Telus tried to ‘kill, slow and shape’ $26-billion Rogers-Shaw deal, board presentation shows

By Alexandra Posadzki and Irene Galea

Telus Corp. made efforts to “kill, slow and shape” the proposed $26-billion merger between Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc., according to an internal presentation made to Telus’ board that was revealed Monday as part of the Competition Tribunal’s review of the takeover.

The Vancouver-based telecom’s effort to influence Ottawa with regard to the proposed merger of Canada’s two largest cable networks was called Project Fox, according to the internal company presentation.

It included attempting to persuade Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) that Quebecor Inc. should not be permitted to acquire Shaw’s wireless licences.

Earlier this year, Rogers and Shaw struck a deal to sell Shaw’s Freedom Mobile wireless carrier to Quebecor’s Videotron Ltd. for $2.85-billion in order to prevent the Rogers-Shaw merger from eliminating Canada’s fourth-largest carrier. Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s approval is required for Shaw to be able to transfer Freedom Mobile’s wireless licences to Quebecor.

Read more

Published by the Globe and Mail.