Three major Canadian media companies have launched a campaign to oppose BCE Inc.’s planned purchase of Astral Media Inc., saying the deal would give Bell too much control over the country’s broadcasting landscape.

The heads of Cogeco Cable Inc., Eastlink and Quebecor Inc. unveiled Tuesday a new online petition against the proposed deal.

They raised the spectre of Bell forcing consumers to pay more money for popular TV channels or packaging those channels with less-popular ones or other services if the Astral deal goes ahead.

The deal still needs approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission and the Competition Bureau.