Astral Media Launches TMN OnLine to Bell TV Subscribers

Astral Media Launches TMN OnLine to Bell TV Subscribers

North American First Enables Subscribers to View Channel Programming Online for No Additional Fee

TORONTO, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Astral Media (TSX: ACM.A/ACM.B) today announced the launch of The Movie Network OnLine - a new broadband service that provides subscribers of The Movie Network, who receive their home television service through Bell TV, with the ability to watch movies, series and other premium content on their computers at no additional cost.

"Astral Media is proud to bring this unique and innovative service to its customers," said Ian Greenberg, President and Chief Executive Officer, Astral Media. "The launch of TMN OnLine reiterates our commitment to investing and innovating in all areas of our business - from television and radio to outdoor advertising and interactive media. By expanding our outstanding pay TV programming experience to the online environment, we are delivering value and enabling subscribers to watch what they want, when they want, how they want and now, where they want."

TMN OnLine reflects how audiences are consuming content and provides a legal and secure option for viewing premium theatrical and series-based entertainment from the convenience of a computer. The service is unique within North America given that authentication and access are linked to the subscriber, rather than to the home Internet connection, thus enabling users to stream content to their laptop, or any other computer, anywhere in Canada wherever a high-speed connection is available.

"TMN OnLine is the latest in a string of innovative services offered by The Movie Network which include on-demand services, HD channels and multiplexes," said Domenic Vivolo, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Astral Television Networks. "We are focused on bringing subscribers a unique entertainment proposition that is based on strong value, premium content and best-in-class technology. TMN OnLine ticks all of these boxes, by providing an innovative solution that will enable subscribers to enjoy the exclusive content that is offered by The Movie Network on an additional and complementary platform, all at no additional cost."

Offering approximately 130 hours per week with 25 per cent of the content refreshed weekly, TMN OnLine will leverage its studio deals and draw from its original Canadian productions to create the programming line-up each month. The service reflects the weekly content offering of The Movie Network's current Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) service and will offer similar functionality enabling subscribers to rewind, play, pause and review title descriptions. Titles will be streamed to the subscriber via any high-speed connection.

Available at www.bell.ca/tmnonline, the service will launch with such movie titles as Milk, Twilight, The Reader, Changeling, Iron Man and such series as Nurse Jackie, Durham County, The Line and Sanctuary, with new titles being added each week.

The Movie Network is a pay television service available in eastern Canada. With premiere access to Hollywood hit movies, new and exclusive HBO content, critically-acclaimed Showtime series and first-rate Canadian programming, this pay-television service presents Canadians with some of the best television entertainment available. The Movie Network service includes five 24-hour multiplex channels - M, HBO Canada, MExcess, MFun! and MFest - which deliver diverse and entertaining programs in an uncut and commercial-free television environment. The Movie Network also offers The Movie Network HD and HBO Canada HD, two dedicated high-definition channels providing hundreds of titles in HD; The Movie Network OnDemand, a Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) service, available in select areas across eastern Canada; and, TMN OnLine an Internet-based content streaming service available to BellTV subscribers. For more information, please visit www.themovienetwork.ca.

The Movie Network is an Astral Media Television Network. Astral Media is a leading Canadian media company, active in specialty and pay television, radio, outdoor advertising and iMedia. Astral Media's solid and dynamic presence in the country's major markets rests on its commitment to offer a unique combination of high-quality, targeted media for all its audiences.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Astral Media Inc.

CONTACT: The Movie Network, Deborah Wilson, Vice President,
Communications, (416) 956-8558, dwilson@tv.astral.com; The Movie Network,
Roopa Shah, Senior Manager, Communications, (416) 956-8584,
rshah@tv.astral.com

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Profile: International Entertainment