CARAS Announces Saskatoon, Saskatchewan As Host City For 2007 JUNO Awards

SASKATOON, December 1, 2005- The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), along with broadcast partner CTV, today announced that The 2007 JUNO Awards will be hosted by the Province of Saskatchewan for the first time ever. Saskatoon will be the primary site for many of the events taking place over the course of the three-day music industry celebration weekend, March 30 – April 1, 2007. "We’re thrilled to bring Canada's largest annual celebration of music to the heartland of the country,” said Melanie Berry, President of CARAS to a packed crowd at a press conference held here today. “We anticipate the spotlight will be shining brightly on the vibrant Saskatchewan artistic community in 2007.” Berry said selecting a host city for Canada’s largest-scale entertainment extravaganza is a complex proposition. With the continued expansion and growing audience appeal of the numerous activities now associated with The JUNO Awards, many different elements must be considered. "As we’ve moved The JUNO Awards across the country we’ve expanded many of the events and added new ones,” said Berry. “The JUNO Awards have become much more than an awards show attracting industry and international attention. The fans in each city truly connect with both the artists and the music -- and the demand grows stronger every year.” Known as one of the sunniest spots in Canada, Saskatoon is the largest city in Saskatchewan and was founded on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River in 1882. A city of breathtaking beauty, Saskatoon is known as the “Paris of the Prairies.” “The City of Saskatoon is extremely excited to be hosting Canada’s top musical talent,” Saskatoon Mayor Donald Atchison said. “I can guarantee that the passion, enthusiasm, and hospitality of the citizens of Saskatoon will make The 2007 JUNO Awards the best ever.”

“Saskatchewan has long been regarded as home to a vibrant artistic and cultural community, so we are thrilled that Saskatchewan will have the opportunity to host Canada’s premier music awards show,” said the Honourable Lorne Calvert, Premier of Saskatchewan. “The JUNO Awards are a major tourist draw, which will be good for Saskatchewan both economically and for our cultural industries.” The highlight of the three-day celebration will be The 2007 JUNO Awards broadcast on CTV, scheduled for Sunday, April 1, 2007. “Since 2002, CTV’s goal in showcasing The JUNO Awards has been to let viewers at home experience the energy of the live musical spectacle unique to each host city year after year,” said Susanne Boyce, CTV’s President of Programming and Chair of the CTV Media Group. “We know that Saskatoon will deliver a party on the Prairies, so we’ll make sure that The 2007 JUNO Awards broadcast captures the same Saskatchewan spirit in a way that Canadians everywhere can share in the excitement.” In April 2005, 1.34 million viewers watched The 2005 JUNO Awards from Winnipeg on CTV. In all, more than 5.7 million Canadians tuned in to watch some part of the show – an increase of almost half a million viewers compared to the 2004 broadcast - making it once again the most-watched Canadian awards telecast. CTV began broadcasting The JUNO Awards in 2002 when it telecast the Awards from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, before taking it to Ottawa (2003), Edmonton (2004) and Winnipeg this year. CTV will broadcast The 2006 JUNO Awards from Halifax on April 2, 2006. In 2007, as in the previous five years, CTV will utilize its entire slate of cross-promotional resources to support the broadcast, including a glittering red carpet pre-show. CTV also confirmed today that it plans to present The 2007 JUNO Awards in High Definition and 5.1 Surround Sound. Sponsors to date for the 2007 JUNO Awards include FACTOR, Canada’s private radio broadcasters and the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s “Canada Music Fund”, the Province of Saskatchewan, the City of Saskatoon and SaskTel. For more information on the JUNO Awards, visit the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences’ (CARAS) website at www.junoawards.ca.

About CARAS: The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/L'academie canadienne des arts et des sciences de l'enregistrement (CARAS) is a not-for-profit organization created to preserve and enhance the Canadian music and recording industries and to contribute toward higher artistic and industry standards. The main focus of CARAS is the exploration and development of opportunities to showcase and promote Canadian artists and music through television vehicles such as the JUNO Awards. For more information on the Juno Awards, visit the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) Web site at www.junoawards.ca. The 2006 Juno Awards will air on CTV, on Sunday, April 2, 2006. About CTV: CTV, Canada’s largest private broadcaster, offers a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming. It boasts the number-one national newscast, CTV National News With Lloyd Robertson, and is the number-one choice for prime-time viewing. CTV owns 21 conventional television stations across Canada and has interests in 14 specialty channels, including the number-one Canadian specialty channel, TSN. CTV is owned by Bell Globemedia, Canada’s premier multi-media company. More information about CTV may be found on the company Web site at www.ctv.ca.