NEWS RELEASE TRANSMITTED BY CANADIAN CORPORATE NEWS



FOR:  ALLIANCE ATLANTIS COMMUNICATIONS INC.

TSE SYMBOL:  AAC.A AAC.B
NASDAQ SYMBOL:  AACB

JANUARY 19, 2000

LES CHAINES TELE ASTRAL AND ALLIANCE ATLANTIS PRESENT A
NEW FRENCH LANGUAGE SPECIALTY CHANNEL

MONTREAL, QUEBEC and TORONTO, ONTARIO-- 

* SÉRIES+ launches January 31 at 6 p.m. ET 

Les Chaînes Télé Astral and ALLIANCE ATLANTIS are set to launch 
SÉRIES+, the new French-language specialty channel on January 31 
at 6 p.m. ET. The channel will offer the best drama from around 
the world to French-speaking Canadian audiences.  

"With distinctive, high-quality programming, SÉRIES+ will enhance 
Canadian production and strengthen the industry year after year," 
says Pierre Roy, President of Les Chaînes Télé Astral. "On SÉRIES+
you will see the very best series, mini-series, TV movies and 
full-length feature films. These Australian, German, French, UK 
and American programs will all have their French-language 
television premieres in Canada."  

"Based on the popularity of Showcase, which ranks in the top four 
Canadian English specialty channels, we are confident SÉRIES+ will
be a success," says ALLIANCE ATLANTIS BROADCASTING President 
Phyllis Yaffe.* 

SÉRIES+ will be available to more than 1.8 million Quebec cable 
homes and nationally by satellite from Star Choice and ExpressVu. 
The channel will offer more than 1200 hours of drama programming 
per year (25 per cent Canadian and 75 per cent non-Canadian, 
including up to 20 per cent American).  

Les Chaînes Télé Astral and ALLIANCE ATLANTIS are equal partners 
in SÉRIES+. Operations for SÉRIES+ will be headquartered in 
Montreal and run by managing partner Les Chaînes Télé Astral. 

Les Chaînes Télé Astral is a subsidiary of Astral Communications 
Inc., a leading Canadian media company whose core areas of growth 
are in specialty, pay and pay-per-view television, radio, outdoor 
advertising and new media.  

ALLIANCE ATLANTIS COMMUNICATIONS INC. is a leading creator, 
producer, distributor and broadcaster of filmed entertainment with
significant ownership interests in seven Canadian specialty 
television networks: Showcase, Life Network, History Television, 
HGTV (Home & Garden Television) Canada, Headline Sports, Historia 
and Séries+. The Company's principal business activities are 
conducted through three operating groups: Television, Motion 
Pictures and Broadcasting. Headquartered in Toronto, ALLIANCE 
ATLANTIS operates offices in Los Angeles, Montreal, Vancouver, 
London, Sydney, and Shannon. The Company's common shares are 
listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange - trading symbols AAC.A, 
AAC.B and on NASDAQ - trading symbol AACB. The Company's website 
is www.allianceatlantis.com. 

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