BCE to ask Ottawa to help overturn ruling on Astral deal

TORONTO Oct 18 (Reuters) - BCE Inc said on Thursday it will ask the federal government to intervene to help overturn a ruling by Canada's broadcast regulator to block BCE's C$3 billion ($3.05 billion) takeover of content provider Astral Media.

The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) blocked the controversial deal on Thursday, saying the deal would have given too much power to BCE, already the country's biggest telecoms company and owner of numerous TV and radio assets.

BCE said it will ask the federal government to intervene and issue direction to the CRTC.