April 7, 2008

1.45 Million Viewers Make The 2008 JUNO Awards Second Most-Watched Ever on CTV

-- Canada’s Music Awards is most-watched show in Canada Sunday night on CTV --
-- Over 4 million watch part of the broadcast as audience jumps 56% from last year --
-- Watch again on MuchMoreMusic on Thursday, April 10 and online at junos.CTV.ca --

Toronto, ON (April 7, 2008) – Last night’s broadcast of The 2008 JUNO Awards on CTV was the most-watched program of the night on Canadian television with 1.45 million viewers.* Up 56% compared to last year’s broadcast (925,000), it was the second most-watched JUNO Awards ever on CTV, according to BBM Nielsen Media Research, since Shania Twain hosted from Ottawa in 2003**. A detailed audience analysis based on preliminary overnight research indicates that:

- two-hour awards special was watched in all or in part by 4.3 million Canadians in total.
- the audience peaked at 1.7 million viewers when the legendary Anne Murray took to the stage with Sarah Brightman and Jann Arden.
- it was the most-watched program in primetime in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.
- it delivered more than double the viewers than The Trojan Horse: Part 2 on CBC (579,000).
- from 8-9 p.m., it delivered 73% more viewers than Big Brother on Global/NBC (836,000) and from 9-10 p.m. delivered 86% more viewers than Family Guy on Global (778,000).

“An incredible host, a terrific line-up, a fantastic production and enthusiastic host city all aligned to deliver one of the most memorable JUNO Awards broadcasts in years,” said Susanne Boyce, President, Creative, Content and Channels, CTV Inc.

Highlights from the broadcast are now available on demand on The CTV Broadband Network at junos.CTV.ca. As well, MuchMoreMusic presents an encore broadcast of The 2008 JUNO Awards on Thursday, April 10 at 8 p.m. ET.

CTV’s one-hour pre-show, eTalk at the JUNOS, attracted 434,000 viewers on CTV, Star! and FashionTelevision, for its red carpet arrivals special at 7 p.m. Hosted by eTalk’s Ben Mulroney, Tanya Kim and MuchMoreMusic personality Traci Melchor, the star-studded special featured presenters, performers, nominees and celebrities including Feist, Avril Lavigne, Hedley, Finger Eleven, Tom Cochrane, Blue Rodeo, Anne Murray, Jully Black and illScarlett. Mulroney, Kim and Melchor shared an impromptu red carpet dance with crooner Michael Bublé, who went on to win the JUNO Fan Choice Award before wowing the crowd with his intimate performance of “Everything.” eTalk continues their exclusive coverage of the 2008 JUNO Awards – including interviews from backstage in the exclusive eTalk Lounge - with a 30-minute wrap-up special tonight from Calgary at 7 p.m. ET on CTV.

Hosted by comic sensation Russell Peters from Calgary’s Pengrowth Saddledome, The 2008 JUNO Awards saw indie darling Leslie Feist take home a total of five JUNO awards, three of which – Single of the Year, Pop Album of the Year and Album of the Year – were delivered to her during the CTV broadcast.

Peters proved to be an edgy and hilarious host, sharing laughs – and wardrobe tips – with Calgary’s own Jann Arden, dancing with Jully Black during Black’s closing number, “Seven Day Fool” and making four wardrobe changes.

Seven awards were handed out over the course of the broadcast. In addition to Feist taking home three trophies, Michael Bublé was the JUNO Fan Choice Award winner (presented by Doritos), Blue Rodeo captured Group of the Year, Paul Brandt won for Country Recording of the Year, and Wintersleep was named New Group of the Year (sponsored by FACTOR and Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters). Veteran Canadian rock act Triumph was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. A complete list of winners can be found at www.junoawards.ca or www.junos.CTV.ca.

Performance-wise, Alberta’s favourite sons – Aaron Lines, Gord Bramford, Johnny Reid, Paul Brandt and Shane Yellowbird – paid tribute to Calgary and the JUNO host province with “Alberta Bound.” Avril Lavigne, Finger Eleven and Hedley all rocked out, while Measha Brueggergosmon paid tribute to the late Oscar Peterson and Bublé got intimate by crooning “Everything” to the crowd. Musical legend Anne Murray appeared in a special duet with Jann Arden, singing “Somebody’s Always Saying Goodbye,” before Murray teamed with Sarah Brightman for a sentimental version of Murray’s “Snowbird.”

The 2008 JUNO Awards was supported by a comprehensive multi-platform campaign involving on-air, radio, outdoor and online promotions; on-air promos featured numerous JUNO performers and nominees including Anne Murray (with Jann Arden & Sarah Brightman), Avril Lavigne, Feist, Finger Eleven, Hedley, Jully Black and Michael Bublé in eight, distinct 30-second spots on CTV and across CTV Inc. channels; outdoor transit shelter billboards, LRT station posters and LRT train decals in Calgary; 30-second radio ads in Calgary and Toronto; and custom online promotions running across the CTV family of websites, plus on external sites for additional exposure.

The 2009 JUNO Awards, Canada’s Music Awards, will air on CTV on March 29, 2009 from Vancouver, British Columbia. It will be the eighth year in a row that The JUNO Awards will air on CTV, the official broadcast partner of the JUNO Awards. Since 2002, CTV has presented The JUNO Awards from across Canada, bringing a local, electrifying stadium show to millions of Canadian viewers at home.

The 2008 JUNO Awards is produced by Insight Productions in association with CTV and the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). Executive producers are John Brunton and Barbara Bowlby for Insight Productions and Melanie Berry and Stephen Stohn for CARAS. Louise Wood is Producer and Donna Luke is Line Producer. Rob Farina is Vice-President of Programming for CHUM Radio. Ed Robinson is Executive Vice-President, Programming, CTV. Susanne Boyce is President, Creative, Content and Channels, CTV Inc.

Broadcast sponsors for The 2008 JUNO Awards are Pontiac, Doritos, TD Canada Trust and Rogers.

CTV, Canada's largest private broadcaster, offers a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming. It has the number-one national newscast, CTV National News With Lloyd Robertson, and is the number-one choice for prime-time viewing. Bell Media Inc. is Canada's premier multi-media company which owns CTV Inc. and The Globe and Mail. CTV Inc. also owns radio stations across the country, and leading national specialty channels. Other Bell Media investments include an interest in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, and in Dome Productions, a North American leader in the provision of mobile high definition production facilities. More information about CTV may be found on the company website at www.ctv.ca.

Source: Preliminary overnight data, CTV Full, Global Full and CBC Full (BBM Nielsen Media Research).

*Total audience comprised of 1.381 million viewers for national broadcast (including 6 p.m. Calgary broadcast) and 64,000 additional viewers for Calgary encore broadcast at 8 p.m.

**The 2003 JUNO Awards attracted an audience of 2.18 million viewers.

- CTV -

For more information:
Jim Quan, CTV, 416.332.5311 or jquan@ctv.ca

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