Several users in our Canadian forums have nudged us to note that Canadian regulators have stunned everyone by blocking Bell's attempted acquisition of Canadian media company Astral. According to the CRTC, the $3 billion takeover of the company (think Comcast's acquisition of NBC as a much larger but similar venture), would have resulted in much higher prices for Canadian consumers.

In a sharp turn from recent incumbent-friendly policies, new CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais insisted Bell failed to sell him on the deal, which would have given Bell 45% of English and 35% of all French viewership in Canada:Bell is already pushing back against the ruling, trying to get the government to step in and overrule the CRTC's decision -- though that effort appears to be going nowhere. The shift is an important one given that the CRTC had taken to following on the heels of regulators in the United States: namely very timid politicians beholden primarily to the interests of incumbents while paying empty lip service to consumers. This decision appears to have shocked everyone in Canada, most of whom were expecting more of the same.