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Rogers OMNI Television Launches Nationwide Cross-Cultural Fundraiser In Partnership With Fellow Rogers' Broadcasters Citytv, channel m and 680 News - Asian Disaster Relief Appeal

Campaign Runs: Friday, May 30th at 7:00 a.m. to Monday, June 2nd at
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                             12 Midnight (ET & PT)
                             ---------------------TORONTO, May 30 /CNW/ - Rogers OMNI Television today announced they have
teamed with fellow broadcasters in the Rogers family - key properties such as
Citytv; channel m; 680 News and other Rogers' news radio stations - to raise
funds urgently needed for China Quake and Myanmar Cyclone victims. The
collective fundraising initiative, known as Asian Disaster Relief Appeal, will
be run in partnership with the Disaster Relief Action Group (DRAG) and further
solidify outreach efforts and encourage support from a diversity of
communities.
    "OMNI is proud to participate in this unified relief effort and
unhesitatingly offers its assistance," says Madeline Ziniak, National Vice
President of Rogers OMNI Television. "Our Asian Disaster Relief Appeal, while
not a 'telethon' in the traditional sense, will nonetheless galvanize
ethnocultural communities across the country, many of whom have been
personally affected by these twin tragedies, to contribute to the cause with
whatever level of donation fits their comfort zone - a nickel or a dime here
and there really adds up!"
    In conjunction with a toll-free hotline - 1-866-660-6078 - set-up to
receive pledges, Asian Disaster Relief Appeal will reach out to over 40
multilingual/multicultural audiences via regularly scheduled programming on
OMNI.1 and OMNI.2 from Friday, May 30th at 7:00 a.m. until Monday, June 2nd at
12 midnight.
    "Members of the Chinese community are happy to see so many sixes in our
donation hotline; the number six means unlimited, continuous and keeps on
coming - which reflects the heart of Canadians to share their blessings," says
Dr. Joseph K. Wong, Chair of DRAG. "We are confident the extraordinary efforts
of DRAG volunteers and organizers, combined with the assistance of UNICEF and
the Canadian Red Cross, and generous support from Rogers OMNI Television and
its affiliates will help this campaign realize the unlimited, continuous flow
- of cash, we trust - foretold by the number six. Thank you to everyone for
your contributions."
    Special programming exclusively devoted to Asian Disaster Relief Appeal
will air Sunday, June 1st on OMNI.2: in Cantonese from 9:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
(ET) and in Mandarin from 9:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (ET), with an encore
presentation of both language versions on Monday, June 2nd - Cantonese at
10:00 a.m. and Mandarin at 10:30 a.m.Rounding out Rogers' participation in Asian Disaster Relief Appeal:

    -   Citytv will air 30 second promos in all markets providing viewers
        direction on how to make a contribution via the toll-free hotline. In
        addition, viewers can tune into Breakfast Television and CityNews
        programs across Canada for more information.
    -   Viewers in channel m's coverage area will also see Asian Disaster
        Relief Appeal on Sunday, June 1st, in Cantonese from 9:00 p.m. to
        9:30 p.m. and in Mandarin from 9:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (PT).
    -   Stories specifically related to disaster relief efforts in China and
        Myanmar (such as background information, updates and interviews from
        site, and how to specify where your donation will be used) will be
        featured this weekend on Greek, Polish, Portuguese and Ukrainian
        language programming on OMNI.1, and on Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi and
        Tamil language programming on OMNI.2.
    -   All five language editions of OMNI News - Cantonese, Italian
        Mandarin, Portuguese and South Asian will devote time to Asian
        Disaster Relief Appeal and these programs will all be posted online
        @ www.omnitv.ca/ontario shortly after broadcast.
    -   Tune into 680News all weekend long for regular updates or visit
        www.680news.com for more information on how you can make a
        contribution via the toll-free hotline.For further details on how Citytv stations, 680News and other Rogers
Broadcasters across the country will be participating in Asian Disaster Relief
Appeal, viewers are invited to consult the stations' respective websites.

    Rogers Media Inc., a division of Rogers Communications Inc., (TSX: RCI;
NYSE: RCI), operates Rogers Broadcasting and Rogers Publishing. Rogers
Broadcasting has 52 AM and FM radio stations across Canada. Television
properties include 5 Citytv stations as well as the OMNI multicultural
television stations. Rogers Sportsnet, Canada's live event leader, offers
viewers four channels and Sportsnet HD and the Shopping Channel is a televised
and Internet shopping service. Rogers Publishing produces many well-known
consumer magazines such as Maclean's, Chatelaine, Flare, L'actualité and
Canadian Business, and is the leading publisher of a number of industry,
medical and financial publications. All media properties are integrated with
their own popular web sites. Rogers Media also owns The Toronto Blue Jays
Baseball Club and Rogers Centre, a year-round sports and entertainment
facility.

    About Disaster Relief Action Group (DRAG)

    Disaster Relief Action Group brings together many key organizers and
volunteers from the 2004-2005 Asian Tsunami Relief Campaign; community group
members of DRAG include Burma Cyclone Relief Committee; Canada Sichuan
Disaster Relief Committee and Chinese Canadian National Council.