NEWSTALK 1010 - Press Release

TORONTO , Sept. 23 /CNW/ - Astral Media Inc. (TSX: ACM.A/ACM.B), Canada's largest radio broadcaster, today announced the new NEWSTALK 1010 line up, commencing October 5, 2009 .

NEWSTALK 1010, CFRB is announcing the changes to our line up as well as our name effective October 5, 2009 . While CFRB will always remain our heritage and our call letters we will now focus on who we are which is NEWSTALK 1010.

NEWSTALK 1010 is pleased to announce that John Tory has agreed to host our new "Live Drive" show from 4-7pm Monday to Friday. John brings a wealth of inside knowledge to both political and business discussions, which is what our audience wants to hear. We are excited that John has chosen to join NEWSTALK 1010, 5 days a week, and we look forward to his insight into the issues that matter to Torontonians, not only in our city but around the world.

Bill Carroll will move to the 9-1pm slot in order for us to capitalize on Bill's strongest asset, his strong opinions. In the past the morning show limited Bill's time to express himself so we wanted to give him a chance to really deliver the thought provoking perspectives that he does best, the 9-1pm daypart allows us to let Bill shine. This move also sets us up to syndicate Bill's show across Canada later in the year.

John Moore will move to the morning, 5:30- 9am , where he will help Torontonians wake up and arrive at work informed on the issues that matter, that day. John will apply his excellent interviewing skills to the newsmakers of the day, ensuring our listeners have the in-depth perspective they want. John will have a number of contributors to the show who will give their take on the issues of today including Rick Hodge on sports, former Breakfast Televisioon host Liza Fromer and Tarek Fatah on international affairs.

Jim Richards will move to the 1-3pm time slot and bring his light hearted look at the world today. He will cover current issues but with Jim's unique view. Ryan Doyle remains in our 7pm-10pm time period where he will continue to raise the listener's blood pressure with his somewhat outrageous approach to the issues that matter to him.

NEWSTALK 1010, as our station name indicates, is all about the news. We have a long history as an award winning news team and we expect our listeners will hear even more from them moving forward. Our focus will continue to be to deliver the news of the day and to help make it matter to Torontonians through effective storytelling. You will hear more from our newscasters and reporters as their stories become more intertwined with our host's content throughout the day.

NEWSTALK 1010 will continue to encourage participation from our listeners through phone, email and text. Our listeners are an important aspect of everything we do at NEWSTALK 1010 and we welcome their feedback. Our hosts will continue to engage with callers who can add texture and context to the topic at hand. The listener experience will be focused far more acutely on our informed host, our interviews and the insight of our experts than ever before. The NEWSTALK 1010 listener will be informed, entertained and inspired after listening to our station.

About Astral Media

Astral Media is a leading Canadian media company, active in specialty and pay television, radio, outdoor advertising and interactive media. Astral Media'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 about Astral Media, please visit www.astralmedia.com.

For further information: Source (Trade media): Mike Bendixen, Program Director, Astral Media Radio, [phone]; Source (Business media): Alain Bergeron, Vice President, Brand Management and Corporate Communications, Astral Media Inc., [phone]