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In recent years, the rural Esparto Unified School District has eliminated teaching jobs and classes as it struggled to absorb state funding cuts.

So district officials, eager to avoid a costly legal battle with San Francisco civil rights lawyers, chose to change the way school board members are elected.

“When we heard districts were being sued, we decided we had no other option,” said Esparto trustee Jane Stallings.

This week, Esparto Board of Education members voted for a plan in which trustees must run for seats in the places they live rather than in districtwide at-large elections.

With three schools and 1,100 students in western Yolo County, Esparto is the latest in a series of districts across the state to change the way it elects trustees.

Like others that have made the switch, Esparto feared being sued by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area under the California Voting Rights Act of 2001. The law prohibits at-large elections if they dilute the voting influence of minority groups.

The Lawyers’ Committee has used this argument to file claims against cities and school districts with at-large elections.

The city of Modesto, the Madera Unified School District and the Hanford Union School District made big payments to settle the group’s claims that Latino voters there had been disenfranchised.

Other Central Valley school districts – in Ceres, Gustine, Turlock and elsewhere – changed their voting systems under threat of litigation. The Lawyers’ Committee is suing the city of Tulare and San Mateo County.

In Sacramento, former Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, who has a private law practice and consulted with the Lawyers’ Committee, sent the Twin Rivers Unified School District a letter demanding it switch to trustee area elections.

Esparto school officials decided they couldn’t afford to wait to receive a demand letter. They moved to switch after experts advised them to set aside $1 million for potential litigation costs, said Superintendent Aida Buelna.

In comparison, the fee for a demographer to draw up trustee areas seemed relatively affordable, she said.

“We’re trying like other districts around California to not be sued by San Francisco attorneys,” Buelna said. “The only protection is to go by trustee area.”

Buelna and Stallings both said they would like to see a Latino win election to the school board in the district, where the majority of students are Latino. Currently there are no Latino trustees. Drawing districts with many Latino voters might change that, they said.

But they said they didn’t appreciate having to act under fear of litigation.

Jessica Pfisterer, a legal fellow with the California Voting Rights Institute at the Lawyers’ Committee, said that’s the way her group wants it.

“We prefer districts that say they will comply without a lawsuit,” Pfisterer said. “If they don’t change, I don’t have a lot of sympathy. It’s not a new law. We are just enforcing it.”

The group’s tactics seem to be working.

California Department of Education officials said Esparto is one of a growing number of school districts seeking waivers to switch from at-large elections to trustee-area voting.

Just this month, 25 districts asked the department for waivers. That’s more than the state received from school districts in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 combined.

“A lot of them are coming in from threats of lawsuits,” said Larry Shirey, who works in the department’s district reorganization office.

Shirey said many of the districts seeking waivers have received letters from the Lawyers’ Committee citing violations of the Voting Rights Act.

Experts differ on whether the shift is ultimately harmful or beneficial for schools and communities.

Douglas Johnson, a fellow at the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College, is an expert on school redistricting. As president of National Demographics Corporation, he advises school districts on the transition from at-large to area elections.

Johnson said the vast majority of districts in California still elect at-large representatives. The voting method is a product of turn-of-the-century reforms that sought to avoid the corruption of the ward system that once dominated Chicago and East Coast cities.

At-large voting “has been essentially the rule for cities and school districts for 100 years now,” Johnson said.

The move to area voting has come about only in the past five or six years, since appellate courts rejected challenges to the Voting Rights Act, he said. It’s been a useful tool in some areas to empower minority voters, he said.

In 2010, the Madera Unified School District was ordered to pay $162,500 in attorney fees to the Lawyers’ Committee, which originally sought $1.8 million. The district agreed to abandon at-large voting and drew up trustee areas.

The result was an increase in the number of Latinos on the school board, he said. “There was one Latino on the school board and now there are four,” Johnson said.

But change for its own sake may not be worth it, he said. In its battle with the Lawyers’ Committee, the city of Modesto paid about $4.7 million in legal fees. But drawing districts didn’t result in greater Latino representation on the City Council, Johnson said.

“It was a lot of money over a battle that did not get a new voice on the council,” he said.

The Sacramento City Unified School District moved from at-large voting to trustee-area elections in 2006, with strong support from the local teachers union.

Rick Jennings, a former trustee, said he still doesn’t agree with the move. “If a union wants to control (area) elections, it’s easier to do – you don’t have to spend as much money,” he said.

In addition, he argued, neighborhood elections make trustees beholden to a smaller group of voters – not to the entire district. Decisions over school closures have been affected, he said.

“I believe it’s very hard for you to look at the welfare of the entire district … rather than just focusing on your area ” he said.

Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, studies elections and redistricting.

He said the Voting Rights Act and the Lawyers’ Committee’s actions may not be popular among district officials. But like previous civil rights measures – and the people who enforced them – they are prompting needed change, he said.

“It’s an outside force providing impetus,” he said. “To some it may feel like bullying. To others it may feel like a fresh wind.”

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

Call The Bee’s Hudson Sangree, (916) 321-1191.

Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/27/4219065/california-school-districts-change.html

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 26, 2012 — Five-Year Binding Agreement Cements Measures to Correct Inequities

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission has finalized a settlement with Reading School District, cementing a five-year action plan to address problems blocking district students’ achievement and fair access to education. The district adopted the settlement at its Jan. 25 board meeting.

The settlement is a binding agreement to address the commission’s findings and recommendations following a public investigatory hearing on equal opportunity issues in the Berks County-based district. The commission held the hearing on several dates in September 2010 and February 2011 in response to Reading parents, former district employees and community members who requested that the commission exercise its authority to address racial problems in the district.

“The Reading School District has recognized both the serious problems their students face in getting an education, and how crucial their academic success is to our communities and our economy,” said JoAnn Edwards, the commission’s executive director. “Committing to these tangible measures is a huge step toward tackling the complex problems faced by Reading and so many other districts that struggle to educate all of our children, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or disability.

“The Pa. Human Relations Commission commends the Reading School District for recognizing the importance of our children’s futures, and acknowledging that equal educational opportunity is an investment worth making.”

The 96 settlement terms include measures in three general areas; equal educational opportunity; school safety and security; and equal employment opportunity. 

The settlement and attached report and recommendations do NOT address a pattern of intentional illegal discrimination. The hearing was not intended for that purpose and did not reveal such a pattern. Settlement terms are designed to address identified issues inhibiting student achievement in a district comprised of 76 percent Latino or Hispanic students and another 11 percent African-American and other minority ethnic and racial groups.

The five-year settlement includes monitoring requirements for the commission and reporting requirements for the school district. Terms are based on statistical models, and on methods that have been successful in other districts with similar populations. 

The settlement points the district to public and private organizations with expertise and resources available to address various problems — some without cost to the district.

Settlement terms include:

• Hiring an Equity Coordinator and appointing a five-member volunteer Equity Panel to oversee the district’s educational equity efforts and reporting as detailed in the settlement;
• Increased instructional support such as additional teachers and tutors in underperforming schools;
• Implementation of instructional programs and techniques modeled after high-achieving schools that meet or exceed state standards and have significant minority populations;
• Cultural awareness training for all school personnel and specialized training in discipline and behavior management;
• Enhancements and alterations to gifted and other special education programs and English Language Learner programs;
• Recruitment measures to increase the diversity of the pool of qualified applicants for teacher and administrator positions;
• Improvements to home-school communications, particularly as they relate to specialized instruction and disciplinary measures; and
• Measures to prevent disproportionate discipline of minority students, reduce bullying and increase the overall safety of the school environment.

The settlement is legally binding and enforceable. The settlement and Investigatory Hearing Report and Recommendations are available online at the PA Human Relation Commission’s homepage, at www.phrc.state.pa.us.

Media contact: Shannon Powers, 717-783-8266

SOURCE Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission

Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/26/4217116/pa-human-relations-commission.html

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The Sacramento Kings have a good amount of fans and more viewers this season, but that’s not translating into more dollars.

A new survey by Forbes Magazine ranks the team’s value among the lowest in the NBA.

The Kings’ value in 2007 was $385 million, good for the 12th spot in the league.

Now it’s plummeted to $300 million and money is still a hot topic.

Forbes cited that fans feel the Maloofs were bullying taxpayers into funding a new arena.

The Lakers are the No. 1 most valuable team, worth $900 million.

Article source: http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2012/01/26/kings-value-ranks-near-bottom-of-nba/

BLOOMINGTON, Ill., Jan. 26, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ — Internet communication offers a rare window into the lives of students, which presents a tremendous opportunity to provide a positive environment for learning and development. Beginning July 1, 2012, Gaggle will include its Human Monitoring Service (HMS) as a part of its subscription service in order to better protect students and allow educators to focus on teaching.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120126/CG42426LOGO)

The Human Monitoring Service puts the monitoring of blocked messages in Gaggle’s hands, eliminating the need for teachers to review questionable communications so they can concentrate on classroom instruction. The Human Monitoring Service greatly improves the safety and security of students, both online and in the real world. Gaggle’s HMS team has uncovered bullying, drug use, threats of school violence, teen depression, suicidal intentions, and abusive domestic situations. Detecting issues early allows parents and educators to intervene positively on behalf of students.

Director of Instructional Technology Cleon Franklin of Memphis City Schools, which currently uses the service, says the additional safety feature offers peace of mind. “The HMS team keeps the job of reviewing inappropriate content off our teachers’ plates,” he said. “An unexpected benefit of the system is the student safety situations that Gaggle has brought to our attention, even after school hours, allowing us to intervene and avoid potential tragedies.”

“Our top concern is student safety, and HMS makes it easier for teachers to protect their students in and out of the classroom,” said Shannon Sweeney, Cyber Security Agent at Gaggle. “Teachers don’t have to worry about monitoring the system themselves, giving them more time to devote to classroom instruction.”

Chief Executive Officer Jeff Patterson of Gaggle said, “This is the final puzzle piece that districts need to safely incorporate social networking into the classroom. Districts using HMS can be assured that communications are being constantly monitored and that safety concerns will be quickly addressed.”

About GaggleGaggle, founded in 1998, is the leading provider of safe online communication tools for schools. Gaggle hosts more than 3 million users in the U.S. and 23 countries. Based in Bloomington, Ill., the company is an expert in secure communications and offers proprietary technology and monitoring systems developed specifically for the school environment. Gaggle’s collaboration tools have won numerous education industry awards, including a prestigious CODiE(TM) Award in 2011 and Tech Learning Awards of Excellence in 2009, 2010 and 2011. For more information on Gaggle’s full line of products, call 1-800-288-7750 or visit www.gaggle.net.

PR Contact: Anne Smith, C. Blohm Associates, P: 608.216.7300, anne@cblohm.comGaggle Contact: Susan Heykamp, Director of Marketing, P: 800.288.7750, sheykamp@gaggle.net

SOURCE Gaggle

Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/26/4217147/monitoring-service-from-gaggle.html

PLANO, Texas, Jan. 25, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ — America’s favorite talk-show host and one-time former jcpenney associate, Ellen DeGeneres, is partnering with jcpenney to help usher in a new era for the retailer. The exclusive partnership was announced today as part of the Company’s brand unveiling in New York City, where it laid out its vision to revolutionize the way people shop and become America’s favorite store.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110222/DA51975LOGO)

“Ellen DeGeneres is one of the most fun and vibrant people in entertainment today, with great warmth and a down-to-earth attitude. The millions who watch her on television and follow her through social media relate to her and trust what she has to say,” said Michael Francis, president of J. C. Penney Company, Inc. “Importantly, we share the same fundamental values as Ellen.  At jcpenney, we couldn’t think of a better partner to help us put the fun back into the retail experience.  Moving forward, we’ll be focused on being in sync with the rhythm of our customers’ lives and operating in a ‘Fair and Square’ manner that is rooted in integrity, simplicity and respect. We’re thrilled that she’s joining our team to help convey the exciting transformation under way.”

Ellen and jcpenney will team up to participate in myriad promotional activities touting the brand’s transformation, including the Company’s move to “Fair and Square Pricing.” 

“One of my first jobs was at a jcpenney in Metairie, Louisiana. You know what – I don’t think I ever clocked out on my last day. I should look into that. Anyway, I’m so excited to be back working with the company,” said DeGeneres. “They have an incredible vision for the future and are completely re-inventing themselves to become America’s favorite store. And most importantly, I’m gonna get my employee discount again. Hello new pillows!”

About Ellen DeGeneres

Television icon and entertainment pioneer, Ellen DeGeneres is one of America’s most beloved, popular and celebrated people across the television, film and literary world.  In addition to having nearly 9 million followers on Twitter and 6.5 million Facebook fans, Ellen’s syndicated talk show, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” is the daytime destination for laughter and fun. The show is in its ninth season and has won 35 Daytime Emmy Awards. Ms. DeGeneres has also won 12 People’s Choice Awards and most recently, the Teen Choice Award for “Choice Comedian” for a third consecutive year.  She has been included in Forbes “100 Most Powerful Women” as well as Entertainment Weekly‘s “50 Most Powerful Entertainers” and TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People.”

Ms. DeGeneres has received critical acclaim for her HBO stand-up specials, has starred in and written award-winning television sitcoms, including “Ellen” from 1994 to 1998, and is an accomplished author.  Her first book debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list in 1995, and all three of her books have been enormously successful.  Both on and off screen, Ms. DeGeneres’ humanitarian efforts take center stage. The causes she supports include breast cancer awareness, animal rescue and rehabilitation, and prevention of global warming.  Ms. DeGeneres also recently shed light on the anti-bullying issue by creating a PSA titled “Be Kind.” Additionally, Ms. DeGeneres raised $10 million for her hometown of New Orleans in order to improve the lives of residents there following Hurricane Katrina. In November 2011, she was named as Special Envoy for Global AIDS Awareness by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

About J. C. Penney Company, Inc.

Over 110 years ago, James Cash Penney founded his company on the principle of treating customers the way he wanted to be treated himself: fair and square. Today, rooted in its rich heritage, J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE: JCP) is re-imagining every aspect of its business in order to reclaim its birthright and become America’s favorite store. The Company is transforming the way it does business and remaking the customer experience across its 1,100 jcpenney stores and on jcp.com. On every visit, customers will discover straightforward Fair and Square Pricing, month-long promotions that are in sync with the rhythm of their lives, exceptionally curated merchandise, artful presentation, and unmatched customer service.

For more information about jcpenney, visit jcp.com.

jcpenney media relationsDarcie Brossart and Kate Coultas(972) 431-3400 jcpcorpcomm@jcpenney.com

SOURCE J. C. Penney Company, Inc.

Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/25/4214146/jcpenney-partners-with-ellen-degeneres.html

The following editorial appeared in the Kansas City Star on Monday, Jan. 23:

The presidential election in Taiwan earlier this month handed a second term to incumbent Ma Ying-jeou, and the result allowed Beijing to breathe easier. Ma had pressed for less tension with mainland China, in contrast to his opponent, Tsai Ing-wen, who declined to renounce independence.

But for the long term, the Beijing leadership may have cause for worry. While news of the campaign and election was covered only grudgingly via official media, it flowed freely online. Many Chinese watched a presidential debate on the Web and some traveled to Taiwan to see the campaign for themselves.

What they saw was the first multi-party democracy to appear in 5,000 years of Chinese history. The campaign ran its course without violence. The loser made a gracious concession speech. As a Chinese businessman wrote in a blog post reported by The New York Times, “On the far side of the sea, Taiwan erected a mirror. And on this side of the sea, we saw ourselves in the future.”

The Beijing leadership won’t be able to put this genie back in the bottle. The Chinese have seen their compatriots competently managing the machinery of democracy and they yearn for the same thing on the mainland.

Many thought that after the Tienanmen Square massacre in 1989 – when the Chinese army forcibly put down a mass pro-democracy protest – it was only a matter of time before China’s authoritarian regime would fall.

But China’s rulers have kept a lid on discontent by giving only lip service to Marxism and delivering rapid economic growth. It’s telling that in recent months as growth has faltered, the number of strikes and protests is on the rise.

One result of China’s growth over the last generation is a steadily growing middle class. As in Taiwan, the Philippines and South Korea, a rising middle class has a habit of eventually insisting on the right to self-government.

In corners of American foreign policy, some murmur that perhaps it’s time to cut Taiwan loose, lest it destabilize U.S. relations with China. Yet under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, Washington is required to aid Taiwan’s defense.

That policy should be maintained. To do otherwise would tempt Beijing into bullying Taiwan. And it would raise worrisome questions about America’s staying power among other allies and thus weaken U.S. influence in the all-important Pacific region.

Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/24/4210303/democracy-triumphs-in-taiwan.html

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah couple has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the North Sanpete School District, claiming its failure to protect their son from years of bullying, hazing and false sex assault allegations led to his suicide.

The federal court lawsuit filed Jan. 17 on behalf of Bradd and Edna Hancock seeks unspecified financial damages.

Court papers say the Hancock’s son, identified as J.H., committed suicide Jan. 21, 2010.

The lawsuit contends district officials knew J.H. was the target of physical and emotional abuse from students and others for more than five years but failed to act to protect him.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are the district, its board and the county sheriff’s office.

Superintendent Leslie Keisel referred a request for comment to state risk managers.

Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/24/4211111/utah-school-district-sued-over.html

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah couple has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the North Sanpete School District, claiming its failure to protect their son from years of bullying, hazing and false sex assault allegations led to his suicide.

The federal court lawsuit filed Jan. 17 on behalf of Bradd and Edna Hancock seeks unspecified financial damages.

Court papers say the Hancock’s son, identified as J.H., committed suicide Jan. 21, 2010.

The lawsuit contends district officials knew J.H. was the target of physical and emotional abuse from students and others for more than five years but failed to act to protect him.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are the district, its board and the county sheriff’s office.

Superintendent Leslie Keisel referred a request for comment to state risk managers.

Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/24/4211111/utah-school-district-sued-over.html

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. and OXFORD, Miss., Jan. 24, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ — Reliance Communications, the parent company of SchoolMessenger, today announced the acquisition of AnComm, creator of Talk About It®, the first and only anonymous communication service that allows students to ‘speak up’ by engaging in text message or email dialogue with trusted school staff members. The acquisition expands the suite of communications solutions SchoolMessenger now offers and enables the Talk About It service, currently in use by more than 300,000 students, to more quickly reach a national audience. AnComm CEO and frequent speaker on the subject of bullying, Carter B. Myers, joined SchoolMessenger as vice president of Anonymous Communication Solutions.

“As on-campus safety concerns and incidents have escalated over the last decade, thousands of schools and districts nationwide have turned to SchoolMessenger to provide messaging and notification solutions that allow them to connect and communicate directly with millions of parents, students and staff every day,” said Sanford Kenyon, president and chief executive officer of Reliance Communications. “Talk About It is a natural extension of our suite of on-demand solutions that can provide customers with an affordable, one-of-a-kind communications tool that allows students to break the ‘code of silence’ and seek immediate help from trusted school staff members before tragedy strikes. We believe that just as emergency notification solutions have become a ‘must have’ in K-12, anonymous communication tools will quickly be adopted to address the myriad of on-campus challenges raised by bullying, stress, family problems, academic pressures and more.”

Launched in 2005, Talk About It was designed around a simple concept: Kids are the best resource for knowing what’s going on inside their school. If a problem or threat should arise, students simply send an anonymous text or email message using their mobile phone or any Internet-connected device. The message is relayed to the trusted school staff member of their choice. The service reduces the stigma of being seen communicating with a trusted adult and allows students to reach out to a counselor or faculty member without fear of retribution or embarrassment.

“To address threats such as bullying, communication is a vital component of any school safety plan,” said Mr. Myers. “Talk About It is a preventative service that allows students to speak up using their tools of choice, text or online communication, and begin a confidential dialogue that can lead to immediate and actionable results – results that are measurably better than with traditional methods which lack two-way interaction or don’t provide for targeting specific staff members. We are very excited to align our service with SchoolMessenger, a company that has demonstrated excellence in the education market for more than a decade, and look forward to working with educators across the country to help foster a safer, more comfortable learning environment.”

Talk About It is now available as an on-demand solution to all schools and districts, regardless of the notification service they employ. For more information and a video overview, visit http://talk.schoolmessenger.com.

About SchoolMessengerSchoolMessenger is a leading provider of notification solutions for education. Thousands of school districts, public schools, colleges, universities, private schools and other educational facilities in all 50 states depend on the company’s innovative solutions to connect and effectively communicate with millions of parents, students and staff every day. Founded in 1999, the company is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California. For information, visit http://www.schoolmessenger.com or call 888.527.5225.

Media Contact:Carleen LeVasseur SchoolMessenger Public Relation408-264-6767pr@schoolmessenger.com

SOURCE SchoolMessenger

Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/24/4210193/reliance-communications-acquires.html

MIAMI, Jan. 23, 2012 —

MIAMI, Jan. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — NATPE²⁰¹² – Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas, the fastest growing bilingual/bicultural cable network among the coveted Hispanic millennial generation, continues to boost its original programming slate in 2012. New content in development includes the aspirational series Amigas, Inc. under executive producer Jennifer Lopez, producing partner Simon Fields and veteran film and television producer Jane Startz. The network’s new originals in production include the wildly-entertaining docu-series starring Mexican-American BMX champ Ricardo Laguna, a thriving Hispanic millennial discovered by executive producer Wilmer Valderrama, and Dulce Maria: Extranjera which documents the American Life of the former RBD star as she faces the cultural barriers and challenges of Hollywood stardom. The announcement was made today by Charlie Singer, SVP of Content Creative for Tr3s.

Tr3s will also acquire Mexico’s innovative novela Bienvenida Realidad from Argos Communications, and will renew top-rated originals Quiero Mis Quinces, Quiero Mi Boda, Rock Dinner and La Escalera as part of its stellar new programming slate.

“I’m so excited to bring the Amigas series to television and to share the rich cultural experiences of being a Latino that are universal to us all,” said Jennifer Lopez.  “I hope that this series will entertain audiences and inspire my fans to pursue their own dreams.”

“When I met Ricardo, I immediately discovered a disarming, charming and inspiring young man with a vision larger than even his whole family expected. I related to him on so many levels. Ricardo and his family remind me and all of us the reason why we move away from our countries and come to America to embark in the search of the American dream,” said Wilmer Valderrama.

“Tr3s has become a strong creative content engine, and we take pride in knowing that we have established a credible and valuable space that allows producers to create innovative and compelling content,” said Singer. “Our audience is more invested and engaged in our original programming than ever before and we look forward to continuing to deliver hit content.”

AMIGAS, INCLopez and Fields are executive producing through their Nuyorican Productions and Startz is executive producing via her Jane Startz Productions.  Startz is the creator of the Amigas, Inc. books series and characters which were inspired by Jennifer Lopez.  Branded entertainment firm United Entertainment Group will also have a producing role in the series.  Amigas Inc. chronicles the lives of four entrepreneurial Miami teens who pool their creative talents as singers, graphic artists, deejays and choreographers to launch a party-planning business to throw teenage girls their dream Quinceanera—the Latin cultural equivalent to a “Sweet Sixteen” celebration.  The business becomes such a success that soon the four teens find themselves with the hottest party-planning business in Miami. Tr3s has ordered eight episodes for a fall 2012 debut of the English-language coming-of-age series. 

THE RICARDO LAGUNA PROJECTActor turned Executive Producer Wilmer Valderrama teams up with Tr3s for the new docu-series The Ricardo Laguna Project. The series will take a look inside the outrageously amusing life of one of Las Vegas magazine’s Most Eligible Bachelor and BMX champion Ricardo Laguna as he attempts to break 3 world records and start his own family business – all while balancing his close knit family and the enticing Vegas social scene. Tr3s will produce eight 30-minute episodes for a March 2012 premier.

DULCE MARIA: EXTRANJERAAfter achieving ultimate stardom in Latin America through her success in music, film, television and a fan base of 1 million followers on Facebook and Twitter, Dulce Maria has her eyes set on conquering the same success in the United States. Her new original series Dulce Maria: Extranjera chronicles the difficult departure from her beloved family and fans to the star-studded life of Los Angeles, California. On this journey to new found independence, she experiences the challenges of a new language and culture, in the midst of launching a new career in Hollywood’s competitive market. Tr3s will produce ten 1-hour episodes for July 2012.

BIENVENIDA REALIDADTr3s has also acquired the young and innovative novela Bienvenida Realidad, a property of Cadena Tres, Argos Communications and Sony Pictures Television in Mexico. The series scored 10 million viewers and top ratings across all demos in Mexico, surpassing teen show Gilmore Girls in the Spanish-speaking region.  The novela casts a multigenerational ensemble of high school seniors, teachers and parents, who journey through the intolerance and stress points of adolescence (bullying, homosexuality, drugs, pregnancy, STDs). New deal includes 120 episodes starting February 2012.

Source: Nielsen Media Research NHIH, 6/27/2011-12/25/2011 vs 6/28/2010-12/26/2010, HP12-34, Total Day M-Su8a-2a, Live +SD, % of total impression, % of total duration, growth based on ratings

About Tr3s: MTV, Musica y MasTr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas, owned and operated by Viacom International Media Networks, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), reaches 6.3 million Hispanic TV households (45% of US Hispanic Total TV HH) and 33.6 million total TV households. The network’s programming embraces the trilogy of cultures that represents Latino life – Latin American plus American equals US Latino – through original productions, key acquisitions, and content from MTV Networks’ portfolio of entertainment brands. Tr3s embraces the key lifestyle aspects of Latino identity — milestones, making it and music – as well as social responsibility through its initiative “Agentes de Cambio”, which tackles issues that affect Latinos today. The network also taps into the growing number of Latinos that are digitally connected through www.tr3s.com.

SOURCE Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas

Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/23/4208098/fastest-growing-hispanic-cable.html