Comcast to distribute Latino networks

Comcast Announces Agreements with Four New Minority-Owned Independent Networks

Selected Networks Were Proposed By Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Robert Rodriguez, and Constantino "Said" Schwarz

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Comcast Corporation, one of the world's leading media, entertainment and communications companies, today announced it has selected four new minority-owned independent networks to be broadly distributed on Comcast Cable systems between April 2012 and January 2014. After a thorough evaluation of more than 100 proposals, Comcast selected four networks -- two of which are majority African-American owned and two that are majority American Hispanic owned and operated and programmed in English.

            "We are thrilled to work with such talented individuals to launch these new networks that will bring exciting and fresh content to consumers," said David L. Cohen, Executive Vice President, Comcast Corporation. "Comcast is committed to delivering programming that reflects the interests of our customers, and we look forward to integrating these great networks into our rich programming line-up."

African-American Category:

Aspire: Spearheaded by Entrepreneur and NBA Hall of Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson, in partnership with GMC TV, Aspire is dedicated to delivering enlightening, entertaining and positive programming to African-Americans families, including movies, documentaries, short films, music, comedy, visual and performing arts, and faith and inspirational programs. Aspire will celebrate the successes, achievements and accomplishments of the African-American community and create new opportunities for the next generation of African-American visionaries. The network will launch by summer 2012. "Aspire will be a network that encourages and challenges African-Americans to reach for their dreams and will appeal to all generations. Aspire will celebrate our heritage, our groundbreaking achievements and the fearless talent that has shaped American culture. I'm most excited about Aspire creating opportunities for the new voices, new visions and the next generation of storytellers," said Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

REVOLT: Proposed by superstar and entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs and MTV veteran Andy Schuon, this network is designed to have programming inspired by music and pop culture, including music videos, live performances, music news, and interviews and will incorporate social media interaction for music artists and fans. The network has entered into an agreement to launch in 2013. "REVOLT is the first channel created entirely from the ground up in this new era of social media" said Sean "Diddy" Combs. "We're building this platform for artists to reach an extraordinary number of people in a completely different way. REVOLT will be live, like all great moments in television history. REVOLT will also be immediate, like today's social networks. We know it was a highly competitive process and we want to thank Comcast for this opportunity to truly change television with REVOLT."

Hispanic Category:

El Rey: Proposed by legendary Hollywood director Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures executives John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa, this network is designed to be an action-packed, general entertainment network in English for Latino and general audiences that includes a mix of reality, scripted and animated series, movies, documentaries, news, music, comedy, and sports programming. The El Rey network will include programming that features Hispanic producers, celebrities and public figures. The network has entered into an agreement to launch by January 2014. "This partnership with Comcast signals an important moment for the Latino community in this country -- we are passionate about creating a wildly entertaining destination that we can be proud of by appealing to both Latino and mass market audiences," said Robert Rodriguez and CEO of FactoryMade Ventures John Fogelman. "We engineered El Rey to address a burgeoning opportunity to deliver unique, high-quality and compelling content to a hard-to-reach demographic and are excited to bring more opportunities to generations of talent, storytellers and dreamers through this special partnership."

BabyFirst Americas: Proposed by Spanish language television veteran Constantino "Said" Schwarz, this network is designed for infants, very young children, and their parents, and emphasizes the importance of early development of verbal, math and motor skills. The network has entered into an agreement to launch by April 2012. "We are thrilled to partner with Comcast and commend them for recognizing the importance of quality education for young children," remarked Constantino "Said" Schwarz, CEO and Chairman BabyFirst Americas. "BabyFirst Americas aims to bring the essential academic building blocks for Kindergarten readiness into the home, making it accessible for families all across the U.S."

Comcast made a series of voluntary public interest commitments in connection with the NBCUniversal transaction, one of which is to launch 10 new independently owned and operated networks over the next eight years. Of the 10 networks, four will be majority African-American owned, two will be majority American Latino owned, two will be operated by American Latino programmers, and two will provide additional independent programming. Ultimately, each of the 10 networks will be added on select Comcast systems as part of the digital basic tier of service.

Source: Comcast Corporation

First online Mexican regional music channel

Yahoo! en Espanol and Ram Truck Launch 'La Banda Ram' -- First Online Mexican Regional Music Channel
New music website offers Latinos exclusive programming with a mix of music, blogs and video content

MIAMI & AUBURN HILLS, Mich.  -- Yahoo! en Espanol, the premier digital media company, and the Ram Truck brand today announced the launch of La Banda Ram, the first dedicated Mexican regional music channel. Accessed from on Yahoo! en Espanol's omg! site, La Banda Ram offers fans exclusive programming, music news, and lifestyle-relevant Ram Truck brand integration. The site debuts today and can be found at: es-us.omg.yahoo.com/la-banda-ram/

Focused on engaging the U.S. Latino audience with premium content, La Banda Ram connects consumers to an entertaining mix of music, blogs, exclusive photo content, originally produced video programming, and the latest news and updates from established and up-and-coming artists of the Norteno, Banda, Duranguense and Grupero regional music genres.

"La Banda Ram provides an excellent opportunity for our brand to emotionally connect with our Latino consumers in a culturally relevant manner," said Fred Diaz, president and CEO of Ram Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico, Chrysler Group LLC. "Music is a universal bond and Ram is proud to team with Yahoo! and be part of the first music channel dedicated solely to the increasingly popular Mexican regional music genre."

"La Banda Ram is a great example of how only Yahoo! can create a unique and compelling content solution to engage a diverse, multi-cultural audience, all in line with Ram's brand needs and advertising positioning to Latinos," said Armando Rodriguez, vice president and managing director, Yahoo! Latin America and U.S. Hispanic. "Every month, more than 75% of the U.S. Latino population turns to Yahoo!(1); this reach combined with our investment in premium content and our ability to deliver truly personalized experiences makes Yahoo! the premier digital media company for the Latino audience."

La Banda Ram is the newest extension of the Ram Truck brand's most comprehensive Hispanic advertising campaign to date, "A Todo, Con Todo", which launched in early October. A Todo, Con Todo, "to everything, with everything," focuses on the important values of hard work, dedication, and commitment to family and community, and captures the consumer mindset and true essence of Ram. Ram will harness the Yahoo! en Espanol website to define and communicate the Ram brand lifestyle as well as deliver information and messages about its products through a seamless integration into programming that is of interest to Latino music fans.

This launch builds on the successful Ram and Yahoo! collaboration for "Ram Country on Yahoo! Music," now in its second year. La Banda Ram creates an association between the Ram Truck brand and Mexican regional music in the hearts and minds of Latino consumers, just as Ram Country does with country music fans.

The Ram brand's A Todo, Con Todo Latino advertising campaign includes television, radio, print, newspaper, and digital media, and features bi-lingual Ram Truck owners providing real-life testimonials. The campaign, running in the 15 top Latino markets was produced in both Spanish and English.

About Yahoo!

Yahoo! YHOO +1.34% is the premier digital media company, creating deeply personal digital experiences that keep more than half a billion people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the globe. And Yahoo!'s unique combination of Science + Art + Scale connects advertisers to the consumers who build their businesses. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.com) or the company's blog, Yodel Anecdotal (yodel.yahoo.com).

Yahoo! is the trademark and/or registered trademark of Yahoo! Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

About Ram Truck Brand

The Ram Truck brand continues to establish its own identity and clearly define its customer since its launch as a standalone vehicle brand. Creating a distinct brand for Ram trucks has allowed the brand to concentrate on how core customers use their trucks and what new features they'd like to see. Whether focusing on a family that uses its half-ton truck day in and day out, a hard-working Ram Heavy Duty owner or a business that depends on its commercial vehicles every day, Ram has the truck market covered.

The 2011 Ram 1500 was named a Consumers Digest Best Buy and AUTOMOBILE Magazine All-Star. Ram 1500's smooth-riding suspension and 20 mpg, 390 horsepower HEMI(R) V-8 are just two of the reasons it beat the competition. Ram 1500 also was named the Truck of Texas by the Texas Auto Writers Association in 2011.

The Ram Truck brand has the most innovative lineup of full-size trucks on the market. Ram Truck has emerged as a full-size truck leader by investing substantially in new products, infusing them with great looks, refined interiors, durable engines and features that further enhance their capabilities. Ram trucks now boast these segment exclusives:

-- Coil-spring rear suspension on Ram 1500 for best-in-class ride and handling

-- Available RamBox lockable and lighted bedside storage

-- In-floor storage on all Ram Crew Cabs

-- The largest cab in the market -- Ram HD Mega Cab

-- Standard six-speed manual transmission on all diesel models

-- Truck customers, from half-ton to commercial, have a demanding range of needs and require their vehicles to provide high levels of capability. Ram trucks are designed to deliver a total package

(1) Comscore, September 2011

SOURCE: Yahoo! Inc.

Latino music sound turns 40

40 Years Since the Birth of Salsa: Does Anyone Really Care?

By Izzy Sanabria, Salsa Magazine

Izzy Sanabria

For the majority of Latinos struggling to provide a better life for their families, Salsa music is of little concern and certainly not at the top of their list of priorities. So what's so important and why should they care that August 26, 2011 marked the 40th anniversary of the event many consider to be the birth of Salsa?

Why? If for no other reason, it should provide us all with a sense of Pride. Why? Because Salsa is our greatest cultural art form being embraced today by people of all ages and nationalities around the world. I dare say that Salsa is perhaps our greatest contribution to world culture.

Salsa and the 1970s Latino: Cultural Renaissance in New York City
Starting in the late '60s and into the '70s, Latinos had a major cultural impact on New York City. It was a new generation of English speaking Puerto Rican baby boomers who created a Renaissance in all the arts and even had their own media voice (Latin NY magazine). They expressed their presence in poetry, their clothes, lifestyles and, of course, their most popular art form --- their music!

The new Latino lifestyle started emerging in the 1960s with Latin Soul music (The Boogaloo) in places like the St. George Hotel in Brooklyn. In the 1970s, it was the world famous Cheetah Discotheque that became the showplace of these young Latinos, and they gathered by the tens of thousands every Sunday in Central Park. Their immense presence literally Latinized the park as well as the City itself with a new look and a new sound.

August 26 1971: The Fania All Stars perform at the Cheetah
This was no ordinary performance, it was an explosion of energy no one had ever felt or experienced before. This incredible event was captured on film and released the following year as Our Latin Thing. A few years later, it would have a greater impact than when originally released. Ironically, while many consider this night as the birth of Salsa, there is no mention of the word Salsa in the movie.

In 1973, Latin NY Magazine was launched from the Cheetah. The Fania All Stars' concert at Yankee Stadium draws 44,000 screaming fans. Later that year, I hosted a TV Show called Salsa!

1975: The Spark that Ignited the Salsa Explosion!
Its fire fanned by the Newyorican fervor, the Salsa scene was bursting at the seams. Like dynamite waiting for a spark to ignite it, Salsa was ready to explode. The spark came in the form of Latin NY's First Salsa Awards in May 1975.

This event received greater (pre and post) mass media coverage than was ever given to any Latin music event at that time and thus gave Salsa its biggest push and momentum. The coverage by mainstream media such as The New York. Times, created an incredible worldwide avalanche of interest in Salsa. What made the awards (by American media standards) a "newsworthy" event was that we publicized the event and our intense public criticism of NARAS for ignoring 17 years of repeated requests to give Latin music its own separate category in the Grammys.

Though ignored by local Spanish media, the rest of the world took notice. From Europe (Holland, Germany, France, Italy, England, etc.) and as far away as Japan, journalists and TV camera crews came to New York to comment on and document Salsa; what they perceived as a new phenomenon of high energy rhythmic Latino urban music, its dancing and its lifestyles.

Salsa dancing has created a world-wide industry that is booming. Salsa Clubs and dance studios continue to spring up to meet the demands of the 100s of thousands wanting to learn how to dance Salsa. This growing interest has also led to the growth of local Salsa bands throughout European, African and even Asian countries. They sound like and even dress-up to look like 1970s Latinos.

The question is: How did this 1970s urban NY Latino music acquire such a growing audience? "The Latin NY Salsa Explosion" is a film in progress that addresses that question and provides some answers. If you'd like to see it, contact me at SalsaIzzy@gmail.com and I will send you a copy.

Izzy Sanabria is a creative innovative multi-media artist and publisher of Latin NY Magazine that spearheaded and documented the Latino Cultural Renaissance during the 1970s in New York City. He currently resides in Valrico, Florida and can be contacted at SalsaIzzy@gmail.com. For more detailed information visit: www.SalsaMagazine.com. And join him on FaceBook.

ALMA Awards to be hosted by Eva Longoria, George Lopez

NBC will televise prime time special to air on Friday, September 16 from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. EDT

NEW YORK—An all-star lineup for the 2011 NCLR (National Council of La Raza) ALMAAwards was revealed today, which features Jessica Alba, Maria Celeste Arraras, Jake T. Austin, Benjamin Bratt, Maria Canals-Barrera, Cote de Pablo, David Henrie, Eva La Rue, Mario Lopez, Oscar Nuñez, Michael Peña, Aubrey Plaza, and Naya Rivera, as well as a live performance by Demi Lovato, for the one-hour prime time special airing Friday, September 16 from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. EDT on NBC. Additional presenters, performances, and talent will be announced shortly.

The NCLR ALMA Awards show is dedicated to honoring the spirit and accomplishments of some of the most prolific Latinos in the entertainment industry, spanning music, television, and film. Co-hosted by Eva Longoria and George Lopez, the telecast will celebrate the entertainers who have upheld and promoted a socially proactive image of Hispanic culture in today’s media.

Winners of the ALMA Awards will be determined by evaluating votes cast; box office, Nielsen, and Billboard rankings; and in consultation with the NCLR ALMA Awards Production Leadership Team. Selection rules and eligibility are posted at www.almaawards.com. Not all awards will be presented on-air during the NBC special; however, viewers can watch the remaining award presentations during the pre-show streamed online via http://telemundo.com/almaawards.

There is still one week left for fans to vote for their favorites. With the newonline voting system, fans have the power to see their favorite stars, musical performers, and shows receive the recognition and prestige that they deserve. Additionally, with the “Vote Your Way to VIP” contest, fans who cast their votes will get the chance to win a VIP experience for two including airfare, hotel, VIP tickets to the show, and an invitation to the VIP Post-Party. To vote, please go to www.almaawards.com.

The executive producers of the ALMA Awards are Bob Bain, Eva Longoria, and Janet Murguía. NBCUniversal and its parent company, Comcast, which has had a national partnership with NCLR since 2006, play a key role as creative partners and investors in the production of the awards show. In addition, PepsiCo is this year’s Presenting Sponsor. Additional sponsors include Target, McDonald’s, State Farm, General Motors Company, Comcast, AT&T, Bank of America and Prudential.

Interview with 'The Irish Soldiers of Mexico' author, Michael Hogan

Dr. Michael Hogan, Author/Poet

By Nilki Benitez, Contributing Writer

Michael Hogan was born in Newport, Rhode Island in 1943, but lives in Colonia Providencia, Guadalajara, Mexico, with his wife Lucinda Mayo.  He is the author of sixteen books, including a collection of short stories, six books of poetry, collected essays on teaching in Latin America, a novel, and a history of the Irish battalion in Mexico which formed the basis for "One Man's Hero," an MGM movie starring Tom Berenger.  His book, entitled "The Irish Soldiers of Mexico," has drawn critical acclaim among historians who point out this is the best and most accurate account of history during the Mexican war.  One reviewer stated: "...it is not only well-researched and well-documented but his is the only work which draws heavily on Mexican journals, manuscripts and archives."

Hogan's work has appeared in many journals such as the Paris Review, the Harvard Review, Z-Magazine, Political Affairs and the Monthly Review. He is a consultant to the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Overseas Schools in Latin America. As an author he has received wide recognition for his work, including a PEN Award, two Pushcart Prizes, an NEA fellowship, the Benjamin Franklin Award, the gold medal of the Mexican Geographical Society.

Recently, freelance journalist Nilki Benitez caught up to Hogan and conducted a powerful interview captured via podcast about his book "The Irish Soldiers of Mexico."  Here is that interview:

Documentary about Latino soldier takes Imagen Award

Winners of 26th Annual Imagen Awards announced at gala honoring Latinos in entertainment 

John J. Valadez

August 12, 2011 – Beverly Hills, Calif.  Winners of the 26th Annual Imagen (Spanish for “image”) Awards, honoring positive portrayals of Latinos and Latino culture in entertainment, were announced tonight at a star-studded dinner ceremony held in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel.  The awards, hosted by actress Maria Canals-Barrera, star of Disney Channel’s Emmy-winning “Wizards of Waverly Place,” were handed out in front of an audience of approximately five hundred attendees representing the entertainment industry and Latino community.  Among celebrities in attendance were Edward James Olmos, Kenny Ortega, Esai Morales, Mark Ballas, Cote de Pablo, Eva La Rue, Lupe Ontiveros, Victoria Justice, Alexa Vega, among others.  Also in attendance were U.S. Secretary of Labor and former local congresswoman, Hilda L. Solis, and PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger.

Helen Hernandez, president of The Imagen Foundation, said: “We are proud of all the accomplishments that Latinos have achieved thus far throughout all facets of the entertainment industry; however, we must strive for continued progress of inclusion, particularly in decision-making and creative roles throughout the industry.  I would like to personally thank all our corporate sponsors as well as Latino community leaders for their continued support of The Imagen Foundation and our mission.”

Winners were selected in 19 different categories from film, television and the internet, and judged by an independent panel of entertainment industry executives and Latino community leaders.  Special recognition went to Latino Public Broadcasting, who received the Norman Lear Award, named for the veteran television producer who conceived the Imagen Awards program, and Walt Disney “Imagineer” Alfredo M. Ayala, who was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Following are the winners for this year’s Imagen Awards in their respective categories. Please note that there were no nominees for Best Feature Film Director but a new category, Best Young Actress/Television, was added:

• Best Primetime Television Program or Movie-of-the-Week:  Law & Order: Los Angeles (NBC)
• Best Actor/Television:  Freddy Rodriguez, CHAOS (CBS)
• Best Actress/Television:  Martha Higareda, Lies in Plain Sight (Lifetime Television)
• Best Supporting Actor/Television:  Carlos Gómez, The Glades (A&E)
• Best Supporting Actress/Television:  Eva La Rue, CSI: Miami (CBS)
• Best Young Actress/Television:  Selena Gomez, Wizards of Waverly Place (Disney Channel)
• Best Children’s Programming:  Dora The Explorer (Nickelodeon)
• Best Documentary/Television:  The Longoria Affair (Latino Public Broadcasting)
• Best National Informational Program:  Maria Hinojosa: One-on-One (WGBH)
• Best Local Informational Program:  Eye on Our Community (KCBS-TV)
• Best On-Air Advertising:  Dora 10th Anniversary Campaign (Nickelodeon)
• Best Variety or Reality Show: Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO)
• Best Feature Film:  Gun Hill Road (Motion Film Group/SimonSays Entertainment)
• Best Actor/Feature Film: Esai Morales, Gun Hill Road (Motion Film Group/SimonSays Entertainment)
• Best Actress/Feature Film:  Michelle Rodriguez, Tropico de Sangre (Maya Entertainment)
• Best Supporting Actor/Feature Film:  Miguel Sandoval, Spoken Word (New Mexico Media Partner/Luminaria Films)
• Best Supporting Actress/Feature Film: Adriana Barraza, From Prada to Nada (Pantelion Films/Lionsgate)
• Best Theatrical Short or Student Film:  The  Big Deal (Lucy Rodriguez)

Major sponsors of this year’s event included Nielsen, Fox Deportes, PBS SoCal, The Walt Disney Company, Disney/ABC Television Group, NBCUniversal, CBS, The Gas Company, Lear Family Foundation, ABC7, Paramount, Latino Public Broadcasting, Warner Bros. and LATV Networks.

-- Advertisement --

Top Ten reasons Lopez Tonight was cancelled

TOP Ten reasons Lopez Tonight has been cancelled

By Al Carlos

www.LatinoLA.com

10. Conan had a back door deal for his company to produce the 12 midnight show should Lopez fail.

9. Eric Estrada is now the head of TBS.

8. Lopez was too Hispanically hip for the room.

7. Unlike Conan or Fallon, George’s audience had to get up early for Work the next morning.

6. “Run, Jump or Shuffle, it’s all the same when you do it for the man” -Tommy Smith 1968

5. George knew the minute they bumped him back to 12 it was a set up.

4. Too much Cochicnadas…

3. TBS realized that Conan indeed has a bigger head than George.

2. They are thinking about a late night caveman show to takes his place- Gacho…

1. Don't hate the player, hate the game.