In these difficult times for several large media companies, Quebecor stops paying the rent demanded of it by the National Assembly to access its offices in the Press Gallery and demands free access.
The media and telecommunications giant, which notably owns the TVA television network, Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, says it has made the decision to “immediately suspend” payment of its lease. At least that’s what Quebecor’s Vice-President for Institutional Affairs, Jad Barsoum, says in a letter to the Secretary General of the National Assembly obtained by La Presse, dated August 7.
The media rent offices in the André-Laurendeau building, behind the parliament, for their journalists responsible for covering politics. The Tribune de la presse has 56 members from all the major media outlets in Quebec.
Quebecor mentions that its rent amounts to $8,448 per month, “thus exceeding the threshold of $100,000 per year, not including applicable taxes”.
According to Jad Barsoum, demanding such sums “goes against the principles of access and undermines democratic life”. His letter is addressed to Siegried Peters, Secretary General of the National Assembly.
To justify itself, the company invokes the “economic precariousness” in which several large media companies like it find themselves.
“In the past few months alone, Quebecor has had to cut 240 positions. Bell Media has also eliminated a thousand positions and six radio stations. Postmedia has laid off 11% of its newsroom staff,” its letter reads.
The company cites the “ad revenue backdrop” disrupted by Meta (Facebook, Instagram) and Alphabet (Google, YouTube), which contributes to its difficulties.
“In 2020, web giants captured more than 80% of advertising revenue, underlines the text. It is clear that the adoption of Bill C-18 did not prevent the latter from maintaining pressure on the Canadian traditional media. Recently, Meta followed through on its threats by blocking access to news from its Facebook and Instagram platforms to Canadians. »
On August 1, Meta announced that it was following through on its threat to stop carrying Canadian media content, following the passage of this new news law in Ottawa. From December, it must force the web giants to negotiate agreements to compensate for the dissemination of their news.
Contacted by telephone, the president of the Tribune de la presse explains that the organization is not taking a position for the moment.
“It is the journalists who are members of the Tribune, not the media,” says Olivier Bossé. For this reason, the issue of lease management is a matter for media administration and the Tribune does not comment at this time. »