For a couple hours yesterday afternoon, “Rocio Sanchez Azuara” dominated the global trending topics list on Twitter, and while everyone else in the world had no clue why, it caused one of the biggest stirs among Mexican social media users.
No one is sure how it started, but in a matter of minutes there was one topic almost all Mexican “tuiteros” were tweeting about: the death of TV personality Rocio Sanchez Azuara.
What started as a rumour, was almost immediately confirmed, leading well-know radio host Maxine Woodside to announce live on the air that Sanchez Azuara’s death was in fact true. Tweets from journalists such as TV Azteca’s morning news anchor Monica Garza, also confirmed the news. “Rocio Sanchez Azuara has died from a heart attack. All the details in ‘Ventaneando’ at 4″ tweeted Jimena Perez, co-host of Mexico’s most-watched entertainment news show.
The story was then published on the websites of prestigious newspapers and television networks.
However, almost as fast as the news was “confirmed,” it was denied. “We just spoke with Rocio. She’s alive and well and says that she doesn’t know where the rumour came from,” tweeted Ana Maria Alvarado, who collaborates in Maxine Woodside’s radio show where the story was first confirmed. This led to a series of retractions from all journalists who had previously tweeted about Sanchez Azuara’s death.
By 4 p.m. the leading story in Mexico’s entertainment news shows was not Sanchez Azuara’s death, but the confirmation that she was in fact alive. She was then interviewed by some of the same reporters who had previously killed her, and said that she had been receiving frantic phone calls from friends and families all afternoon. What then followed was a blame game in which Televisa’s ‘NX’ blamed a TV Azteca executive for starting the rumour, while TV Azteca’s ‘Ventaneando’ affirmed that the news first came through a Televisa-owned newswire service. The fact is that, whoever started the rumour, did it with the intention of reviving Sanchez Azuara’s career, since she is now living in Miami and hasn’t been on the screens for over two years.
In the end, it doesn’t matter who was the mastermind behind Sanchez Azuara’s fake death. The true issue here is how easy it was to get journalists to jump in the band-wagon and confirm a story that wasn’t true. That is one of the dangers in this world of instant news and social media in which some journalists feel so pressured that they’d rather get a story wrong than not get it at all.
According to a survey published today by Fondation Emergence, Canadians believe that the sports world would not be as welcoming to homosexual men as it is to homosexual women.
The survey, performed by Leger Marketing, reveals that 61 per cent of Canadians believe that gay men are not easily accepted in the world of sports, compared to 45 per cent who believe the same concerning homosexual women. The survey also reveals that 75 per cent of Canadians think that homosexual women have the same chance of success in a sports career as heterosexual women while the percentage drops to 60 per cent when it comes to homosexual men. Furthermore, Canadians would be more inclined to accept that a popular athlete is a homosexual woman than a homosexual man. Sixty-seven percent of them believe people are ready to accept a female gay athlete compared to 53 per cent who believe the public would be ready to accept a male gay athlete.
According to Fondation Emergence’s president, Laurent McCutcheon, these results show the sexist stereotypes that predominate in the sports world.
“Women whose physical strength surpasses what’s average will be highly esteemed and their chances of success will increase. Yet on the other hand, a gay man’s image is still too often equated with poorer physical ability even if it’s just plain untrue,” he said.
In addition, 73 per cent of Canadians think that homosexuality is a taboo subject in sports, with 68 per cent of the respondents stating that homosexuality is also kept silent in the sports media.
“The survey confirms that the sports world is still one of the last, if not the last stronghold of homophobia. We’re dealing with built-in discrimination in which the system takes over the individual. Getting ahead in this community means accepting to keep homosexuality’s existence in society silent,” said McCutcheon. “The sports world is a small society in itself with its own rules and its own media system. No other sector of society is organized that way, which is what enables it, though involuntarily, to impose its own social evolution at a rhythm different from general society’s,” he added.
The survey also included a question about hockey, asked only to residents of Quebec. According to this survey, 42 per cent of Quebecers believe an openly gay professional hockey player would be considerably well accepted by his teammates and coach, an increase of 13 per cent compared to a survey performed in 2003.
The survey was presented at Montreal’s Complexe Desjardins where an exhibition on sports and homophobia is taking place. International Day Against Homophobia is Monday, May 17.
The Government of Quebec announced today that it has decided to allow Loto-Quebec to offer online gambling services.
Minister of Finance Raymond Bachard said the provincial government took this decision last week in order to fight an already existing underground online gambling economy.
“Loto-Quebec is being given the responsibility of working to redirect this already existing but illegal gaming activity to a site that is secure, legal and trustworthy,” Bachard said.
Illegal online gaming, has increasingly become a problem for Loto-Quebec, which has seen a decrease in its profits.
“By channeling online gaming, Loto-Quebec will be able to keep a significant part of money here in Quebec by returning the entirety of its profits to the QUebec government and community, just as it does for its other operations,” said Loto-Quebec’s CEO Alain Cousineau.
Loto-Quebec announced it is already working on its online gaming website which is scheduled to be up and running this Fall.
AM Info690 Montréal and AM940 Montreal’s Greatest Hits to cease operation on January 29, 2010
MONTREAL, Jan. 29 /CNW Telbec/ – Corus Entertainment announced today that AM Info690 Montréal and AM940 Montreal’s Greatest Hits will cease operation on January 29 at 7 p.m.
Despite the excellence and dedication of station employees, Info690 and AM940 are unprofitable. Corus Québec and its employees worked to grow audience and revenues on both these stations while operating them as efficiently as possible. It is clear that these two AM stations are not viable, particularly in the current economic climate.
This decision affects 10 positions, including eight positions at Info690: three journalist positions, two traffic reporter positions and three operations positions. At AM940 Montreal’s Greatest Hits, two positions were affected: one on-air host position and one technician position.
The Info690 Montréal newsroom, known as CorusNouvelles, will continue its activities as part of 98,5 FM Montréal. CorusNouvelles will continue to invest in providing news content to the entire Corus Québec network and its clients. The majority of journalist positions from the Info690 newsroom (five of eight journalist positions along with three of five traffic reporter positions) will be retained.
“We put tremendous effort into trying to find the right format and content to grow our audience base and operate profitably, but after years of effort it is clear these AM stations are not viable,” said Mario Cecchini, Vice President, Corus Québec. “We would like to thank the employees affected by this decision for their hard work. We would also like to acknowledge the support of listeners and advertising clients of Info690 Montréal and AM940 Montreal’s Greatest Hits.”
The operating licences for these two AM stations will be returned to the CRTC. Corus Québec employs 466 people in Quebec.
About Corus Québec
Corus Québec is an integral part of Corus Entertainment Inc. and the largest private content and information broadcaster in Quebec. Corus Québec reaches more than 4.5 million listeners each week and operates 96,9 CKOI Montréal, 102,1 CKOI Quebec City, 104,5 CKOI Eastern Townships, 98,5 FM Montréal, CKAC Sports Montréal, 92-5 The Q Montreal, 103,9 CIME FM Laurentians and the Souvenirs Garantis network: 102,9 FM Quebec City, 107,7 FM Eastern Townships, 98,3 FM Saguenay, 104,7 FM Gatineau/Ottawa and 106,9 FM Mauricie. According to comScore Media Metrix, Corus Québec websites are visited by over 525,000 French-speaking users and 3 million English-speaking users in Canada every month.
Radio-Canada announced today that it filed a licence request to launch a new 24-hour television sports channel. The new french-language service, called Radio-Canada Sports, would primarily focus on Canadian sports content produced by the SRC. Radio-Canada claims this is part of their strategic plan to better promote Canadian lifestyle and culture.
A Toronto-based marketing and design firm might have a little explaining to do after it inadvertently sent out a press release stating that it had “unveiled a new brand identity for the H1N1 flu virus.”
In its apparently bogus statement, AmoebaCorp, which has clients varying from Coca-Cola to the Toronto FC, claimed that it had rebranded the H1N1 virus because of a need to clear any confusion between seasonal flu, H1N1, and Swine Flu.
“Despite a significant effort made to educate the public on the symptoms and differences that exist between these viruses, consumers still appear not to understand that H1N1 and Swine Flu are one-in-the-same,” Mike Kelar, Co-Creative Director and Partner at AmoebaCorp said on the press release. “This confusion weakens H1N1′s position in the marketplace as the most severe flu because it splits brand awareness between 2 seemingly unrelated viruses and reduces H1N1′s ability to compete. We had no other choice but to do whatever we could to clear up this confusion by providing those in a position to influence and educate with the ammunition they need to do so.”
The press release also states that the new H1N1 brand was “designed with a classic, iconic aesthetic in mind,” and is “intended to convey a weight of authority and efficacy assurance while at the same time, reinforce the relationship that exists between H1N1 and Swine Flu.”
A couple hours later AmoebaCorp released another statement notifying media outlets to disregard the H1N1 brand press release for it was sent by mistake.
Was this a bad joke or is there really a whole marketing campaign behind H1N1?
The Cirque du Soleil performer who fell during a training session Friday died today at Montreal’s Sacre-Coeur hospital.
Oleksandr Zhurov, a 24-year-old Ukranian circus artist, fell from a Russian swing Friday morning during a training session at the Cirque’s Montreal training facility in St-Michel. He was immediately taken to Sacre-Coeur hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Cirque du Soleil was notified of Zhurov’s death on Saturday.
In a statement, Cirque’s founder Guy Laliberté said he was “deeply saddened” to learn the news.
“My thoughts are with his parents and his family, to whom I offer my deepest sympathy,” Laliberté said. “An incident like this reminds us of the courage and determination displayed by our artists each and every day,” he added.
Cirque du Soleil refuses to further comment on the incident until the coroner’s inquiry concerning the accident is completed.
Maple Leaf has announced today that it is recalling nine wiener products over fear that they might be contaminated with Listeria.
The products, commercialized under the Hygrade, Shopsy’s, and Maple Leaf brands were produced at Maple Leaf’s Hamilton, Ontario plant. In a statement released Tuesday, the company states that although it is in complete compliance with the Federal Goverment’s Listeria policy, it is voluntarily recalling such products as a result of a stricter policy adopted after last years Listeriosis outbreak.
The products being recalled are stamped with establishment number EST. 611 and line 1 “L1″. Products bearing other establishment or line numbers are not affected by the recall.
The following is a partial list of the products affected by the recall:
Product Size UPC BB Dates
————————————————————————-
Hygrade Wieners 450g 58640 00001 09 SE16
————————————————————————-
Shopsy’s Deli Fresh All Beef 675g 63100 14461 09 SE17
Frankfurters
————————————————————————-
Shopsy’s All Beef Wieners 450g 64875 20730 09 SE08 and
09 SE17
————————————————————————-
Shopsy’s Deli Fresh Frankfurters 450g 64875 20745 09 SE08
————————————————————————-
Maple Leaf Original Wieners 450g 63100 22356 09 SE08 and
09 SE17
————————————————————————-
Maple Leaf Top Dogs All Beef 450g 63100 22395 09 SE08 and
Wieners 09 SE15
————————————————————————-
Maple Leaf Top Dogs Original 450g 63100 22410 09 SE09,
Wieners 09 SE10 and
09 SE15
————————————————————————-
Maple Leaf Top Dogs Original 450g 63100 22412 09 SE09
Wieners BBQ Size
————————————————————————-
Maple Leaf Top Dogs 33% Less 450g 63100 82334 09 SE08 and
Fat Wieners 09 SE15
————————————————————————-
Although Tom Brown and Tamara Taggart are nothing more than local TV weatherpeople, they might soon appear in millions of TV screens across Canada and the United States.
Brown, from CTV Toronto, and Taggart, from CTV BC, are semifinalists in the “Live! With Regis and Kelly From Local to LIVE: Co-Host for a Day” contest. They are both competing against 20 other local broadcasters from Canada and the US for a chance to fill in for Regis Philbin or Kelly Ripa in the popular morning show.
“It would be such a thrill to fill in for Kelly Ripa on LIVE!” said Taggart in a statement. “I am a big fan of hers and would love the opportunity to represent British Columbia in The Big Apple!”
For his part, Brown wants to use this opportunity to promote how great his city is. “I would be thrilled to share what makes Toronto special with fans across the continent,” he said
Both Brown and Taggart now depend on your vote in order to make it to the Big Apple. Online voting is taking place right now and it closes tomorrow July 28 at 10pm ET/7pm PT. The two winners -one male, and one female- will be announced on Wednesday July 29 during Live! With Regis and Kelly.
Harry Potter fans around the world will get up close and personal with the famous magician when the new Harry Potter film hits theaters this Wednesday.
Those lucky enough to live near an IMAX theater will be able to catch Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in 3D – or at least the first 12 minutes of it. This as a result of a partnership between IMAX and Warner Bros. Pictures that has led to what the movie studio’s people are calling “the widest IMAX release ever internationally.”
The Harry Potter IMAX experience will open July 15 in 62 theaters around the world and several others within the United States.
“We’re pleased to be able to share this film with our expanded audience, which has grown significantly since the previous installment in the Harry Potter series, thanks to the rollout of our digital projection system,” said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond in a statement. “Special features in IMAX continue to attract fans and repeat viewings, and we are looking forward to sharing the special 3D opening with consumers around the world,” he said.
The list of participating IMAX theaters includes venues from Australia, Brazil, China, Mexico, India, and the UK among other countries, but Canada is noticeably missing. Cinepelex, which owns many IMAX theaters in Canada does not seem to have the IMAX version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince scheduled yet in any of its locations, so Canadian Harry Potter fans might have to wait until they get a chance to see Harry in 3D.
UPDATE
IMAX has released an updated list of IMAX theaters showing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince which includes theaters in Canada:
UNITED STATES
Arizona
Mesa – Gateway 12 IMAX
Phoenix – AMC Deer Valley 30 with IMAX
Arkansas
Little Rock – Dickinson Chenal 9 IMAX Theatre
California
Aliso Viejo – Edwards Aliso Viejo Stadium 20 & IMAX
Anaheim – CinemaFusion IMAX Anaheim GardenWalk
Arcadia – AMC Santa Anita 16 & IMAX
Burbank – AMC Burbank 16 & IMAX
Camarillo – Edwards Camarillo Palace Stadium 12 & IMAX
Cupertino – AMC Cupertino 16 & IMAX
Dublin – Regal Hacienda Crossings Stadium 21 & IMAX
El Dorado Hills – Regal Cinemas El Dorado Hills Stadium 14 & IMAX
Emeryville – AMC Bay Street 16 & IMAX
Escondido – Regal Escondido Stadium 16 & IMAX
Fairfield – Edwards Fairfield Stadium 16 & IMAX
Fresno – Edwards Fresno Stadium 22 & IMAX
Irvine – Edwards Irvine Spectrum IMAX
Long Beach – Edwards Long Beach 26 & IMAX
Los Angeles – IMAX Theatre at The Bridge: cinema de lux
Los Angeles – AMC Universal CityWalk Stadium 19 with IMAX
National City – AMC Plaza Bonita 14 & IMAX
Ontario – Edwards Ontario Palace 22 & IMAX
Rowland Heights – AMC Puente Hills 20 & IMAX
Sacramento – Esquire IMAX Theatre
San Diego – AMC Palm Promenade 24 & IMAX
San Diego – Edwards Mira Mesa Stadium 18 & IMAX
San Jose – AMC Eastridge Mall 15 & IMAX
San Francisco – AMC Loews Metreon 16 with IMAX
Santa Clara – AMC Mercado 20 & IMAX
Simi Valley – Regal Civic Center Plaza 16 & IMAX
South Gate – Edwards South Gate Stadium 20 & IMAX
Stockton – Regal City Centre Stadium 16 & IMAX
Torrance – AMC Del Amo 18 & IMAX
Woodland Hills – AMC Promenade 16 & IMAX
Evansville – Showplace Cinemas East 18 & IMAX
Indianapolis – Kerasotes ShowPlace 16 & IMAX
Indianapolis – IMAX Theatre at the Indiana State Museum
Noblesville – Hamilton Towne Center 16 & IMAX
Portage – Portage 16 IMAX
Iowa
Council Bluffs – Kerasotes Star Cinemas 16 & IMAX
Des Moines – Science Center of Iowa & Blank IMAX Dome Theater #
Kansas
Olathe – AMC Studio 30 & IMAX
Kentucky
Louisville – Cinema De Lux 20: Stonybrook IMAX
Newport – AMC Newport On The Levee 20 & IMAX
Louisiana
Harahan – AMC Elmwood Palace 20 & IMAX
Maine
Saco – Cinemagic & IMAX in Saco
Maryland
Baltimore – AMC Loews White Marsh 16 & IMAX
Baltimore – Maryland Science Center IMAX Theatre
Columbia – AMC Columbia 14 & IMAX
Massachusetts
Danvers – AMC Liberty Tree Mall 20 & IMAX
Methuen – AMC Methuen 20 & IMAX
Natick – Verizon IMAX 3D Theater at Jordan’s Furniture – Natick
Reading – Verizon IMAX 3D Theater at Jordan’s Furniture – Reading
Michigan
Dearborn – The Henry Ford IMAX Theatre
Grand Blanc – Trillium Cinema 14 & IMAX, Grand Blanc
Grand Rapids – Celebration! Cinema IMAX Theatre
Lansing – Celebration! Cinema IMAX Theatre
Sterling Heights – AMC Forum 30 & IMAX
Ypsilanti – Showcase Cinemas Ann Arbor IMAX
Minnesota
Apple Valley – Great Clips IMAX Theatre
Roseville – AMC Rosedale 14 & IMAX
Missouri
Independence – AMC Independence Commons 20 & IMAX
Kansas City – AMC BarryWoods 24 & IMAX
St. Louis – Wehrenberg Theatres Ronnies 20 Cine IMAX
Nevada
Henderson – Regal Sunset Station Stadium 13 & IMAX
Las Vegas – Brenden Theatres and IMAX at the Palms Casino Resort
Las Vegas – Regal Red Rock Stadium 16 & IMAX
North Las Vegas – Regal Aliante Stadium 16 & IMAX
New Hampshire
Hooksett – Cinemagic & IMAX in Hooksett
New Jersey
Atlantic City – Tropicana IMAX Theatre
Cherry Hill – AMC Loews Cherry Hill 24 & IMAX
Hamilton – AMC Hamilton 24 & IMAX
New York
Albany – Regal Crossgates Mall 18 & IMAX
Brooklyn – UA Sheepshead Bay Stadium 14 & IMAX
Deer Park – Regal Deer Park Stadium 16 & IMAX
Garden City – Leroy R. and Rose W. Grumman IMAX Dome Theater #
New Rochelle – Regal New Roc City 18 & IMAX
New York City – AMC Loews 34th Street 14 & IMAX
Rochester – Cinemark IMAX Theatre at Tinseltown USA
Stony Brook – AMC Stony Brook 17 & IMAX
West Nyack – IMAX Theatre at Palisades Center
White Plains – IMAX Theatre at City Center: Cinema De Lux 15
Williamsville – Regal Transit Center 18 & IMAX
North Carolina
Charlotte – Regal Stonecrest At Piper Glen Stadium 22 & IMAX
Concord – AMC Concord Mills 24 & IMAX
Raleigh – Wachovia IMAX Theatre at Marbles Kids Museum
Ohio
Columbus – AMC Easton Town Center 30 & IMAX
Cincinnati – IMAX Theatre at Springdale 18: Cinema De Lux
Oklahoma
Tulsa – Cinemark IMAX Theatre at The Tulsa
Oregon
Tigard – Regal Bridgeport Village Stadium 18 & IMAX
Pennsylvania
Bensalem – AMC Neshaminy 24 & IMAX
Harrisburg – Select Medical IMAX Theater at The Whitaker Center
Homestead – AMC Waterfront 22 & IMAX
Philadelphia – Tuttleman IMAX Theatre at the Franklin Institute
King of Prussia – UA King of Prussia Stadium 16 & IMAX
Reading – RC Reading Movies 11 + IMAX
Tarentum – Cinemark IMAX Theatre at the Galleria Pittsburgh Mills
Rhode Island
Providence – Providence Place Cinemas 16 & IMAX
Tennessee
Knoxville – Regal Pinnacle Stadium 18 at Turkey Creek
Nashville – Regal Opry Mills 20 & IMAX
Texas
Austin – The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum IMAX Theatre
Dallas – Cinemark IMAX Theatre at Cinemark 17
Garland – AMC Firewheel 18 & IMAX
Houston – AMC Gulf Pointe 30 & IMAX
Houston – Edwards Houston Marq*e 23 & IMAX
Mesquite – AMC Mesquite 30 & IMAX
San Antonio – Santikos Palladium 18 IMAX Theatre
Sandy – Megaplex 17 IMAX at Jordan Commons
Sugar Land – AMC First Colony 24 & IMAX
Tomball – Santikos Silverado Station 18 IMAX
Virginia
Alexandria – AMC Hoffman Center 22 & IMAX
Hampton – Riverside IMAX Theater at the Virginia Air & Space Center
Midlothian – Regal Commonwealth 20 & IMAX
Virginia Beach – AMC Lynnhaven 18 & IMAX
Woodbridge – AMC Potomac Mills 18 & IMAX
Washington
Bellevue – Lincoln Square Cinemas IMAX Theatre
Kent – AMC Kent Station & IMAX
Lacey – Regal Martin Village Stadium 16 & IMAX
Seattle – Pacific Science Center Boeing IMAX Theatre
Seattle – Regal Thornton Place Stadium 14 & IMAX
Tukwila – AMC Southcenter 16 & IMAX
Montreal – Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre Montreal IMAX Theatre
# denotes 2D theatre *denotes later launch
Australia
Melbourne – Highpoint Hoyts IMAX
Melbourne – Melbourne IMAX
Perth – Carousel Hoyts IMAX
Sydney – Entertainment Quarter Hoyts Sydney
Sydney – LG IMAX Theatre Sydney
Austria
Graz – Cineplexx 8055 Graz
Vienna – Cineplexx Apollo Das Kino
Brazil
Sao Paolo – Bourbon Shopping Center IMAX Theater
China
Beijing – IMAX Theatre at the China National Film Museum
Beijing – IMAX Theatre UME Beijing International
Beijing – Shijingcheng Wanda Cinema
Changchun – Wanda International Cinema Changchun
Changsha – Changsha Wanda International Cinema
Shanghai – IMAX Theatre at Peace Cinema
Suzhou – Suzhou Science and Cultural Arts Centre
Gwangju – CGV Gwangju
Ilsan – CGV Ilsan
Seoul – CGV Wangsipni
Seoul – CGV Yongsan
Mexico
Cuernavaca – Cinemex Diana IMAX Theatre
Guadalajara – Cinepolis Galerias Guadalajara IMAX Theatre
Juarez – Cinepolis Las Misiones Cd. Juarez IMAX Theatre
Mexico City – Cinepolis Perisur IMAX Theatre
Mexico City – Cinepolis Universidad IMAX Theatre
Monterrey – Cinepolis Galerias Valle Oriente IMAX Theatre
Toluca – Cinepolis Galerias Metepec IMAX Theatre
Torreon – Cinemas Martinez
Veracruz – Cinepolis Las Americas IMAX Acuario de Veracruz
Netherlands
Amsterdam – Pathe Arena
New Zealand
Auckland – SKYCITY IMAX Theatre Queen Street
Philippines
Edsa – SM City North Edsa Mall
Manila – San Miguel Coca-Cola IMAX Theatre
Russia
Moscow – KinoStar City @ Mega Belaya Dacha
Moscow – Nescafe IMAX Theatre
St. Petersburg – Coca-Cola IMAX Kinostar City
Spain
Barakaldo – Yelmo Cines Megapark
Malaga – Yelmo Cines Plaza Mayor
Oviedo – Yelmo Cines Los Prados
Taiwan
Taipei – Samsung IMAX Miramar Cinemas
Thailand
Bangkok – KrungSri IMAX Siam Paragon
Turkey
Ankara – Ankara AFM IMAX
Istinye – AFM Istinye Park IMAX
UAE
Dubai – Grand Megaplex 21 IMAX
UK
Birmingham – IMAX Cinema Millennium Point
Bradford – National Media Museum IMAX Bradford
Glasgow – Glasgow Science Centre IMAX Cinema
Greenwich – ODEON Greenwich
London – BFI London IMAX Cinema
Manchester – ODEON Manchester IMAX Cinema at The Printworks
Wimbledon – ODEON Wimbledon
