News (Noticias) for New York

TELEMUNDO CEO Don Browne, UNIVISION CEO Joe Uva, GOOGLE Director of Latin America John Farrell join a roster of Notable Speakers; to discuss and explore the theme “Going Mainstream” as a Key to Harnessing the Digital Revolution

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Latin Media and Entertainment Commission of the City of New York (LMEC) and LatinVision Media announced today the full lineup of participants in this year’s Wednesday, October 15 Convergence 2008 - The Future of Hispanic-Latin Entertainment, Media and Technology Markets Conference. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York City and Janet Robinson CEO of The New York Times will do the opening remarks. A three-hour Business Networking Reception follows at NASDAQ where industry, talent and investors will be able to connect in a more relaxed environment at the crossroads of the world.

The 2008 Convergence Conference is the premier event for Latin Media, Entertainment, and Technology CEOs and Executives looking to grow their business and explore new opportunities with Latin audiences and to reach the mainstream which spotlights the constant state of creation and evolution required of business leaders in today’s rapidly changing digital landscape.

Speakers are a “who’s who” of CEO’s, top marketers, senior executives, publishers, and industry gurus and experts including:

Gabriel Abaora, President of the Latin Grammys

Lucia Ballas-Traynor, Publisher, People en Español

Ruth Gaviria, CEO of Hispanic Ventures, Meredith Corp.

Kate Levin, Commissioner, Department of Cultural Affairs

Jose Lopez Varela, AHAA Chair Person (Association Hispanic Advertising Agencies)

Bob McCooey, SVP NASDAQ

Katherine Oliver, Commissioner, Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting

John Paton, CEO Impremedia

Ralph Rivera, SVP AOL Latino

Fernando Rodriguez, CEO of Terra Networks

Liliana Gil, Global Brands Johnson & Johnson

Jacqueline Hernandez, COO of Telemundo

Ramiro Sanchez, Head of Product, Reuters Consumer Media, Americas

Adrian Steckel, CEO TV Azteca

Rafael Urbina, CEO Batanga

Rebeca Vargas, Multicultural JP Morgan Chase

“This year’s Convergence 2008 captures the feverish pace of transformation happening in the media, entertainment and technology world today,” said Carlos Vassallo, CEO of LatinVision. “This industry’s continual innovation forces each of us to evolve and change how we do business. And Convergence 2008 Conference this year will share the very best thinking from all parties on how to reach and engage consumers today, which is truly our single biggest combined challenge.”

In addition to the lineup of keynotes, Convergence 2008 offers its attendees an unrivaled opportunity to learn from CEO’s and senior marketers who will share their experience from across a variety of emerging platforms including Streaming, Podcasting, Radio, Blogging, Social Networking, Internet, WiFi, Audio, Video and Mobile Casting and Case studies of new ventures and how they got started through financing and networking events.

For a full list of confirmed speakers and information on how to register, please visit www.latinvision.com/conference.

The event takes place on October 15, 2008 at The New York Times – The Times Center - and will culminate with a Business Networking Event at NASDAQ Market Site.

Several sponsorship packages are still available. For more information on sponsorships, please contact Carlos Vassallo at 646-519-2452 or via email at: carlos@latinvision.com. “

United States Hispanic Advocacy Association (USHAA):

WHAT:

The U.S. Hispanic Advocacy Association (USHAA) will host a first-of-its-kind global economy summit at the United Nations, designed to bring together economic and political powerbrokers from American and Latin American industry and government to address today’s most pressing issues defining the future of Hispanic and minority companies in the U.S. and global economies. To ring in the day-long “Green Agenda” summit and a new era of parity, accountability and partnership for Hispanic and non-Hispanic entrepreneurs and consumers, USHAA representatives will ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE Euronext –NYX).

WHO:

* His Excellency Francisco Lorenzo, Ambassador to the United Nations, Dominican Republic
* His Excellency Hugo Silas, Ambassador to the United Nations, Bolivia
* His Excellency Ricardo Alberto Arias, Ambassador to the United Nations, Panama
* The Honorable Anthony Weiner, US House of Representatives (NY)
* The Honorable Nelson Diaz, USHAA Chairman of the Board
* Edgar Sanchez, Director of Domestic and Foreign Investment, Procomer, Costa Rica
* Stephen Wood, Senior Portfolio Strategist, Russell Investments Group
* Luis J. Diaz, President and CEO, USHAA
* Ambassadors and trade delegations from Latin America
* US legislative leaders
* CEOs and Executives from Hispanic and Fortune 500 companies (Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Wachovia, McDonald’s, Telacu, Colgate-Palmolive, Goya, Liberty Power, Abbot Laboratories, etc.)
* USHAA Board members and Corporate/Advocacy Advisors

WHEN:

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

9:30 AM

Bell Ringing Ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange

12:00 PM

United Nations Luncheon, Press Announcement & BRAVO Best Practices Awards

1:30 PM

Summit Welcome

1:45 PM

Financing the Renewable Age: The Role of Private Equity, Investing Banks, Bonds and Tax Incentives

3:15 PM

Cross Border Opportunities and Joint Ventures: Emerging Markets Businesses

4:45 PM

Supplier Diversity Best Practices: Strategic Alliances in a Global Economy

6:00 PM

Closing

NOTE TO PRESS – MUST REQUEST CREDENTIAL FOR BOTH EVENTS – CALL LUZ @ 215.520.8850

WHERE:

Bell Ringing — New York Stock Exchange, 11 Wall Street, NYC
United Nations — 760 United Nations Plaza (1st Avenue and 46th Street)

Luncheon — West Terrace Delegate Dining Room, 1st Avenue and 46th Street

USHAA/United Nations Summit – Conference Room 1

During the summit, USHAA will recognize the Top 25 companies in the Fortune 500 and Hispanic 500 for best practices in workplace diversity, supplier diversity, cultural competence in provisioning goods and services, and minority leadership. These companies illustrate that it is possible to do extremely well while doing good and not resorting to unscrupulous and predatory business practices targeted at Hispanic and minority consumers. USHAA will present a few of the top performers at the summit with the first “Bravo Awards” for best practices.

Championing the goal to “Ring in a New Era of Economic Opportunity” for Latinos, USHAA’s Green Agenda will highlight three key issues:

• Building Capacity: Hispanic businesses and consumers will form a critical component of the stability and future prosperity of the U.S. and global economies.
• Accountability: USHAA differentiates itself from other organizations in that it is membership-based and accepts no sponsorships from groups to whom it advocates, choosing to instead to promote win-win relationships that benefit its members and that are based solely on “handshakes and not handouts.”
• Partnership: USHAA partners Hispanic companies with other minority and majority businesses and government entities to create economies of scale and competitive efficiencies.

At the summit, H. E. Francisco Lorenzo, Dominican Republic Ambassador to the United Nations, will forge a unique partnership by announcing the world’s first advisory group for USHAA comprising Hispanic ambassadors and trade ambassadors from Latin America in an effort to build business relationships between USHAA’s members and foreign entities who engage in and encourage foreign investment and trade.

2008 Green Agenda Global Economic Summit partners include AUDITRe LLC, Cardenas Grant Communications ,LLC, Rey Financial Group of Wachovia Securities, Business Relocation Services, Inc., LLC, Ceiba Design Group, LLC, and Omni Solutions International, LLC.

For more information on USHAA and the Green Agenda summit, please visit the website: www.ushaa.com.

About USHAA: The United States Hispanic Advocacy Association (”USHAA”) is the premier economic advocacy non-profit leveraging Hispanic purchasing power to provide effective advocacy, meaningful benefits and education programs to its members. USHAA helps to ensure that Latinos and other minorities receive economic benefits commensurate with their contributions to the American economy. USHAA developed the Green Agenda because green is the color of hope, self-sustainability and non-partisanship in politics. USHAA believes that in order for Latinos to succeed, they first must focus on this common Green Agenda irrespective of race, cultural or ethnic affinity. According to USHAA, Hispanics must work together with Corporate America and government to leverage their purchasing power to require equitable reciprocity by corporate and governmental entities. The reason for this is not because it is the right thing to do, but simply because it is good business. The leverage available to enforce the Green Agenda is the burgeoning purchasing power of Hispanic consumers and businesses. For more about USHAA visit www.ushaa.com.

“

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein today announced that New York City’s four-year high school graduation rate continues to push upward, as it has every year under the Administration. The City’s four-year rate reached a new high of 55.8 percent in 2007, according to data released this morning by the New York State Education Department, with more students earning Regents diplomas and black and Hispanic students narrowing the graduation gap with their white and Asian peers. The State’s rates now include students who met graduation requirements in summer school following their senior year. Excluding these students to allow for comparisons with previous years, the City’s graduation rate has risen 5.7 percentage points since 2005, and 2.4 points since 2006. By comparison, graduation rates Statewide have risen by 2.8 points since 2005 and 1.4 points since 2006. The City’s increases translate into more than 5,000 additional students graduating since 2005. In addition, the City’s dropout rate has declined since 2005 by 3.3 points, to 14.7 percent from 18 percent. The Mayor and Chancellor were joined at Department of Education headquarters in the Tweed Courthouse by Deputy Mayor for Education and Community Development Dennis M. Walcott, United Federation of Teachers ( UFT ) President Randi Weingarten, UFT Chief Operating Office Michael Mulgrew, and Council of School Supervisors and Administrators ( CSA ) Executive Vice President Peter McNally.

“The graduation rate is a crucial indicator of whether our school system is fulfilling its core mission - giving our children the skills they need to become successful adults,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “After a decade of near-stagnation, New York City’s graduation rate has climbed significantly since 2002. We clearly need to help larger numbers of students to graduate, but the progress we’ve made so far means that thousands more students are graduating today than would have six years ago.”

“Today’s numbers confirm once again that steady progress is now the rule, not the exception, in New York City’s public schools,” said Chancellor Klein. “Although I’m pleased that the overall graduation rate is continuing to rise, it’s especially encouraging to see that the biggest increases are among our black and Hispanic students. This is further evidence that we’re beginning to close the shameful racial achievement gap in this City.”

Because this is the first year that the State included in its calculation students who graduated in August after their final semester, comparisons to previous years must exclude August graduates. Excluding those students, the City’s four-year graduation rate rose to 52.2 percent in 2007 from 49.8 percent in 2006 and 46.5 percent in 2005. At the same time, the dropout rate fell to 14.7 percent in 2007, down from 15 percent in 2006 and 18 percent in 2005. The five-year graduation rate rose to 59.5 percent in 2007 from 55.7 percent in 2006.

“Today is a day to congratulate teachers, principals, students and parents for all their hard work in keeping the graduation rate going in the right direction,” said UFT President Randi Weingarten. “Tomorrow we must ask ourselves what more can we do to get our kids ready for college, to enter the workforce, to improve their life skills? That’s going to require continued collaboration by everyone with a stake in our kids’ education, and in so doing we will dramatically increase the graduation rates.”

“We are seeing gradual, steady increases in student graduation rates because school leaders, teachers and parents are truly working together to improve student learning and ensure every child receives a quality education,” said CSA Executive Vice President Peter McNally. “Student achievement has always been a priority for school leaders, and while there is still more work to be done, with the proper resources we will continue to make progress.”

The percentage of graduates earning Regents diplomas has increased along with the overall graduation rate. A new high of 69.8 percent of graduates in 2007 earned a Regents diploma, compared to 68.4 percent in 2006 and 64.3 percent in 2005 - a 5.5 percentage point increase over two years. Students must meet more rigorous graduation requirements, including higher scores on their Regents exams, to earn a Regents diploma.

The four-year graduation rate among black and Hispanic students is increasing faster than that of their white and Asian peers. Overall, 47.2 percent of black students in 2007 graduated in four years, compared to 43.5 percent in 2006 and 40.2 percent in 2005. This 7.0 point increase over two years compares to a 4.7 increase among white students and a 4.5 increase among Asian students during the same period. Overall, 43 percent of Hispanic students in 2007 graduated in four years, compared to 41 percent in 2006 and 37.4 percent in 2005, an increase of 5.6 points. Between 2005 and 2007, the gap in the graduation rate between white and black students was reduced by 2.3 percentage points, and the gap between white and Hispanic students was reduced by 0.9 points.

The graduation rate among English Language Learners rose 3.1 points to 23.5 in 2007, after falling from 26.5 percent in 2005 to 20.4 percent in 2006. The graduation rate among special education students rose to 19.8 percent in 2007 from 19.4 percent in 2006 and 17.2 percent in 2005, a two-year increase of 2.6 percentage points.

Beginning this year, the City and the State are using a shared methodology to calculate graduation rates. Previously, the City used its own methodology to calculate the rate. Because this formula remained unchanged since 1986; it is still useful for comparisons over time. Using the City’s formula, the graduation rate rose from 58 percent to 62 percent between 2005 and 2007, an increase that tracks closely to the State’s calculation. Since the Mayor won control of the school system in 2002, the graduation rate has increased 11.2 points, using the City’s methodology, from 50.8 percent to 62 percent. Conversely, the graduation rate had been essentially stagnant over the decade prior to 2002.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Stu Loeser / Dawn Walker  ( 212 ) 788-2958

David Cantor  ( Department of Education )
( 212 ) 374-5141″

GolTV, the only live bilingual channel delivering 24/7 soccer, will launch this week in New York City and Los Angeles on Time Warner Cable, making GolTV’s exclusive and in-depth soccer coverage available to subscribers in both Spanish and English.

Time Warner Cable, the second-largest cable operator in the U.S., will add GolTV to the Sports tier at channel 459 and the DTV en Español package at channel 820 in New York City. In Los Angeles, it will be added to the core Hispanic packages including the new El Paquetazo package, and available on channel 856.

Additionally, Time Warner Cable will launch GolTV in several of its Texas systems, including systems in Dallas, Austin and Waco, as well as on its Hudson Valley system in New York.

“Soccer has more participants than any other sport in the Americas, and as the popularity of soccer increases in North America – so does the reach of GolTV,” said Enzo Francescoli, Founder & CEO of GolTV. “Now Time Warner Cable subscribers won’t miss a match as the 2008-2009 seasons kickoff and the road to the 2010 World Cup begins.”

The Time Warner Cable launch comes as GolTV gears up for Europe’s 2008-2009 season openers. On August 15, only GolTV has exclusive coverage of the opening match of Germany’s Bundesliga, and then off to Spain for La Liga’s season kickoff on August 29. In addition to exclusive league coverage, GolTV also has rights to the 2010 World Cup qualifying matches for reigning champions Italy, as well as Germany and Spain.

About GolTV

GolTV is where soccer lives in the US 24/7, 365 days of the year. Founded in 2003 and led by Chief Executive Officer and former international fútbol superstar, Enzo Francescoli, GolTV is the only bilingual US soccer network and the first channel conceived by professional athletes. GolTV is the only all-soccer network with unsurpassed exclusive soccer broadcast rights and an unmatched programming mix that speaks the universal language of soccer. The network brings viewers action from some of the world’s most competitive leagues and elite tournaments, offering over 8,000 hours of soccer action each year and more unique soccer matches than any other network. For more information, visit www.goltv.tv. “