Cogeco Cable is Satisfied with the CRTC's Decision on Vertical Integration

MONTRÉAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Sept. 21, 2011) - Cogeco Cable (TSX:CCA) announced today that it is generally satisfied with the decision of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) respecting the regulatory framework on vertical integration.

"In our opinion, the CRTC has really taken Canadian consumers into account in its decision. Without the safeguards it has decided to implement, consumers could easily have found themselves held hostage of vertically-integrated broadcasting distribution undertakings ("BDU"). Today, freedom of choice, content richness and fair and equitable competition have won," said Louis Audet, President and CEO of Cogeco Cable.

This decision comes after public hearings were held at the end of last June. In its appearance, Cogeco Cable had proposed several measures to preserve competition, and protect the interests of Canadian consumers in a context where a few large vertically-integrated conglomerates opened the door to anticompetitive practices. These measures were also supported by several other independent broadcasters, distributors and telecommunications service providers.

Cogeco Cable is very pleased that the CRTC adopted most of the safeguards that it had proposed:

"We believe that the new safeguards implemented by the CRTC will help ensure that the Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications market remains competitive, much to the benefit of Canadian consumers," said Louis Audet, President and CEO of Cogeco Cable. "Ultimately, they will enable consumers to continue to receive all their television programs on the platform and via the distributor of their choice. We are eager to contribute to the consultation proceedings that will follow in order to make sure that today's decision is implemented as quickly and efficiently as possible," ended Mr. Audet.

ABOUT COGECO CABLE

Cogeco Cable (www.cogeco.ca) is the second largest cable operator in Ontario, Québec and Portugal, in terms of the number of Basic Cable service customers served. Through its two-way broadband cable networks, Cogeco Cable provides its residential customers with Audio, Analogue and Digital Television, as well as HSI and Telephony services. Cogeco Cable also provides its business customers with data networking, e-business applications, video conferencing, web hosting, Ethernet, private line, VoIP, HSI, data storage and security, and co-location services and other advanced communication solutions. Cogeco Cable's subordinate voting shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:CCA).