(CANWEST GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS CORP. LOGO)

                                  NEWS RELEASE


For immediate release
October 4, 2005


                       FIREWORKS DISTRIBUTING CORPORATION
                    SELLS CANADIAN TELEVISION LIBRARY RIGHTS


WINNIPEG - CanWest Global Communications Corp. announced today that Fireworks
Distributing Corporation, an indirect subsidiary, has completed the sale of its
Canadian and certain other television program receivables and rights to Motion
Picture Distribution LP. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Since
February 2004, these assets have been accounted for at fair value as a
discontinued operation.

CanWest Global Communications Corp. (NYSE: CWG; TSX: CGS.SV and CGS.NV,
www.CanWestglobal.com {http://www.canwestglobal.com/}), an international media
company, is Canada's largest media company. CanWest is Canada's largest
publisher of daily newspapers, and also owns, operates and/or holds substantial
interests in conventional television, out-of-home advertising, specialty cable
channels, Web sites and radio networks in Canada, New Zealand, Australia,
Ireland and the United Kingdom.


For further information contact:

Geoffrey Elliot
Vice President, Corporate Affairs
CanWest Global Communications Corp.
Tel: +1 (204) 956-2025
Fax: +1 (204) 947-9841
gelliot@canwest.com