TC Media announces creation of digital product development lab

TC Media Incubator to be headed by Bruno Leclaire who is appointed Chief Digital Officer

MONTREAL, July 3, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - TC Media is pleased to announce the launch of the TC Media Incubator, a laboratory that will oversee the company's creation, development and incubation of new digital products. The TC Media Incubator will be directed by Bruno Leclaire, who is appointed Chief Digital Officer of TC Media. The official start-up of lab operations is slated for the beginning of TC Media's next fiscal year, in November 2013.

"At TC Media, our ambition is to offer our advertising clients and our consumers top quality, innovative, highly efficient products and services," said Ted Markle, president of TC Media. "The creation of the TC Media Incubator supports this ambition, in line with our sector's strategic priorities. Bruno's unparalleled experience in launching digital products makes him the obvious choice to successfully guide the projects that will evolve within our incubator."

Bruno Leclaire has an impressive track record that notably includes the launch of successful TC Media digital products such as JobGo.ca, AutoGo.ca and the P$ Mobile Service app for Stationnement de Montréal. He will oversee the management of all of the incubator's operations, including allocation of the company's major investments, establishment of an optimal work structure and efficient management of the portfolio of new digital products under development. As Chief Digital Officer, he will also continue to oversee TC Media's digital strategy to ensure that all of the sector's operations are consistent and optimally aligned.

"I'm delighted to be establishing the TC Media Incubator, which demonstrates our commitment to positioning ourselves as a Canadian leader in the development of digital products," said Bruno Leclaire, Chief Digital Officer of TC Media. "We are going to set up a development process that is efficient, well-structured, flexible and agile that will enable us to accelerate the time-to-market for new digital products and increase our competitive advantage. This lab will have many of the advantages of a small start-up while benefiting from the strategic framework and support that can only be provided by a large company."

Some development ideas for the TC Media Incubator will be generated by the TC Transcontinental Innovation Challenge, which encourages employee teams to brainstorm new concepts. All sources of ideas for the incubator will be welcome, including ideas from outside the company. Between now and the official launch of the incubator next November, Mr. Leclaire will be working to finalize the structure and establish the operating principles. He will soon be looking for new talent to fill a number of positions that will be created within this team. As well, an advisory committee of external experts will be set up to provide objective opinions and recommendations with regard to proposed concepts.

About TC Media
Canada's leading provider of media and marketing activation solutions, employing about 4,000 people, TC Media reaches 24 million consumers in Canada through its integrated multiplatform offering that includes print and digital media, the production of magazines, newspapers, books and custom content, mass and personalized marketing, interactive and mobile applications, TV production and door-to-door distribution.

TC Media is a brand of Transcontinental Inc. (TSX: TCL.A, TCL.B, TCL.PR.D), which has about 9,500 employees in Canada and the United States, and reported revenues of C$2.1 billion in 2012. Website www.tc.tc.

SOURCE: Transcontinental inc.