Final Data Shows Jump in Audience for THE 82nd ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS as well
as the Premieres of HICCUPS, DAN FOR MAYOR, and THE BRIDGE

TORONTO, March 22 /CNW/ - Data released last week from BBM Canada confirms an increase in the final audiences for the series premieres of CTV's newest homegrown comedies, HICCUPS and DAN FOR MAYOR, along with CTV's newest drama THE BRIDGE, as well as CTV's broadcast of THE 82nd ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS(R).

    
    HICCUPS
    -------

    -   HICCUPS delivered a final audience of 2.06 million viewers for its
        March 1 premiere, up 8% from preliminary overnight data. It's the
        largest debut for a Canadian series this season, besting the series
        premiere of BATTLE OF THE BLADES (CBC, 1.999 million)

    DAN FOR MAYOR
    -------------

    -   DAN FOR MAYOR delivered a final audience of 1.995 million viewers for
        its March 1 premiere, up 4% from preliminary overnight data.

    THE BRIDGE
    ----------

    -   THE BRIDGE delivered a final audience of 1.22 million viewers for its
        special two-hour March 5 premiere, up 23% from preliminary overnight
        data. The gritty, hour-long drama becomes the most-watched series
        premiere for a Canadian drama this season, ahead of THE REPUBLIC OF
        DOYLE (CBC, 1.009 million)

    THE 82nd ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS(R)
    ---------------------------------

    -   CTV's March 7 broadcast of THE ACADEMY AWARDS(R) delivered a final
        audience of 6.192 million viewers, up 5% from preliminary overnight
        data. THE 82nd ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS(R) becomes the top entertainment
        telecast in more than a decade, surpassing the 2004 series finale of
        FRIENDS (Global/NBC, 6.14 million).
    

CTV, Canada's Olympic Network, is also Canada's largest private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV is Canada's most-watched television network. CTV Inc. also owns radio stations across the country and owns or has interests in leading national specialty channels, featuring news, sports, factual, arts, entertainment, music, youth and fashion programming. CTV Inc. is owned by CTVglobemedia Inc. Canada's premier multi-media company, which also owns Canada's national newspaper, The Globe and Mail. CTV is the official broadcaster of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and London 2012 Games of the Olympiad. More information about CTV may be found on the network's website at www.ctv.ca.

For further information: Jim Quan, CTV Inc., [phone] or [email protected]