Québecor stops paying rent for its National Assembly press gallery offices

Québecor has stopped paying rent to the National Assembly for its media offices there.

The company announced its decision in a letter sent this week to National Assembly Secretary-General Siegfried Peters.

Jad Barsoum, vice-president of institutional affairs at Québecor, said that, given the "difficult context," Québecor finds itself in, the company is "immediately suspending payment of the lease" for its premises in the André-Laurendeau building, which houses the legislature's press gallery.

Québecor, which owns the TVA television network, LCN all-news channel, Le Journal de Montréal, Le Journal de Québec, among other media assets, says its rent is $8,448 per month.

This amount exceeds "$100,000 per year, and that's not counting applicable taxes," said Barsoum, adding that this "goes against the principles of access and undermines democratic life."

In his letter, he argues that traditional media are currently going through a "serious crisis" that is undermining "citizens' access to information and, more generally, the health of our democracy."

"The context of advertising revenues in the media has been greatly turned upside down with the arrival of GAFAM," said Barsoum, referencing tech giants Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft.

"The advertising revenue crisis that has hit media companies is having a serious impact on them. In recent months alone, Québecor has had to cut 240 jobs."

Québecor says it informed the National Assembly's property management department of the issues faced by the media, hoping to be able to review the amount of rent demanded, but says it was "in vain."

Barsoum concludes his letter by asking the National Assembly to provide free accommodation for journalists covering politics, which he says would be a "tangible action in support of local media".

The letter was also forwarded to Culture Minister Mathieu Lacombe, as well as to the Coalition Avenir Québec, Liberal and Québec Solidaire MNAs who are members of the Office of the National Assembly.

Invited to react on Tuesday, the National Assembly's office refrained from commenting. Some 15 media organizations rent offices in the André-Laurendeau building.