The Citytv New Year's Bash takes top spot as Canada's favourite countdown party

TORONTO, Jan. 3, 2012 /CNW/ - As the countdown to the new year began, Citytv was Canada's party station once again. Broadcasting live from Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square, the Citytv New Year's Bash rang-in 2012 as Canada's #1 New Year's countdown, rocking an average audience of 652,100 viewers (P2+) and drawing an astounding 5.1 million unique viewers tuning in to some or all of the broadcast.  Immediately following the Toronto event, the party continued live from Olympic Plaza in Calgary as the first-ever Citytv New Year's Bash drew an average of 422,000 viewers (P2+) and a total reach of 2.5 million viewers to ring in the new year Calgary style.

Performing to a roaring crowd of more than 40,000 fans, the Nathan Phillips Square bash featured performances by Backstreet Boy Howie D, hit singer Karl Wolf, singer/songwriter Anjulie, pop rock band Neverest, hip-hop artist JRDN, pop star Aleesia, and the cast of the highly-anticipated musical American Idiot, presented by Dancap Productions.  The event was hosted by Citytv's Gord Martineau, Tracy Moore, Dina Pugliese and Kevin Frankish.

At Olympic Plaza, hosted by Citytv personalities Ted Henley, Tara Slone, Jill Belland, and Andrew Schultz - the Calgary spectacle boasted outstanding performances by Canadian country sensation George Canyon, award-winning Canadian band Down With Webster, R&B artist Raghav, and multi-platinum selling artist Alyssa Reid.

About Citytv
Citytv™ television stations in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg offer viewers intensely-local, urban-oriented, culturally-diverse television programming. A distinct alternative to other conventional television stations, Citytv engages its viewers with dynamic on-air personalities and delivers an entertaining mix of news, local-interactive formats such as: Breakfast Television and CityLine; as well as local Canadian and US acquired prime time entertainment programming. Citytv is a part of Rogers Broadcasting Limited, a division of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX: RCI and NYSE: RCI) which is a diversified Canadian communications and media company. For more information on Citytv stations and programming, visit www.Citytv.com.

*Source: BBM Canada (Citytv Total plus OMNI Television)

Sónia Brum, Citytv, 416.764.3194, [email protected]
Michelle Lomack, Citytv, 416.764.3190, [email protected]