Assets
BCE operates Bell Media, one of Canada's largest privately held media companies which owns the Canadian television networks, CTV and CTV Two, along with 30 speciality television channels, Bell Media Radio which operates 35 radio stations across Canada and sympatico.ca. It also operates retail stores, as simply the Bell Store (formerly BellWorld in English Canada and Espace Bell in Quebec, and prior to 1999, Bell Phonecentre/Téléboutique Bell).
BCE also bought The Source by Circuit City (which was renamed after the sale to The Source) and all assets of InterTAN from bankrupt Circuit City.
In July 2006, Bell and former subsidiary Aliant completed a restructuring whereby Aliant, renamed Bell Aliant Regional Communications, took over Bell's wireline operations in much of Ontario and Quebec (while continuing to use the "Bell" name in those regions), as well as its 63% ownership in rural lines operator Bell Nordiq (a publicly traded income trust that controls NorthernTel and Télébec). These are in addition to Bell Aliant's operations in Atlantic Canada. In turn, Bell has assumed responsibility for Bell Aliant's wireless and retail operations. Bell Aliant, now itself an income trust, is currently 44% owned by Bell. Other company assets include Western Canada CLEC Bell West. BCE partially or fully owns 17 companies in the fields of telecommunications, media, and information technology.
Shifting its focus to IP, Bell has in recent years deployed MPLS on their nationwide fibre ring network to support consumer and enterprise-level IP applications, such as IPTV and VoIP.
In March 2012 BCE announced the takeover bid of Astral Media for 3.3 billion dollars. It requires CRTC approval and Competition bureau approval to be able to close.. On October 18, 2012, the CRTC announced that it had rejected the Bell Canada purchase of Astral Media, citing undue dominance and a de-facto monopoly over other broadcasters.
On October 26, 2012 BCE / Astral announced it has extended its closure of its merger to December 16, 2012 to allow them pursue Appealing the decision to Federal Court, and the possibility to re-adjust its proposal to CRTC and sell certain Astral Media Assets (Radio, Specialty Channels) to make it more appealing to CRTC. It's projected to be extended to 2013.
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