CANCOM -- ALLEGRO, AN ALL CANADIAN PAY MUSIC SERVICE IS AIMING FOR LAUNCH IN JANUARY 1996.

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 31, 1995--CANADIAN SATELLITE(TSE, ME: SAT ) Today, CWP Partnership, a new Canadian consortium, has filed an application with the CRTC for a licence to operate Allegro (Canada's Music Satellite/La musique par satellite du Canada) a national, multi-channel, digital, audio programming network service throughout Canada.

This service will initially provide sixteen (16) low-cost, unique and diverse signals on a wholesale, non-exclusive basis to the distribution marketplace, for delivery to the homes of consumers via all possible technologies, including cable and direct-to-home. If the application is successful, Allegro, an all-Canadian Pay Music service, should be up and running early in 1996.

The new services will offer consumers access to uninterrupted music in specialized formats, designed for Canadians of all tastes and ages, from the nursery on. Allegro will provide important new revenues for composers, authors, publishers and performers of Canadian music as well as stimulate the sale of Canadian recorded music in both English and French.

The application is submitted by the CWP Partnership, whose members comprise Canadian Satellite Communications Inc. (Cancom) which holds 40 percent of the partnership interest and is Canada's leading distributor of satellite-based broadcast signals and the leading specialist in satellite communications for business, Westcom Radio Group Ltd., (40 percent), a division of WIC Western International Communications Inc. ("Westcom") an integrated broadcast, communications and entertainment company, and Pelmorex Communications Inc. ("Pelmorex") which holds the remaining 20 percent of the partnership interest and is a company that provides customised information and entertainment content products and services to business and consumer markets.

This new consortium brings together the technology, marketing and programming skills of three very different organisations, which have joined forces to create an inventive, low-cost and attractive solution to the delivery of pure music streams to consumers.

All music streams will be Canadian produced, and all will contain fully-integrated high levels of quality Canadian content broadcast evenly throughout the day. These content levels, developed in consultation with the Canadian music industry, will be reflective of the availability of high quality Canadian music.

The average level of Canadian content within the 16 music streams will be 31.25 percent and in no case less than 15 percent for any one stream.

Allegro also provides a comprehensive and balanced service for the entire audience, including vocal music in both English and French.

Each of Allegro's music streams will offer CD-quality sound to the serious listener. They will be broadcast continuously commercial free, except for a brief message which will occur approximately once per hour to identify the service and the signal, and provide consumers with directions to our 1-800 service for further details on the music.

Allegro will be marketed wholesale to retailers who will be completely free to develop an individual price and marketing strategy, depending on local market conditions. The first declared client is Expressvu, the direct-to-home television service due to launch this fall. Allegro will also be available to cable systems across the country and to any other Direct-to- Home service which wishes to subscribe.

Allegro will be distributed via Anik E satellite, with a footprint that covers all of Canada.

CONTACT: Don Luzzi 

President, Q107/AM640 CHML\Y95

Division of Westcom Radio Group Ltd., [phone]

Internet: [e-mail]

or

Mark Simpson 

Director, Audio, Broadcast Development

Cancom, [phone]

Patricia Dumas

Director, Communications & PR

Cancom [phone] or

[phone]

Internet: [e-mail]

or

Don Shafer, Senior VP, Radio

Pelmorex Communications Inc., [phone] REPEATS: New York 212-575-8822 or 800-221-2462; Boston 617-330-5311 or