Statement by Astral Radio following the airing of short excerpts of a conversation with Richard Henry Bain

MONTREAL, Sept. 20, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - On Wednesday, September 19^th, Richard Henry Bain, the alleged gunman in the September 4^th Metropolis shooting, contacted the Astral Radio newsroom in Montréal, which provides news services to NRJ 94.3, 107.3 Rouge fm, CJAD 800 AM, Virgin Radio 96, and CHOM 97 7. Deemed of public interest, brief excerpts of the conversation between Bain and an Astral Radio reporter were aired on CJAD 800 AM in Montréal, on the NRJ and Rouge fm networks across Québec, and relayed to the stations' respective websites.

Of note, Richard Bain managed without apparent difficulty to contact the newsroom from the infirmary of the Detention Center in Rivière-des-Prairies, where he is presently held. And so, the timing of the broadcast was in no way deliberately chosen by the newsroom. To that effect, Astral Radio insists on the entirely apolitical nature of this news report, which had more to do with a well-thought-out and rigorous journalistic approach.

For ethical reasons, it was decided, that only brief excerpts of the 38-minute conversation with Richard Henry Bain would be broadcast so as not to provide a platform for his opinions.

As a news reference in Montréal and across Québec, Astral Radio vigorously condemns the acts which occurred on September 4, 2012, and conveys its sincere condolences to the families of the victims.

Astral Radio is a member of the Astral family. Founded in 1961, Astral is one of Canada's largest media companies. It operates several media properties—pay and specialty television, radio, out-of-home advertising and digital media properties—among the most popular in the country. Astral plays a central role in community life across the country by offering diverse, rich and vibrant programming that meets the tastes and needs of consumers and advertisers alike. To learn more about Astral, go to astral.com.

SOURCE: ASTRAL MEDIA RADIO INC

Chloé Boissonnault
Senior Director, Marketing Communications
Astral Radio 514 529-3212
[email protected]