Montréal, May 23, 2006 – Videotron is proud to help celebrate the 18th edition of the FrancoFolies de Montréal as the official sponsor of the event. As well, Videotron is presenting the "Tendances" series at the Spectrum between June 8 and 18. This year's FrancoFolies will see Videotron bring extreme "cable" jumping to a wider audience. Extreme "cable" jumping, the latest craze in street entertainment is all the rage among fans of hip-hop and electronic music. Finally, Videotron will welcome artists and the public to lounge located in the Videotron Zone named "Monde hip-hop de Vidéotron", a few steps away from Videotron's Scène Urbaine on Jeanne-Mance near De Maisonneuve.
Services like cable TV, illico on Demand, high-speed Internet access, the High-Speed Zone, telephone services and Canal Vox will be marshalled to help the public experience the FrancoFolies and to actively promote the Festival's program and performers.
"We are sponsoring the FrancoFolies for the first time. The event's 18th year is an opportunity for us to show that Videotron is a young and dynamic organization that is close to its audiences and committed to quality entertainment," said Manon Brouillette, Vice President, Marketing and Product Development, Consumer Division. "As the official sponsor, Videotron hopes to make a tangible contribution to cultural development and provide another platform for Francophone music and young talent."
Videotron promises to make the full FrancoFolies experience available to all. Fans of Francophone music will be able to enjoy the festivities whether they are at the site to watch the events live or at home, where they can follow the 18th FrancoFolies from Videotron's virtual world.
AT THE FESTIVAL SITE
Festival-goers will be able to visit the Videotron lounge from where programs will be taped, and special programming will be broadcasted on illico and the High-Speed Zone.
Extreme "cable" jumping
One not-to-be-missed event in this coming-of-age year for the FrancoFolies will be demonstrations of extreme "cable" jumping at the Monde hip-hop de Vidéotron. Every evening at 6:30 and 8:30, visitors to the lounge will be thrilled by the performances of the Éclipse troupe.
The august skipping rope, long used the world over, has been revived as part of a physically demanding athletic competition and street entertainment craze that is sweeping the nation. Large companies that target young adults, such as Adidas, have already started linking it to their brand. Their advertising showcasing the new combination of jump rope with extreme movements and hip hop or electronic music is quickly spreading the old skipping rope's new hip image.
Éclipse is a group of 40 children and youths aged 7 to 23 founded in Montréal 4 years ago. The passion and dedication of these young athletes is carrying them to new heights, year after year.
Éclipse has its sights set on international fame. It has won numerous prizes and was entered in the 4th Canadian national rope skipping championships held at Université de Montréal on May 19, 20 and 21, 2006. On the world stage, the International Rope Skipping Federation is working to win recognition of the sport as an Olympic discipline.
For a foretaste of what extreme "cable" jumping looks like, go to ftp://ftp.vsi.videotron.com and enter user name: ftp_comm, password: comm1234.
FOCUS ON THE FRANCOFOLIES
illico presents
Fans of Francophone music who subscribe to illico will be well served by special programming on illico's Video on Demand service. Among other things, a look back at the history of the FrancoFolies will let viewers relive the most memorable shows of years past. The best concerts from previous festivals will also be screened at the Videotron lounge.
Live on Canal Vox and the High-Speed Zone
Un saut aux Francos, a show dedicated to the highlights of the day and upcoming evening events, will be broadcast simultaneously on the High-Speed Zone and Canal Vox (available exclusively on cable 9 and illico Digital TV) every day from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. Host Marc Denoncourt will present on- and off-stage footage of the events of the day.
The concerts held at Videotron's Scène Urbaine every evening between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. will also be broadcast live on the Web at the High-Speed Zone. After a 1-hour pause from 8:00 to 9:00, webcasts of other activities and events, to be announced shortly, will follow.
During the festivities, subscribers to Videotron's cable Internet access service will also have access to video chat sessions with various artists at the High-Speed Zone, which visitors to the Videotron lounge will be able to view live. Finally, the Videotron Francocam, perched above Ste-Catherine St., will send a continuous live feed of images from the FrancoFolies, 24 hours a day, to the High-Speed Zone. The High-Speed Zone can be accessed at zonehautevitesse.com or www.videotron.com.
Services made available to festival-goers at the 18th FrancoFolies, including telephony, high-speed Internet access and cable television, are compliments of Videotron Business Solutions and Canal Vox.
Videotron Ltd. (www.videotron.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is an integrated communications company engaged in cable television, interactive multimedia development, Internet access services and residential telephone service. Videotron 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. As of March 31, 2006, Videotron was serving 1,520,000 cable television customers in Québec; including 512,000 illico subscribers. Videotron is also the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 699,000 subscribers to its cable modem and dial-up services. In addition, Videotron provides residential telephone service to more than 227,000 customers in Québec.
