Astral Media invested $150 million in Canadian film and television in Fiscal 2008

    MONTREAL, March 26 /CNW Telbec/ - Astral Media Inc. (TSX: ACM.A/ACM.B)
today announced it has invested close to $150 million in Canadian content
development in Fiscal 2008 through its pay and specialty television networks.
Each year, the Company makes significant investments in a wide variety of
French- and English-language television and film projects establishing itself
as a leading private investor in Canadian content.
    "Since we started in this business in 1983, we have invested more than
$1.3 billion in the film and television industry," said André Bureau, Chairman
of the Board of Astral Media. "Many know Astral Media for the quality of its
media properties and the strength of its financial performance, but we are
also very proud of the support we offer to the English- and French-language
production industries in Canada. Not only do we invest heavily in Canadian
productions, we also showcase these productions on our networks, offering
meaningful visibility for Canadian talent. Every year we are validated in our
commitment with the critical acclaim that these investments garner."
    Astral Media is one of the country's largest private investor in English-
and French-language content, financing all stages of Canadian film and
television production from script development to equity investment and
promotion. Astral Media is also one of the only broadcasters to work almost
exclusively with independent producers in Quebec and the rest of Canada,
investing heavily in sustaining this important industry and driver of Canadian
economic growth.
    "The variety of genres that we support by commissioning original
productions that are distinct for each of our networks supports a diversity of
television and film genres," added Mr. Bureau."

    RECOGNITION

    This year, Astral Media is proud to have supported 18 of the films
nominated for Genie Award consideration; including such films as: Ce qu'il
faut pour vivre, Tout est Parfait, Passchendaele, Fugitive Pieces, Emotional
Arithmetic, Amal and Maman est chez le coiffeur. In 2008, the Astral Media
supported series, Durham County, was the top Gemini winner with five Gemini
Awards. Astral Media also supported a number of recent Oscar(R)-nominated
films including Deepa Mehta's Water, Sarah Polley's Away from Her and David
Cronenberg's Eastern Promises.
    Astral Media's specialty networks are also proud that a number of their
long-standing and popular youth series and documentaries were recognized, this
past year with 7 Gémeaux awards: Une grenade avec ça? (3 Gémeaux) and Méchant
changement (1), which both aired on VRAK.TV; Manifestes en série (2) on Canal
D; and Le voyage d'une vie (1) on Canal Vie. Séries+ also received a nod at
MIPCOM in Cannes this past year for Miss Météo, which brought home the award
for best scenario in the comedy category.

    HIGHLIGHTS FROM FISCAL 2008 - PROJECTS

    By Astral Media English-language Pay and Specialty Networks and The
    Harold Greenberg Fund/Le Fonds Harold Greenberg:

    The Line - Series - The Movie Network
    ReGenesis (Season 4) - Series - The Movie Network
    Sanctuary - Series - The Movie Network
    ZOS: Zone of Separation - Series - The Movie Network
    Away from Her - Feature Film - The Movie Network
    Breakfast with Scot - Feature Film - The Movie Network
    Eastern Promises - Feature Film - The Movie Network
    Everything Gone Green - Feature Film - The Movie Network
    Fido - Feature Film - The Movie Network
    Monkey Warfare - Feature Film - The Movie Network
    Normal - Feature Film - The Movie Network
    Nurse.Fighter.Boy - Feature Film - The Movie Network
    Partition - Feature Film - The Movie Network
    Poor Boy's Game - Feature Film - The Movie Network
    Shake Hands with the Devil - Feature Film - The Movie Network
    Silk - Feature Film - The Movie Network
    Snow Cake - Feature Film - The Movie Network
    The Journals of Knud Rasmussen - Feature Film - The Movie Network
    Weirdsville - Feature Film - The Movie Network
    Global Metal - Documentary - The Movie Network

    Adoration - Feature Film - The Harold Greenberg Fund
    Amal - Feature Film - The Harold Greenberg Fund
    Cairo Time - Feature Film - The Harold Greenberg Fund
    The Cry of the Owl - Feature Film - The Harold Greenberg Fund
    Heaven on Earth - Feature Film - The Harold Greenberg Fund
    High Life - Feature Film - The Harold Greenberg Fund
    One Week - Feature Film - The Harold Greenberg Fund
    The Thaw - Feature Film - The Harold Greenberg Fund
    Toronto Stories - Feature Film - The Harold Greenberg Fund
    A Shine of Rainbows - Feature Film - The Harold Greenberg Fund

    Connor Undercover (Season 1) - Series - Family
    Overruled! (Seasons 1 and 2) - Series - Family and The Harold Greenberg
    Fund
    The Latest Buzz - (Season 2 and 3) - Series - Family
    Life With Derek (Season 4) - Series - Family
    The Secret World of Benjamin Bear (Season 4) - Series - Family (Playhouse
    Disney) and The Harold Greenberg Fund
    Franny's Feet (Season 3) - Series - Family (Playhouse Disney)

    6teen (bilingual) - Animated series - TELETOON (50% shared property)
    Stoked (bilingual) - Animated series - TELETOON (50% shared property)
    Majority Rules (bilingual) - Animated series - TELETOON (50% shared
    property)
    Spliced (bilingual) - Animated series - TELETOON (50% shared property)
    Hot Wheels (bilingual) - Animated series - TELETOON (50% shared property)

    By Astral Media French-language Pay and Specialty Networks:

    Les 3 P'tits cochons - Feature Film - Super Ecran
    Ma fille mon ange - Feature Film - Super Ecran and The Movie Network
    Nitro - Feature Film - Super Ecran and The Movie Network
    Le Déserteur - Feature Film - Super Ecran
    Bluff - Feature Film - Super Ecran
    Le Ring - Feature Film - Super Ecran
    De père en flic - Feature Film - Super Ecran
    Noémie - Feature Film - Super Ecran

    Mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-un - Feature Film - Le Fonds Harold
    Greenberg
    Mars et Avril - Feature Film - Le Fonds Harold Greenberg
    Les Grandes Chaleurs - Feature Film - Le Fonds Harold Greenberg
    Incendies - Feature Film - Le Fonds Harold Greenberg
    Tocade et Fugue - Feature Film - Le Fonds Harold Greenberg
    Les Fins dernières - Feature Film - Le Fonds Harold Greenberg
    En plein coeur - Feature Film - Le Fonds Harold Greenberg
    Les Wizz du showbiz - series - Le Fonds Harold Greenberg
    Rock N'Road - series - Le Fonds Harold Greenberg

    Décore ta vie - Magazine - Canal Vie
    Dre Nadia, psychologue à domicile - Magazine -Canal Vie
    Manon tu m'inspires - Magazine -Canal Vie
    Le goût de Louis - Magazine - Canal Vie
    Des idées de grandeur - Magazine - Canal Vie
    Maitre chez soi - Magazine - Canal Vie
    Airoldi pour une sortie - Magazine - Canal Vie
    Bouffe ou Malbouffe - Documentary - Canal Vie
    Le voyage d'une vie - Documentary - Canal Vie

    Biographies (Chantal Petitclerc, Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge, Mitsou
    Gélinas, etc.) - Canal D
    La course autour de la grande tortue - Documentary - Canal D
    Dossiers justice - Documentary - Canal D
    Manifestes en série - Documentary - Canal D
    Bombes à retardement - Documentary - Canal D
    Toxique - Documentary - Canal D
    50 tonnes d'épinettes - Documentary - Canal D

    A vos marteaux - Magazine - Historia
    Passion maisons - Magazine - Historia
    Si j'avais un char - Documentary - Historia
    Enquête Champlain - Documentary - Historia

    La revanche des nerdZ - Magazine - Ztélé
    Le banc d'essai du peuple - Magazine - Ztélé
    Ca s'branche où? - Magazine - Ztélé
    Comment c'est fait - Magazine - Ztélé
    Job de bras - Magazine - Ztélé

    Pièce d'identité - Magazine - VRAK.TV
    R-Force - Magazine - VRAK.TV
    Une grenade avec ça? - Series - VRAK.TV
    Il était une fois dans le trouble - Series - VRAK.TV
    Méchant Changement - Magazine - VRAK.TV
    Stan et ses stars I - Series - VRAK.TV
    Frank vs. Girard - Series - VRAK.TV
    KARV l'anti.gala 2007 - event - VRAK.TV

    Miss Météo 1 - Series - Séries+

    Mes 15 minutes - Magazine - MusiquePlus
    Plus sur commande - Entertainment/news - MusiquePlus
    M Net - Entertainment - MusiquePlus
    Infoplus - Entertainment/news - MusiquePlus
    Mes Vieux tout neuf - Magazine - MusiquePlus
    Les Colocs - Series - MusiquePlus

    L'Index - Entertainment - MusiMax
    Infomax - Magazine/Entertainment - MusiMax
    French Connexion - Entertainment - MusiMax
    Musicographie - Documentary - MusiMax
    Révolution - Documentary - MusiMax

    Célibataire cherche (bilingual) - Animated series - TELETOON (50% shared
    property)
    Jimmy l'intrépide (bilingual) - Animated series - TELETOON (50% shared
    property)
    Défis extremes: Action (bilingual) - Animated series - TELETOON (50%
    shared property)
    Meta Jets (bilingual) - Animated series - TELETOON (50% shared property)

    Investments in Canadian content at Astral Media are managed by each
individual property. Television channels that make these investments annually
are: The Movie Network, HBO Canada, Mpix, Super Ecran, Cinépop, Family,
Playhouse Disney, Canal Vie, Canal D, VRAK.TV, Historia, Séries+, Ztélé,
MusiquePlus, MusiMax, TELETOON as well as The Harold Greenberg Fund and Le
Fond Harold Greenberg.

    About Astral Media

    Astral Media is a leading Canadian media company, active in specialty and
pay television, radio, outdoor advertising and interactive media. 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. For more information, please visit www.astralmedia.com.

For further information: Rachel Yates, Director, Corporate and
Institutional Communications, Astral Media Inc., (514) 939-5000, extension
3077