Mr. Chris Gordon reports

THE JIM PATTISON BROADCAST GROUP ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF THREE FM RADIO STATIONS FROM BELL MEDIA AND ASTRAL

Jim Pattison Broadcast Group LP will acquire three key FM radio stations located in Calgary and Winnipeg from BCE Inc.'s Bell Media and Astral Media Inc.

Subject to regulatory approvals, Pattison will purchase the following two Bell Media stations and one Astral station.

Bell Media:

KooL FM 101.5 (CKCE-FM):  Hot adult contemporary format in Calgary

FAB 94.3 (CHIQ-FM)  Classic pop format in Winnipeg

Astral:

QX 104 (CFQX-FM)  Country format in Winnipeg

Rick Arnish, chairman of Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, stated, "This is a very important acquisition for our broadcast group, and, with the approval of this transaction from the [Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission], we will expand our presence in the major markets of Calgary and Winnipeg, which we have been focusing on for some time."

Mr. Arnish went on to say: "With the pending launch of our newest station CHPK-FM (95.3 The Peak) in Calgary, combining forces with KooL FM (Today and Back in the Day) and its great team, will allow our group to have a very strong competitive FM radio combo in Alberta's fastest-growing city. We're also very excited about the opportunity to expand in Western Canada and specifically into the Winnipeg radio market with two separate stations, QX 104 (Today's Country) and FAB 94.3 (Super Hits of the 60s and 70s). We are really looking forward to working with and learning from the superb teams at these separate Winnipeg operations as we expand into a new marketplace for our group."

Rod Schween, president of Pattison Broadcasting, said: "We're just delighted that we are being given this opportunity to expand our radio reach in Western Canada, and the addition of these three exciting stations will definitely strengthen our group and our resources in [British Columbia], Alberta and now in Manitoba. We look forward to building on the legacies created by both Bell Media and Astral. Our history has been built on acquisitions and new licences, as we are great believers in the future of radio, and this purchase is part of our strategic plan to grow and expand in the West."

Pattison's acquisition of these radio stations is a result of the proposed transaction to unite Astral and Bell Media. Astral and Bell are divesting certain radio stations to comply with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's Common Ownership Policy, which limits the number of stations a company can own in a single market.

The Pattison transaction is subject to approval from the CRTC, for which an application will be submitted shortly, and contingent on CRTC approval of the Astral-Bell Media transaction.

"While a necessary outcome of our plan to join with Astral, the decision to sell these stations wasn't easy," said Chris Gordon, president, radio and local TV, Bell Media. "Each is a strong performer in its respective market, and they will undoubtedly strengthen Pattison's growing portfolio of media assets."

"Parting with a valued station is difficult, but we trust that the QX 104 team and the Pattison Group will both benefit from this acquisition and help make the Canadian radio industry more vibrant than ever," said Ian Lurie, chief operating officer, Astral Radio.

About Jim Pattison Broadcast Group

The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, with its headquarters in Kamloops, B.C., is the industry's largest private, Western-based broadcast group, currently operating 30 FM radio stations, as well as three conventional television stations, in British Columbia and Alberta. Pattison Broadcasting is a proud division of the Jim Pattison Group, a diversified group of operating businesses, based in Vancouver, which has grown to become the second-largest privately held company in Canada. Please visit the Jim Pattison and JP Broadcast websites for more information.