroes. On channel 169 starting September 30 through December 31, 2004.
3. Talk TV
Immediate, interactive and intimate. Talk TV is about everything: politics, business, relationships, sex, technology, industry, sports and entertainment. On channel 148 starting September 30 through December 31, 2004.
Available in the Montreal and Gatineau territories, these specialty channels will be provided free to i Mega customers.
New French-language channels starting September 30
- Mystère: a winning mix of mysteries, police dramas and reruns of popular television series. Mystère will be part of the basic digital service and will be free for illico subscribers.
- RIS (Réseau Info Sport): complete, continuously updated summaries of the latest sports news, reported by seasoned journalists, and coverage of major sport events;
- TFO: Ontario's French-language educational network, known for its high-quality family fare. TFO carries a wide variety of information programming, educational content and entertainment.
RIS and TFO will be part of the i telemax, i Mega, i Ultra packages and will be available free to all illico 30/30 subscribers until December 31.
The latest channel additions and the flexible illico digital packages demonstrate Vidéotron's continued leadership in home entertainment.
Vidéotron ltée (www.videotron.com), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is an integrated communications company engaged in cable television, interactive multimedia development and Internet access services. Vidéotron is a leader in new technologies with its illico interactive television system and its broadband network, which supports high-speed cable Internet access, analog and digital cable television, and other services. Vidéotron serves 1,429,000 cable television customers in Québec; including over 287,000 illico subscribers. Vidéotron is also the Québec leader in high-speed cable Internet access, with 473,000 subscribers to its cable modem and dial-up services.
