Astral Leverages its Digital Network to Communicate AMBER Alerts

Digital Network™ provides fast response capability to law enforcement officials across Canada

TORONTO, Nov. 24 /CNW Telbec/ - Astral Out-of-Home, one of Canada's leading out-of-home advertising companies, is pleased to announce partnerships with provincial law enforcement agencies to extend AMBER Alert announcements to all of Astral's 32 Digital Network™ signs in Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver. 

The Astral Out-of-Home AMBER Alert Program will enable local authorities to engage the public in a fast response effort to identify and locate abducted children and protect them from harm.  In the event of an AMBER Alert, the display of regular ads will be interrupted to allow the urgent message to appear exclusively. Messages will be posted instantly across Astral's Digital Network also updated regularly from its national control centre as the situation evolves.

"Maintaining close ties with communities across Canada is at the heart of our management philosophy and our employees' values," said Luc Sabbatini, President, Astral Out-of-Home.  "As responsible citizens we have an extraordinary ability to help the AMBER Alert Program raise awareness, at times when our communities need us the most."

The AMBER Alert program, already in place across Astral's specialty television and radio stations across Canada, represents a successful partnership of provincial law enforcement agencies, the private sector and the public to help safeguard Canada's children. 

Key Facts:

• The AMBER Alert Partnership Agreements are with:
• The Ontario Provincial Police (Toronto); 
• The Québec Ministry of Transportation (Montréal);
• The RCMP (Vancouver)
• Astral Digital Network offers 23 locations currently; 32 locations by January 2011
• In the event of an AMBER Alert, the display of regular ads will be interrupted to allow the urgent message to be posted instantly
• The combined reach of the Montréal, Toronto & Vancouver network will exceed two million people
• Eight out of 10 highway travelers noticed Astral Out-of-Home's Digital Network; 97% of people who noted the presence of digital panels admitted to looking at them when they pass by (according to Ipsos-Reid)

Get pictures of AMBER alerts on Astral's website at: www.astral.com

Astral Out-of-Home is one of Canada's leading out-of-home advertising companies. With an unparalleled outdoor network, we offer customers close to 8,000 strategically placed advertising faces in Québec's, Ontario's and British Columbia's key markets. With a strong commitment to environmental protection, the company has also embarked on a series of green and clean initiatives in order to minimize the impact of its products on our environment. For more information about Astral Out-of-Home, please visit astraloutofhome.com.

Astral is a leading Canadian media company, active in specialty and pay television, radio, outdoor advertising and interactive media. Astral'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 astral.com.

For further information:

Media contact :

Hugues Mousseau
Manager, Corporate Communications
Astral Media Inc.
514 939-5000
[email protected]