- Join Mike Duffy Nightly During the Federal Election Campaign -

    TORONTO,May 23 2004 --
Following today's Federal Election call, CTV
Newsnet announced the launch of COUNTDOWN: With Mike Duffy, a new daily
election series, beginning tonight. Backed by the full resources of CTV News,
its news bureaus and stations across the country, COUNTDOWN: With Mike Duffy
will be the program of record of the federal election campaign. Each live
broadcast, airing nightly from 8 to 9 p.m. ET, throughout the election
campaign, will provide viewers with the most comprehensive coverage of the
day's events, while acting as a national forum for debate on key issues
affecting Canadians. The first show will air tonight as the election campaign
officially begins.

    The hour-long broadcast, COUNTDOWN: With Mike Duffy, will continue to
report the day's headlines from the CTV Newsnet anchor team.

    Hosted by veteran journalist Mike Duffy, the panels will feature the top
strategists from each of the major political parties, the country's most
respected journalists, opinion makers and pollsters, celebrity guests and of
course, the people who make it all happen - the candidates.

    COUNTDOWN: With Mike Duffy will be a platform for hot discussion from all
points of the political compass, featuring debates that also reflect the
country's regional diversity. There will also be a large "interactive"
component to the show. Viewers will have the opportunity to email questions
and comments while the show is live, allowing the public a direct channel for
discussion on the show or the big political stories of the day.

    Each party leader will be invited to appear on the show and explain to
Canadians where they stand on the issues that matter most. Party leaders and
their key candidates will participate in one-on-one interviews with host Mike
Duffy and group debates.

    COUNTDOWN: With Mike Duffy is sure to spark debate throughout the
political establishment and among the people who matter most - the voters.

    CTV Newsnet is Canada's only 24-hour all-news network. Committed to
breaking news the second it happens in each Canadian community and around the
world, the network's team of award-winning reporters, producers, writers,
anchors and editors brings Canadians the news, now. CTV Newsnet draws on the
vast resources of Canada's number-one news organization, CTV News, and
strategic alliances with CNN, ABC, Reuters and Bloomberg to deliver the latest
in politics, business, entertainment, sports, and weather. CTV Newsnet is
wholly owned by CTV Inc., a division of Bell Globemedia, which also owns The
Globe and Mail.



For further information: contact Emily Young Lee, CTV Inc., (416)
332-7367, eyounglee@ctv.ca; Mike Cosentino, CTV Inc., (416)
332-5048,
mcosentino@ctv.ca