Remstar Media Group

{{Short description|Canadian media firm}} {{Infobox company | type = Subsidiary | industry = Media | parent = Remcorp | subsid = {{ubl|Elle Fictions|Max}} | former_name = V Media Group (until 2020) }}

'''Remstar Media Group''' is a privately held Canadian media firm, owned by the film production and distribution company Remcorp. It owns the French-language specialty channels Elle Fictions and Max.

== History == In June 2008, Remstar acquired the French-language network TQS, which had been owned by Cogeco and CTVglobemedia but entered bankruptcy protection in late 2007. The network was renamed V the following year. It was later reorganized into a separate entity named V Media Group, which was still majority-owned by Remstar, with a minority share held by a trust controlled by Remstar's owner, Maxime Rémillard.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-08-19 |title=CRTC Ownership Chart for Remstar |url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ownership/eng/cht220.pdf |accessdate=2014-09-21}}</ref>

In December 2013, V Media Group announced plans to purchase MusiquePlus and MusiMax from CTVglobemedia's successor Bell Media, which had earlier in the year received approval to purchase Astral Media, but divested several networks in order to reduce its total market share following the purchase.<ref name="cp-remstarmusique">{{Cite web |title=Bell Media signs deal to sell MusiquePlus and MusiMax to V Media Group |url=https://montrealgazette.com/business/Bell+Media+signs+deal+sell+MusiquePlus+MusiMax+Media+Group/9242635/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211201310/http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Bell+Media+signs+deal+sell+MusiquePlus+MusiMax+Media+Group/9242635/story.html |archive-date=11 December 2013 |website=Canadian Press |accessdate=4 December 2013 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The acquisition was approved by the CRTC on September 11, 2014. To fund the purchase, 15% stakes in V Media Group were purchased by each of the Caisse, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, and Investissement Québec, while Rémillard's trust also increased its stake. As a result, Remstar remains the largest single shareholder but no longer holds a majority interest in V Media; however Remstar's owner (Rémillard) still has majority control.<ref name="fa-approved">{{Cite news |last=Faguy |first=Steve |date=13 September 2014 |title=CRTC approves V's purchase of MusiquePlus/MusiMax |url=http://blog.fagstein.com/2014/09/11/crtc-approves-v-mp-mm/ |accessdate=13 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="crtc-mpapproved">{{Cite web |title=MusiquePlus and MusiMax – Change in effective control and licence amendments |date=11 September 2014 |url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2014/2014-465.htm |publisher=CRTC |accessdate=13 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="v-mp-complete">{{Cite web |title=Noovo.ca |url=https://www.noovo.ca/noovo |website=noovo}}</ref> The sale closed on September 16, 2014.<ref name="v-mp-complete" />

In June 2016, V Media Group announced a partnership with Vice Media; the companies will establish a studio to co-develop French-language content, and launch a French-language version of its Viceland specialty channel in 2017.<ref name="gazette-french">{{Cite web |title=Vice to launch edgy TV channel Viceland in Quebec, expand internationally |url=https://montrealgazette.com/business/local-business/vice-to-launch-edgy-tv-channel-viceland-in-quebec-expand-internationally |website=Montreal Gazette |publisher=Postmedia Network |accessdate=10 July 2016}}</ref><ref name="deadline-50more">{{Cite web |title=Vice Media's Viceland To Launch In More Than 50 New Countries |url=https://deadline.com/2016/06/vice-media-launches-in-more-than-50-new-countries-1201777144/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=22 June 2016 |access-date=10 July 2016}}</ref> However, plans for a French-language channel were dropped; instead V Media Group stated that they will feature Vice content in French on its channels.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Vice Québec et Groupe V Média: où en est le partenariat? |language=fr-CA |work=Infopresse |url=http://www.infopresse.com/article/2018/1/23/vice-quebec-et-v-media-ou-en-est-le-partenariat |access-date=2018-01-25 |archive-date=2018-01-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125134604/http://www.infopresse.com/article/2018/1/23/vice-quebec-et-v-media-ou-en-est-le-partenariat |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In July 2019, V Media Group announced that it would sell its namesake television network, and its web platforms such as its streaming service noovo.ca, to Bell Media, pending CRTC approval. The company will retain its specialty channels.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tomesco |first=Frédéric |date=2019-07-24 |title=Bell Media set to add Quebec TV networks with V Média purchase |url=https://montrealgazette.com/business/bell-media-set-to-add-quebec-tv-networks-with-v-network-purchase-to-roster |access-date=2019-08-14 |language=en}}</ref>

On April 3, 2020, the sale was approved by the CRTC.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Faguy |first=Steve |title=CRTC approves Bell's purchase of V |date=3 April 2020 |url=https://blog.fagstein.com/2020/04/03/crtc-approves-bell-purchase-of-v/ |access-date=2020-04-04 |language=en-US}}</ref> The sale was later closed on May 15, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 15, 2020 |title=Bell's acquisition of V officially closes |url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/bell-welcomes-french-language-conventional-tv-network-v-and-noovo-ca-836940436.html |website=Newswire Canada |accessdate=May 23, 2020}}</ref>

On May 20, 2020, V Media Group was renamed as Remstar Media Group.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cartt.ca/elle-fictions-and-max-now-owned-by-remstar-media-group/|title=Elle Fictions and MAX now owned by Remstar Media Group|date=May 21, 2020|website=Cartt.ca}}</ref>

== Current ownership structure == Following the purchase of MusiquePlus and MusiMax, the shareholders and voting interests of Remstar Media Group are now as follows:<ref name=crtc-mpapproved />

* Remstar Broadcasting (wholly owned by Maxime Rémillard): 45.14% (combination of common and preferred shares) * Fiducie Seismikmax (trust controlled by Maxime Rémillard): 9.86% (common shares) * Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec: 15% (preferred shares) * Fonds de solidarité FTQ: 15% (preferred shares) * Investissement Québec: 15% (preferred shares)

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * [http://remstarmedia.ca/en/ Remstar Media Group corporate site]

Category:Companies based in Montreal Category:Mass media companies established in 2008 Category:Television broadcasting companies of Canada Category:2008 establishments in Quebec