CanWest's Global Television Network Unveils Globaltv.Com.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 13, 1999--

(TSE:CGS.A.) (WINNIPEG STOCK EXCHANGE:CGS.A.) (TSE:CGS.S.) (WINNIPEG STOCK EXCHANGE:CGS.S.) (NYSE:CWG)

Site for Toronto and Ottawa part of North American 

network of television web sites

CanWest Global Communications Corp., Canada's leading international diversified media company announced the launch of Globaltv.com and the beginning of a national roll out of local news and information web sites for Canada's online community. Globaltv.com is the product of a joint venture between The Global Television Network and Internet Broadcasting Systems (IBS). CanWest Global Communications Corp. holds a 20% equity interest in IBS along with American media companies, Hearst Argyle and The Washington Post Company.

"The launch of Globaltv.com truly vaults us into a leading position among Canadian media companies on the web," said Jim Sward, Global Television's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Globaltv.com is the start of a multi-media, cross platform presence for Global and will provide us with the ability to cross promote our content, our web sites, our specialty channels and our television network."

The Toronto and Ottawa Globaltv.com sites are the first of several that will be rolled out across Canada during 2000. Sites corresponding and supporting Global Television operations in Quebec, Atlantic Canada, the prairies and the west coast, will be added through the year. They will become part of a network of over 40 local TV websites operated by IBS through its partnership with CanWest, Hearst-Argyle and The Washington Post Company.

Globaltv.com provides online users in the Toronto and Ottawa regions with an extensive menu of news, sports and information services. Users in Toronto can find traffic reports and updates enhanced with live shots of Toronto's main arteries and users in Ottawa can, for example, find out the latest about the bid to keep the Senators, the hockey team that is, in place. Local news, sports, weather and opportunities for viewers to speak out, are all included in Globaltv.com.

The Globaltv.com platforms are designed by IBS and are fashioned after successful television web sites that IBS has been operating in the US for up to five years. "The sites are designed to give the user the most useful information about their city as possible, to provide support and cross promotional opportunities with the main television network and generate revenues for Global. At the end of the day, we want to provide our web site users with a valuable experience that augments the value they get from our television operations," said Gary Maavara, Vice President and General Manager of New Media at Global Television. Maavara added that IBS designed sites in the US have become some of the most popular in the markets they are operating and have turned a profit after only a couple of years of operation of each site.

"We expect to match the performance of the US based IBS sites, some of which are among the most popular web sites in their respective markets," added Sward. "We are confident these sites will achieve the same type of popularity and revenue generating ability that the earlier sites have."

CanWest Global Communications Corp. is an international media company. CanWest owns, operates and/or holds substantial interests in conventional television and specialty cable channels in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The Company's program production and distribution division and its new media division, operate in several countries throughout the world.