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Simon Jennings appointed as President of Olive Canada Network

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TORONTO, December 14, 2007 – Torstar Digital and Gesca Digital announced today the appointment of Simon Jennings as President of the highly successful Olive Canada Network (OCN) (www.olivecanadanetwork.com). The appointment reflects the exceptional growth of the business and Jennings’ crucial role in quickly establishing the firm as one of the largest online advertising companies in the country.

Jennings joined Torstar Digital as General Manager of Olive Canada Network and LiveDeal in January 2006, played the lead role in the launch of OCN in July 2006 and has been invaluable in shaping the successful development of the firm’s presence in the online advertising market. OCN has since grown from five to over 40 employees, including many of the most experienced and brightest minds in the industry.

“Simon’s contribution to the creation and growth of Olive Canada Network has been nothing short of spectacular, " said Tomer Strolight, President of Torstar Digital. “His incredible leadership and keen business sense have been instrumental in the exceptional growth and strong relationships Olive Canada Network has built with Canada's leading buyers and planners of digital advertising.”

The market for online advertising continues to grow as the population spends more time and accomplishes more of their daily routine online.  Recent data suggests that for the first time online advertising is eclipsing radio advertising.

“Simon’s strong understanding of the online space is driving new possibilities for the firm,” said Pierre Elliott Levasseur, President of Gesca Digital. “His insight into the online market and his entrepreneurship have earned Olive Canada Network a leadership role in setting the service and product standards for online advertising in Canada.”

 Over the past decade, Jennings has been a key leader in the Canadian Internet marketing and advertising industries.  Jennings joined Torstar Digital from five years at Yahoo! Canada as National Sales Director.  Prior to joining Yahoo! Canada, he spent five years at DoubleClick Canada, leading the media sales business as National Sales Director.   Jennings also developed and launched ClickThrough Interactive, Canada's first online advertising network in the early 1990s.

Jennings recently stepped down from the board of the IAB after 6 years of service, where he held the positions of Chairman (2003) and Vice President, Publisher Council (2002). In addition, Simon has represented the Internet on the Board of the Advertising Club of Toronto, and has been a member of Association of Internet Marketing and Sales (AIMS) since the mid 1990s.

About Olive Canada Network – www.olivecanadanetwork.com

Olive Canada Network is one of Canada’s leading online advertising networks and has the ability to reach over 13 million unique Canadian visitors monthly* on its network of top-tier sites. Olive Canada Network offers Canadian media buyers a one-stop shop for highly-engaged online Canadian audiences across premium Canadian and U.S. content channels, including iVillage.com, CNET.com, ArtistDirect.com, thestar.com, LiveDeal.ca, toronto.com, cyberpresse.ca and tetesaclaques.tv.

Olive Brand Response, an Olive Canada Network product, offers advertisers the opportunity to run performance-related campaigns on over 2000 Canadian and U.S. websites. 

Olive Canada Network is a partnership between Torstar Digital, a division of Metroland Media Group Ltd. and Gesca Digital, a division of Gesca Ltd.

*Source: ComScore Media Matrix – October 2007

About Torstar Digital: www.torstardigital.com

Torstar Digital’s mission is to deliver technology and strategic leadership to its online-only properties, create winning online businesses that can leverage Torstar Corporation's wealth of media assets and assist in online enabling of Torstar Corporation's existing portfolio of print businesses. Torstar’s current portfolio of leading digital properties includes thestar.com, toronto.com, workopolis.com, wheels.ca, Olive Canada Network and a variety of regional sites.

About Gesca Digital:

Gesca Digital and its subsidiaries, operate several Internet sites (cyberpresse.ca, LaPresseAffaires.com, Technaute.com, MonToit.ca and MonVolant.ca), also own an interest in Olive Canada Network, fifty percent interest in Workopolis, Canada’s leading provider of Internet recruiting and job search solutions and is a partner in the online classified site LiveDeal.ca. Gesca Digital is a division of Gesca Ltd, a media group and a wholly owned subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada (TSX: POW).

For further information:

Patrick Erlich

Media Profile

P: 416-342-1835

C: 416-318-3821