CTV's ETALK is Once Again Canada's Undisputed Small-Screen Destination for the Toronto International Film Festival®

- On every carpet, speaking to every major star throughout TIFF, ETALK is the Canadian ratings leader for Festival coverage nine straight years -
- For the first time, ETALK is #1 during TIFF among total viewers across all key adult, female, and male demos, with double-digit advantages in all key demos over ET CANADA and ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT -

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TORONTO, Sept. 18, 2013 /CNW/ - Canada's #1 entertainment series is also Canada's undisputed #1 source for news about the Toronto International Film Festival^®, new data from BBM Canada confirms today. For nine straight years, Canadian viewers have once again chosen CTV's ETALK as their #1 Canadian destination for exclusive all-access coverage of TIFF 2013. All in all, nearly 6 million viewers watched ETALK coverage during the course of the Festival on CTV.

The ratings leader throughout TIFF since 2005, audience data confirms ETALK as the foremost Canadian entertainment news source for the Festival. For the first time ever, ETALK was not only #1 among total viewers during TIFF, but also won across all key adult, female, and male demos - leading with double-digit advantages over its competitors ET CANADA and ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT. Averaging 557,000 total viewers, ETALK grew 3% year-over-year, compared to its head-to-head competitor ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, which dropped 6% this year to 451,000 viewers.

ETALK's 2013 Festival coverage at a glance:

• Among total viewers and all key demos, ETALK kicked off its 12^th season with an average of 557,000 total viewers, giving the program double-digit advantages over ET CANADA (370,000) and ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT (451,000).
• ETALK delivered its highest, single-day 2013 TIFF audience on Sept. 13 with a total audience of 618,000 viewers.
• Winning every night of the Festival against ET CANADA, ETALK delivered 51% more total viewers and outperformed in all the key advertising demos: A18-34 (+12%), A18-49 (+51%), and A25-54 (+60%).
• Head to head at 7 p.m. ET/PT against ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, ETALK delivered 23% more total viewers and outperformed in all key demos: A18-34 (+21%), A18-49 (+23%), and A25-54 (+29%)
• In Canada's largest television market and in TIFF's hometown, ETALK delivered twice as many viewers as ET CANADA on average during the 11-day festival.

**Media Note** Photography for ETALK is available online at BellMediaPR.ca

As the official media sponsor of the Roy Thomson Hall gala red carpets, ETALK produced 20 live red carpet shows during TIFF, delivering interviews with mega-stars in attendance to viewers across Canada and film-goers inside the theatre. The red carpet shows were also streamed online at etalk.ca.

Backed by the largest and most-trusted entertainment newsroom in Canada, ETALK anchors Ben Mulroney and Tanya Kim, along with Danielle McGimsie, Lainey, Traci Melchor, Devon Soltendieck, and Jessi Cruickshank, reported from various celebrity hotspots across Toronto. ETALK provided viewers with unprecedented access to the world's biggest stars including Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston, Adrien Brody, Emily Hampshire, Catherine O'Hara, and more. In addition to delivering Canadian exclusive sit-down interviews with Sandra Bullock and Michael C. Hall, ETALK also captured one-on-one interviews with Dakota Fanning, Jesse Eisenberg, Daniel Radcliffe, and Oscar^® Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon in the ETALK Grey Goose interview lounge and gifting suite at the InterContinental Toronto Centre Hotel.

ETALK also lead social media this year by joining forces with Twitter Canada and its Twitter Mirror, which saw photo tweets from the likes of Anton Yelchin, Meg Tilly, Liane Balaban, Jennifer Podemski, Susan Sarandon, Michael C. Hall, Daniel Radcliffe, and more, directly from the ETALK Grey Goose Lounge. Meanwhile, stars such as Margaret Atwood helped themselves to one of the 10,000 cones distributed from the ETALK-branded ice cream truck that roamed the streets of Toronto during TIFF. Plus, news of Jessi Cruickshank's red carpet gift to Kristen Wiig of a 40^th birthday cupcake travelled across the pond, making its way into UK's Daily Mail newspaper.

ETALK airs weeknights at 7 p.m. ET on CTV, 7:30 p.m. ET on CTV Two, and 6 p.m. ET on E! (visit CTV.ca and eonline.ca to confirm local broadcast times). Viewers can also catch up on highlights of ETALK following the television broadcast on CTV.ca and the CTV App.

Red carpet coverage doesn't stop for ETALK, as the team gets set to deliver exclusive coverage of THE 65^th PRIMETIME EMMY^® AWARDS with Danielle McGimsie reporting from the red carpet and backstage in ETALK's exclusive Canadian interview lounge. Plus, Jessi Cruickshank delivers all the party highlights from the annual HBO Bash. ETALK's in-depth EMMY coverage airs Monday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

To view ETALK's Season 12 promo CLICK HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Twitter:
@BellMediaPR
@CTV_PR
@CTV_Television

@etalkCTV
Ben Mulroney - @BenMulroney
Tanya Kim - @Tanya_Kim
Danielle McGimsie - @MissDMcG
Lainey - @LaineyGossip
Traci Melchor - @stayfabulous
Devon Soltendieck - @DSoltendieck
Jessi Cruickshank - @JESSI

Facebook:
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Instagram:
@ETALKCTV

About ETALK
Hosted by Ben Mulroney and Tanya Kim, ETALK is the #1 most-watched entertainment newsmagazine in Canada. From the OSCARS^® and the EMMYs^® to the JUNO Awards, ETALK is front-and-centre, delivering up-to-the-minute news in film, television, music and more. Celebrating both home-grown talent and international stars, ETALK became Canada's first daily Canadian entertainment newsmagazine when it launched in 2002. ETALK airs weeknights at 7 p.m. ET (check local listings) on CTV, 7:30 p.m. ET on CTV Two (beginning Sept. 9), and at 6 p.m. ET on E!.

About CTV
CTV is Canada's #1 private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV has been Canada's most-watched television network for the past 12 years in a row. CTV is a division of Bell Media, Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio and digital. Bell Media is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. More information about CTV can be found on the network's website at ctv.ca.

- CTV -

Source: BBM Canada, Sept. 5-13, 2013 (7 days), based on preliminary overnight data compared to the same data in 2012 (September 6-14). Audiences prior to August 31, 2009 based on BBM Nielsen Media Research Mark II meters.

SOURCE: CTV