(CANWEST GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS CORP. LOGO)

                                  NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
May 19, 2006

                 CANWEST AGREES TO SELL ITS STAKE IN TV3 IRELAND
       EXPECTS TO RECEIVE APPROXIMATELY E138 MILLION (C$198 MILLION)

Winnipeg, Canada - CanWest Global Communications Corp. announced today that
certain of its subsidiaries, together with certain other shareholders of CanWest
Granada Media Holdings Limited (CGMH), had entered into an agreement with funds
managed by Doughty Hanson & Co., one of the largest independent private equity
firms in Europe, to sell all of the securities of CGMH, which owns and operates
the TV3 television network in the Republic of Ireland, and its sales
representative, CanWest Ireland Sales Limited, for an aggregate price of
E265 million (approximately C$381 million at current foreign currency
exchange rates). The purchase price will be payable in cash at completion, and
will be subject to certain customary price adjustments based upon the companies'
financial positions at the completion date. Completion of the transaction is
conditional upon the purchaser obtaining certain regulatory approvals. The
transaction is also subject in certain respects to a pre-emption right in favour
of Granada Media Group Limited, a subsidiary of U.K. media company ITV plc.

CanWest owns 45% of CGMH and 100% of CanWest Ireland Sales Limited. Subject to
the aforementioned price adjustments to be determined upon completion of the
transaction, CanWest expects to receive approximately E138 million
(approximately C$198 million at current foreign currency exchange rates) of the
E265 million sale proceeds, which upon completion of the transaction will
be used to further strengthen CanWest's financial position.

"We are extremely pleased with the agreement that we have reached for the sale
of TV3," said Tom Strike, President of CanWest MediaWorks International.
"Launched in 1998, TV3 was the first private television broadcaster in Ireland,
and its enormous success is a testament to the vision of our partner and network
founder, James Morris, and hard work of the network's management and staff. We
have every confidence that TV3 will continue as one of Ireland's pre-eminent
free-to-air television networks under its new owner."

Leonard Asper, CanWest's President and Chief Executive Officer, added, "This
transaction is yet another important step in CanWest's ongoing program to
improve its financial capacity and flexibility. That additional capacity and
flexibility will be used to strengthen our existing core operations and to
pursue additional growth opportunities."

Hawkpoint Partners Limited acted as financial advisor and Clifford Chance LLP
and A&L Goodbody acted as legal advisors to CanWest on the transaction.

This news release contains certain comments or forward-looking statements that
are based largely upon the Company's current expectations and are subject to
certain risks, trends and



uncertainties. These factors could cause actual future performance to vary
materially from current expectations.

CanWest Global Communications Corp. (www.canwestglobal.com), an international
media company listed on the TSX (trading symbols: CGS and CGS.A) and NYSE
(trading symbol: CWG), is Canada's largest media company. CanWest is Canada's
largest publisher of daily newspapers, and owns, operates and/or holds
substantial interests in free-to-air and subscription-based television networks,
out-of-home advertising, web sites, and radio stations and networks in Canada,
New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey and the United
Kingdom.

For further information contact:

Tom Strike
President, CanWest MediaWorks International
Tel: +1 204 956 2025
Fax: +1 204 947 9841