MONTREAL, March 5, 2009 – Videotron Ltd. today announced the closing of its offering and sale of US$260 million aggregate principal amount of its 9⅛% Senior Notes due 2018. Videotron intends to use the proceeds of this offering to repay all drawings under its senior secured credit facility and the remainder for general corporate purposes. In the context of the current instability of the financial markets, Videotron has seized the opportunity to optimize its liquidity position through this offering.
This press release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The senior notes have not been registered under the United States Securities Act or applicable state securities laws, and the senior notes may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration. The notes have not been and will not be qualified for sale to the public under applicable Canadian securities laws and, accordingly, any offer and sale of the notes in Canada will be made on a basis which is exempt from the prospectus and dealer registration requirements of such securities laws.
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, cable telephony and wireless 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 December 31, 2008, Videotron was serving 1,715,616 cable television customers, including 927,322 illico Digital TV subscribers. Videotron is the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 1,063,847 subscribers to its cable modem service as of December 31, 2008. As of the same date, Videotron had activated 63,402 lines on its wireless telephone service and was providing cable telephone service to 851,987 Québec households and organizations.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained herein relating to matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the industries in which we operate as well as beliefs and assumptions made by our management. Such statements include, in particular, statements about our plans, prospects, financial position and business strategies. Words such as may, will, expect, continue, intend, estimate, anticipate, plan, foresee, believe or seek or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology are intended to identify such forward looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements, by their nature, involve risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements are also subject to assumptions concerning, among other things: our anticipated business strategies; anticipated trends in our business; and our ability to continue to control costs. We can give no assurance that these estimates and expectations will prove to have been correct. Actual outcomes and results may, and often do, differ from what is expressed, implied or projected in such forward-looking statements, and such differences may be material. Some important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements are discussed in Videotron's quarterly reports furnished to the SEC under cover of Form 6-K, including under the section Forward-looking statements and are discussed in further detail in Videotron's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, including under the sections Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors. Videotron disclaims any obligation to update these statements unless applicable securities laws require us to do so.
