Corus Entertainment partners with FMQB to syndicate radio content in the
United States

    
    ExploreMusic, The Ongoing History of New Music and Legends of Classic
    Rock Now Airing in the U.S.
    

TORONTO , Sept. 28 /CNW/ - Corus Entertainment, a market leader in radio and specialty television, today announced a partnership with FMQB Productions, the production arm of Friday Morning Quarterback (FMQB), a daily news source and premiere destination for music and radio industry professionals, which will see Corus Radio's syndicated content distributed to radio affiliates across the U.S.

Under the ExploreMusic banner, U.S. stations will now feature Alan Cross ' The Ongoing History of New Music and the ExploreMusic radio program as well as Jeff Woods ' Legends of Classic Rock. Enthusiasm for the programs was met quickly with WEDG/Buffalo and WRZX/Indianapolis signing on as the first American affiliates to carry Corus Radio's flagship programs.

"Given today's reality where listeners have access to an unprecedented amount of music, the role of trusted experts that can provide perspective, context and recommendation has never been more vital," said David Huszar , Vice President and General Manager, Corus Interactive and Integrated Solutions. "Both Alan and Jeff are consummate storytellers who have built a huge fan base in Canada and we're looking forward to introducing American audiences to this great Canadian programming through FMQB."

"This partnership with Corus marks a natural progression in the growth of FMQB Productions as a provider of syndicated content to radio stations across America and the world," said Michael Parrish , Vice President, Operations, FMQB. "We look forward to introducing American radio to the intelligence and passion for music that both Alan Cross and Jeff Woods bring to their programs."

Hosted by Alan Cross , the ExploreMusic radio program is a 30-minute show that runs weekdays on rock stations across Canada . Every show offers exclusive content interviews with rock's biggest stars, profiles of cool emerging artists, the very latest music news, insider information, daily music recommendations, concert reviews, opinion, technology news and more.

Alan Cross is one of Canada's most respected rock journalists. His acclaimed weekly rock documentary program, The Ongoing History of New Music, debuted in February 1993 and since then there have been over 600 one-hour episodes (all researched, written and produced by Alan) making it the longest-running music documentary in Canada and one of the longest in North America , if not the world. The show is now heard on over a dozen stations across Canada and has spun off four books (all written by Alan) which have worldwide sales of over 30,000 copies, not to mention almost 20 different compilation CDs (including four official Ongoing History discs).

"We're thrilled to be among the first to air The Ongoing History of New Music and introduce Alan and the show to Edge listeners in Buffalo," said Jim Kurdziel , Program Director, WEDG, Buffalo. "Few radio programs have the ability to consistently engage audiences the way Alan does with his show."

Legends of Classic Rock debuted in 2001 on radio station Classic Rock Q107 in Toronto providing listeners the colour, content and context for the greatest music over the past 40 years. Host Jeff Woods has given classic rock fans the stories behind the music that defined a generation. More than 270 different one-hour episodes have been produced, making it the premiere classic rock documentary produced in Canada . Legends of Classic Rock is syndicated on virtually every major classic rock station and website in Canada .

About Corus Entertainment Inc.

Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian-based media and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in specialty television and radio with additional assets in pay television, advertising services, television broadcasting, children's book publishing and children's animation. The company's multimedia entertainment brands include YTV, Treehouse, W Network, CosmoTV, VIVA, Movie Central, HBO Canada , Nelvana, Kids Can Press and radio stations including CKNW, CKOI and Q107. Corus creates engaging branded entertainment experiences for its audiences across multiple platforms. A publicly traded company, Corus is listed on the Toronto (CJR.B) and New York (CJR) exchanges. Experience Corus on the web at www.corusent.com.

About FMQB

For over four decades FMQB (Friday Morning Quarterback) has flourished at a high level in the competitive radio and music industries and is consistently recognized as a leader and innovator in its field. Today's FMQB is a multi-media marketing, publishing and production company, integrating its dynamic new media and electronic services, industry-leading website and nationally syndicated radio specials with its core publication business, maintaining its trendsetting role in the ever-changing business in which it thrives. For the full experience visit FMQB online at www.fmqb.com.

For further information: Magda Krpan, Communications Manager, [phone], [email protected]; Judy Swank, Radio Client Relations, [phone], [email protected]