Texas housing demand diversifies amidst steady home sales growth in 2016

December 8, 2016

AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The demand for Texas real estate grew in 2016 with robust sales activity among several types of property, according to the Texas Annual Housing Report released today by the Texas Association of Realtors.

“Texas is a national leader in real estate growth, housing demand and development, which attracts homebuyers from across the country and around the globe,” said Leslie Rouda Smith, chairman of the Texas Association of Realtors. “Texas’ diverse economy, rapid population growth, and high quality of life continue to fuel home sales activity across the state.”

Texas real estate demand increased among first-time homebuyers, single women and international homebuyers over the last year. The Texas Homebuyers and Sellers Report showed that 30 percent of homebuyers in Texas were first time homebuyers and that single women were twice as likely to purchase a home than single men.

According to the Texas International Homebuyers Report, Texas real estate is increasingly in demand among international homebuyers from Asia. International homebuyers from India purchased more homes in Texas than any other state, with one in five homes purchased by Indian homebuyers in Texas.

Condominiums, new homes, luxury homes and small land parcels also saw higher demand. The Texas Condominium Mid-Year Sales Report showed condominium sales experienced double-digit growth in most of Texas’ major metropolitan areas in the first half of 2016.

Small land sales were the highest-performing segment of Texas real estate, with small land sales volume increasing nearly 19 percent year over year. According to the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, Texas families are increasingly viewing small land purchases as a wise investment strategy as well as making land purchases for a second home, recreational property or agricultural operation.

New-home sales activity continued at a strong pace in 2016. The Texas Homebuyers and Sellers Report showed that 30 percent of Texas homes purchased in a 12-month period were new homes, while the Texas Luxury Home Sales Report showed that sales of homes priced $1 million and higher continued to rise throughout the state.

The 2016 editions of the Texas Quarterly Housing Report indicated that the total number of Texas home sales is on track for another record year in 2016. Texas home sales posted modest, but steady gains throughout the year, while statewide housing inventory continued to remain low.

Chairman Smith concluded, “The continued growth of the Texas housing market this year despite a slowing Texas economy has been remarkable. As in 2016, housing development and affordability will remain key areas of focus throughout the state next year.”

About the Texas Annual Housing Report
The Texas Annual Housing Report is a compilation of all market research reports produced by the Texas Association of REALTORS® each year. The 2016 edition includes insights from the Texas International Homebuyers Report, Texas Luxury Home Sales Report, Texas Small Land Sales Report, Texas Remodel Valuation Report, Texas Condominium Mid-Year Sales Report, Texas Homebuyers and Sellers Report, and 2016 Texas Quarterly Housing Reports for Q1, Q2 and Q3. To view the Texas Annual Housing Report, visit TexasRealEstate.com.

About the Texas Association of REALTORS®
With more than 110,000 members, the Texas Association of REALTORS® is a professional membership organization that represents all aspects of real estate in Texas. We advocate on behalf of Texas REALTORS® and private-property owners to keep homeownership affordable, protect private-property rights, and promote public policies that benefit homeowners. Visit TexasRealEstate.com to learn more.

CONTACT:
Danielle Urban
Pierpont Communications
512-448-4950
[email protected]

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interCaribbean introduces new Montego Bay nonstop flight

December 8, 2016

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PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands, Dec. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — interCaribbean Airways is pleased to announce a new nonstop weekly service from Providenciales to Montego Bay.

These new flights will commence operating on December 18^th, 2016 every Sunday and return every Monday. The service is initially offered on a once weekly basis on the following schedule. This new flight increases the flights to 8 weekly flights in each direction between Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos Islands with a faster flight and improved connections from San Juan -Puerto Rico, Nassau – Bahamas and Santo Domingo -Dominican Republic. These flights offer the fastest way around the Caribbean.

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, welcomed the announcement by interCaribbean Airways of the new nonstop weekly service from Providenciales to the island’s tourism capital and second city.

Minister Bartlett said “intra-regional travel has a critical role to play in Jamaica’s efforts to grow visitor arrivals over the current growth rate of five percent. Cooperation between our sister islands will assist in establishing multi-destination marketing arrangements that give us access to new markets. This is exciting news for us and we are happy to have interCaribbean Airways on board.”

SCHEDULE
Depart Providenciales every Sunday	4:15pm	Arrive Montego Bay	5:05pm
Depart Montego Bay every Monday	8:15am	Arrive Providenciales	11:05am

Dr. Rafael Echevarne, Chief Executive Officer of MBJ Airports Limited said we are very pleased with the new non-stop service to Providenciales. Montego Bay not only gains a new destination, but having direct access to interCaribbean’s hub opens up a wealth of much needed connectivity to the Caribbean.

Trevor Sadler, interCaribbean Chief Executive Officer said the steady increase in demand to Montego Bay warrants the introduction of this new service. We are pleased to continue to respond to the need of the Caribbean Traveler with this service. With significant ties between the two Caribbean nations we look forward to building on this initial once per week service.

About interCaribbean Airways:
interCaribbean Airways is based in the Turks & Caicos Islands, and was founded 25 years ago, to connect you and the Caribbean. The company operates a fleet of EMB 120, Twin Otter, BE99 aircraft connecting the Turks & Caicos to Antigua, Tortola, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Cuba; Domestic flights in Jamaica between Kingston and Montego Bay, are also offered.

Operation Smile Mexico Receives Country’s 2016 National Volunteer And Solidarity Award

December 8, 2016

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Operation Smile Mexico Executive Director Benjamin Mijangos (Left) receives 2016 National Volunteer and Solidarity Award from Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto (Right) for its humanitarian efforts

MEXICO CITY, Dec. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Operation Smile Mexico was honored by President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto with the 2016 National Volunteer and Solidarity Award, Mexico’s highest honor awarded to non-profit volunteer organizations accomplishing exceptional humanitarian efforts. Operation Smile, which provides free, safe and effective cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries around the world, has been active within Mexico for ten years and has impacted the lives of 2,200 patients and their families. The organization was selected from a pool of 575 non-profit candidates for this prestigious honor recognizing those organizations that have enriched the lives of local communities. President Enrique Peña Nieto presented the award in the Official Residency of “Los Pinos” with key members of the Operation Smile organization in attendance. They included Benjamin Mijangos, Executive Director of Operation Smile Mexico; Dr. Jose Guerrerosantos, Founder of Operation Smile Mexico; Dr. William Magee, CEO and Co-Founder, Operation Smile; Beth Marshall, Senior Advisor for Latin America, and Daniela Garcia, a volunteer patient recruiter in the Chiapas region of Mexico. To learn more about Operation Smile and its global healthcare efforts, visit www.OperationSmile.org.

Contact:
Brianne Chai-Onn
212-715-1526
[email protected]

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Spanish-speaking Latinos believe it is easier to find true love with another Latino

December 8, 2016

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LOS ANGELES, Dec. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Three out of every four Spanish speakers in the United States believe it is easier to find true love with another Latino, and the majority are more traditional in their customs on a first date. According to a study published today by the Internet dating service eHarmony Español, Spanish-speaking Latinos in the USA believe it is easier to find true love with another Latino because they share the same culture (68%) and speak the same language (52%).

“There is a huge need in the Latin community to find love in Spanish,” commented eHarmony Español spokeswoman April Macías. “We know that Latinos fall in love in a unique way, therefore we are developing a scientific compatibility model specifically for eHarmony Español to help Spanish speakers find lasting, deep and happy relationships.”

The study also found that three out of every five Spanish speakers have considered using an Internet dating site to find a partner, and that 54% know someone who has used these services to find true love.

When using these services, the honesty of other users and the truth of their online profiles are the greatest concerns for 53% of those surveyed. That concern is more common among women, at 61%, than men, at 46%.

For men, the second most important concern is the cost of the services, while for the women it is the safety of the service.

“Different from other Internet dating services, eHarmony makes an effort to know each of its users very well. We use our patented system to create a personalized list of similar individuals for each user based on key compatibility dimensions,” pointed out Francine Nicholson, Senior Product Director for eHarmony Español. “This ensures that the profiles you see on eHarmony are based on honesty and transparency. That is why we are the most trustworthy Internet dating service in the USA.”

With respect to receiving advice for finding true love, Latinos trust in their family members and friends. “eHarmony understands the importance of family for Latinos, and its role in finding true love. In fact, ideas about family are a fundamental part of the compatibility model of eHarmony Español,” said Macías.

When judging the effectiveness of advice about love, that trust is in the parents: Some 67% of those surveyed qualified the effectiveness of the advice received from their parents as high or very high.

The study also showed that belief in superstitions when finding a partner is part of the Latin culture. Approximately one out of every six people surveyed believe in the effectiveness of psychics, spells, potions, amulets or other similar methods for finding true love.

Men between 18 and 34 are most likely to use these methods. Thirty-nine percent of them have thought of going to a psychic, shaman or tarot card reader to find love, and one out of every three would be willing to use potions, spells, ties or amulets. However, women between 18 and 34 are not far behind: 28% of those surveyed between these ages have thought about going to a psychic, shaman or tarot card reader.

Fifteen percent of those surveyed know someone who has used potions, spells, ties or amulets to find true love, and 13% know someone who has gone to a psychic, shaman or tarot card reader.

“Taking this information into account, eHarmony Español is an alternative for Latinos who want to find love in Spanish, based on science and not on superstitions,” Macías said.

eHarmony also conducted a survey among its Spanish-speaking and English-speaking users to better understand their expectations regarding a first date. Sixty percent of Spanish speakers believe that the man should request the first date, while the majority of English speakers think that either of the two may ask for a first date.

Who should pay for the first date? The vast majority of users think that the man should pay – both Spanish speakers (85%) and English speakers (73%). However, English speakers are more likely than Spanish speakers to think that the bill should be split equally.

Spanish speakers also differ from English speakers because they think the man should take a gift on the first date (36% vs. 11%), they are more open to going out with someone who has opposing political opinions (11% difference), and they are less likely to go out with someone who does not like to dance (18% difference).

“The information collected in this study makes it clear that Latinos’ expectations about love, from the first date to advice on love, are different from those of the general market, and they respond to unique cultural needs,” concluded Macías.

Find more information about this study at http://www.eharmony.com/estudio-amor-en-espanol/

About eHarmony Español
eHarmony Español, www.eharmony.com/espanol, created in 2015, is an Internet dating service based on key compatibility dimensions of eHarmony, and it is designed especially for Spanish-speaking singles to find true love. eHarmony (www.eharmony.com), based in California, started operations in 2000, and has distinguished itself by creating lasting relationships. The service reduces a world of possibilities to a personalized list of compatible singles, improving the probability of finding one’s other half. An average of 438 people get married every day in the USA thanks to eHarmony, which is almost 4% of new marriages. *

*Survey by Harris Interactive® for eHarmony done in 2012

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SC Johnson Manaus Named A 2016 Best Workplace

December 8, 2016

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RACINE, Wisconsin, Dec. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — SC Johnson, maker of trusted brands like Glade®, Raid® and Mr Muscolo®, today announced its manufacturing facility in Manaus, Brazil has been recognized as a 2016 Best Workplace by the Great Place to Work® Institute. This is the first time Manaus has been recognized on the list and joins Latin American colleagues at SC Johnson Argentina, Brazil and Rio de Janeiro who were honored earlier this year.

“It is an honor to receive Best Workplace recognition for the first time in Manaus,” said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. “The Manaus team produced OFF! personal insect repellent 24/7 in response to the Zika outbreak, working tirelessly to meet the surge in demand for pest control products. Being named Best Workplace is well deserved recognition for their hard work and dedication.”

Manaus ranked number one on the Institute’s list of Best Companies in the Amazon region. The facility joins SC Johnson Italy, Germany, Venezuela, Poland, Central America, Mexico, U.K., Nigeria and Latin America which have also been named 2016 Best Workplaces by the Great Place to Work® Institute.

The Best Workplaces list is the world’s largest annual study of workplace excellence. The ranking is determined by the results of an employee opinion survey and information provided about company culture, programs and policies.

SC Johnson was recently included in Working Mother magazine’s list of the “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” for the 28th time, and recently received a perfect score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.

About SC Johnson
SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care, as well as professional products. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, TANA®, BAMA®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR MUSCLE® and RIDSECT®. The 130-year-old company, which generates $10 billion in sales, employs approximately 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com

Mazda CX-3, Mazda3 and Mazda6 Earn 2017 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Honors

December 8, 2016

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Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at www.mazdausamedia.com.

IRVINE, California, Dec. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced that three of its vehicles are once again rated by the independent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as “Top Safety Pick+” awardees for 2017. The 2017 Mazda CX-3 subcompact crossover SUV, Mazda3 compact sedan and five-door and midsize Mazda6 family sedan each aced a number of the Institute’s proprietary collision safety tests.

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Evaluations included small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests, where the tested vehicles had to earn a “Good” rating. Additionally, the trio of Mazdas earned “Advanced” or “Superior” rating for front crash-prevention, courtesy of their available Smart City Brake Support and Smart Brake Support automatic emergency braking systems.

Finally, CX-3, Mazda3 and Mazda6 had to pass stringent headlight evaluations to earn the highest “Top Safety Pick+” designation.

Each vehicle was designed from the ground up using SKYACTIV Technology, which is a suite of technologies that includes fuel-efficient engines and transmissions, lightweight but strong chassis, suspension designs that balance comfort and performance, implementing Mazda’s safety systems.

“Mazda vehicles are thought of as beautiful with our signature KODO—Soul of Motion design and engaging to drive, but our consistently outstanding performance in safety evaluations also speaks volumes about our engineering excellence, courtesy of SKYACTIV Technology,” said Robert Davis, senior VP, U.S. Operations, MNAO. “The IIHS ‘Top Safety Pick+’ distinction becomes tougher and tougher to earn, yet our vehicles continue to prove their mettle with no compromise—whether it’s with safety, outstanding fuel-efficiency or any number of other areas.”

Thanks to their available adaptive LED headlights—a class-exclusive feature for the 2017 CX-3—as well as ultra-rigid SKYACTIV-CHASSIS technology and a number of other unique features available in Mazda vehicles, such as straight frame rails that are implemented in every vehicle from the smallest MX-5 Miata to the largest CX-9 to better-withstand collisions due to their high rigidity, these three standouts continue to lead their segments in safety evaluations.

Excluded from 2017 testing thus far are the compact 2017 Mazda CX-5 crossover SUV, which will go on sale in the spring in the U.S., and the midsize, three-row CX-9, which has not been tested yet. MX-5 models are not evaluated in U.S. testing.

The IIHS is an independent, non-governmental safety-testing organization, funded by the insurance industry. For more information, visit IIHS.org.

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at www.mazdausamedia.com.

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Acura MDX Earns TOP SAFETY PICK+ Rating from IIHS For 4th Year in a Row

December 8, 2016

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Acura MDX Earns TOP SAFETY PICK+ Rating from IIHS For 4th Year in a Row

TORRANCE, California, Dec. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The 2017 Acura MDX earned TOP SAFETY PICK+, the highest designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), for its fourth consecutive year. Acura earned a total of two TOP SAFETY PICK+ and two TOP SAFETY PICK ratings for 2017, making Acura a top leader in safety ratings in the automotive industry.

*2017 Acura TOP SAFETY PICK+ Vehicles*:
•	MDX
•	RDX with available AcuraWatch™

*2017 Acura TOP SAFETY PICK* Vehicles**:
•	ILX with available AcuraWatch™
•	RLX

The AcuraWatch™ suite of active safety and driver-assistive technologies is offered as standard equipment on all 2017 MDX and 2017 RLX models, and is available on all 2017 Acura sedans and SUVs. AcuraWatch technologies include Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™) with Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) with Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow (LSF). To date, AcuraWatch has been deployed on more than 70,000 Acura vehicles. At the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show, Acura signaled its intent to eventually apply AcuraWatch as standard equipment on all core models, and announced it will add Traffic Jam Assist to the AcuraWatch suite in certain models next year.

All new Acura models come with a multi-angle rearview camera as standard equipment. Additional standard safety equipment on all models include Advance Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure; Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with traction control; Anti-lock Braking System (ABS); side curtain airbags (some vehicles equipped with a rollover sensor as well); advanced front airbags; and front side airbags.

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2017 Honda Ridgeline is the First and Only Pickup Truck to Earn TOP SAFETY PICK+ Rating from IIHS

December 8, 2016

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2017 Honda Ridgeline is the First and Only Pickup Truck to Earn TOP SAFETY PICK+ Rating from IIHS

TORRANCE, California, Dec. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The 2017 Honda Ridgeline, a finalist for the 2017 North American Truck of the Year award, is the first and only pickup truck to earn the highest possible safety rating of TOP SAFETY PICK+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

For the 2017 model year, three Honda models earned a TOP SAFETY PICK+ and three models received a TOP SAFETY PICK rating under the Institute’s more stringent 2017 ratings requirements, making Honda a top leader in safety ratings in the automotive industry.

2017 Honda TOP SAFETY PICK+ Vehicles:

• Ridgeline with Honda Sensing™ and LED headlights
• Accord Sedan with Honda Sensing™ and projector beam halogen
headlights
• Pilot with Honda Sensing™ and LED headlights

2017 Honda TOP SAFETY PICK Vehicles:

• Accord Coupe with Honda Sensing™
• Civic Coupe with Honda Sensing™
• Civic Sedan with Honda Sensing™

Honda vehicles offer a broad range of active and passive safety features, including the Honda Sensing™ suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies, which can help avoid a collision or mitigate its severity. There are more than 300,000 Honda Sensing-equipped vehicles on U.S. roads today. Honda Sensing is available on the Civic, Accord, CR-V, Pilot and Ridgeline. Honda Sensing technologies include Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™) with Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) with Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).

All 2017 Honda models come equipped with a multi-angle rearview camera as standard equipment. Additional standard safety equipment on all Honda models include Advance Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure; Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with traction control; Anti-lock Braking System (ABS); side curtain airbags (some vehicles equipped with a rollover sensor as well); advanced front airbags; and front side airbags.

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Honda Civic and HR-V Place First and Second with CR-V Also Highly Ranked in Kelley Blue Book “10 Most Awarded Cars of 2016”

December 8, 2016

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Honda Civic and HR-V Place First and Second with CR-V Also Highly Ranked in Kelley Blue Book "10 Most Awarded Cars of 2016"

TORRANCE, California, Dec. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — With multiple recognitions, including the Overall Best Buy of 2016 by Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com, the 2016 Honda Civic placed first in the Kelley Blue Book 10 Most Awarded Cars of 2016 rankings. Coming in a close second, the 2016 Honda HR-V was named the lowest 2016 5-Year Cost to Own Award winner in the Compact SUV/Crossover category, amongst its numerous awards. Also included and making Honda the most awarded brand on the list, the 2016 Honda CR-V is a multiple award winner including the Best Small SUV/Crossover Best Buy Award.

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Tom Mohler emphasized the importance of HD Multicultural programming at the Diversity Discussion Panel in New York

December 8, 2016

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WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, Dec. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Olympusat, Inc., one of the largest independent media companies specializing in the ownership, distribution, production and technical services of Spanish- and English-language networks, was present at the Diversity Discussion in New York City, where Olympusat’s CEO, Tom Mohler, was chosen to participate on a panel discussion on Embracing Diversity in Digital Platforms.

On Monday, December 5, 2016, Mr. Mohler offered insight into the television industry transition to Over-the-top (OTT) platforms, as well as the current opportunities presented to content creators, networks, and distributors. The executive also stressed how the TV ecosystem is shifting, and discussed the high demand for high-quality content targeted at multicultural audiences.

“We are witnessing how consumer behavior is changing and the interest for scripted TV is increasing, which is why Olympusat is investing more resources in the production of scripted series and content,” said Mohler. “Distributors are starting to offer more multicultural programming and are dedicating more bandwidth to a number of HD Spanish-language networks.”

Mr. Mohler also took this opportunity to officially announce the launch of Aplauso, a new HD Spanish-language broadcast television network that features top-notch entertainment catered to the Hispanic community, including riveting movies, fan-favorite series, vibrant variety shows, popular music videos, and lifestyle entertainment.

The Diversity Discussion gathers leaders in the TV and media industry, as well as popular on-air-talent to share their individual perspectives on the business of serving multicultural content for diverse audience segments. The event is composed by a number of panel discussions and breakout sessions that address the continued growth and sustainability of multiculturalism within the media.

Olympusat – Editorial Contact:
Jesus Piñango
561-249-5228
[email protected]