MONTREAL, April 28 /CNW Telbec/ - While its star entertainment site,
Showbizz.net, celebrates its tenth anniversary today, BRANCHEZ-VOUS! (TSX
Venture: BZV) announces that it has completed the acquisition of the
Quebec-based independent movie site LeCinema.ca.
LeCinema.ca (www.LeCinema.ca) offers to Quebec movie fans a menu of news,
reviews, photos, trailers, information about the most eagerly awaited movies,
as well as comprehensive movie listings. LeCinema.ca reaches over
120,000 movie lovers each month. Its audience is mostly composed of 18 to
44 adults who have at least completed a college degree.
"LeCinema.ca will strengthen our Showbizz.net site by giving it a new
dimension", says Patrick Pierra, CEO of BRANCHEZ-VOUS!. "Showbizz.net covers
entertainment news on a daily basis, while LeCinema.ca provides reference
information to moviegoers. We follow our strategy of developing and acquiring
specialized sites in order to form an independent news and information pole."
LeCinema.ca founding publishers, Sébastien Légaré and Stéphanie Nolin,
will continue to collaborate in developing the site. "BRANCHEZ-VOUS! already
handled advertising representation for LeCinema.ca and we are glad that this
acquisition will push the site to another level", says Sébastien Légaré, who
previously worked for Showbizz.net.
Showbizz.net entered the Quebec cultural and web scene on April 28, 1998.
Launched by the three Parent brothers - including well-known Quebec City radio
personality Gilles Parent -, it quickly established itself as the main source
in Quebec for entertainment news. For the past ten years, Showbizz.net has
been covering movies, music, TV and star news. BRANCHEZ-VOUS! acquired it on
April 1.
About BRANCHEZ-VOUS!
BRANCHEZ-VOUS! is a leading Montreal-based Internet media company, active
in Internet content and advertising.
"BRANCHEZ-VOUS! Advertising" sells Internet advertising space. It
commercializes the BRANCHEZ-VOUS! Network, the largest French-language
Internet advertising network in Canada with over 200 French-language web
sites, over 50 of which are represented on an exclusive basis; these include
CommentCaMarche.net, GlobeTrotter.net, LeDevoir.com, JeuxVideo.com and the
French version of Canada411.ca. The BRANCHEZ-VOUS! Network reaches
approximately 3 million French Canadians each month. BRANCHEZ-VOUS!
Advertising also represents the myTELUS.com portal in Quebec.
"BRANCHEZ-VOUS! Content" produces, publishes and commercializes
French-language Internet content. It operates BRANCHEZ-VOUS.com, the largest
independent portal in Quebec, which includes such sites as Matin.qc.ca
(general news), BRANCHEZ-VOUS! Techno (technology news), Fanatique.ca (sports)
and Showbizz.net (entertainment news).
BRANCHEZ-VOUS! is listed on the TSX Venture exchange under the symbol BZV
and has approximately 30.1 million shares outstanding. Additional information
on the Corporation can be obtained on SEDAR and at
www.branchez-vous.com/inc/english . The TSX Venture exchange has neither
approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.
For further information: Patrick Pierra, President and CEO,
BRANCHEZ-VOUS!, (514) 842-3838, ext.249; Nicholas Powell, Investor Relations
consultant, (514) 904-0084; http://www.branchez-vous.com/contacts/
