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Ron Burgundy, the famous news anchor, scotch drinker and blowhard, has been hard at work. Earlier this month, the Will Ferrell character began to appear in a series of online videos for the Dodge Durango. And the co-promotions with brands ahead of the release of the Anchorman sequel continue. This week, Ben & Jerry's unveiled a limited edition butterscotch ice cream called "Scotchy, Scotch, Scotch," and featuring the fictional reporter on the package. LeeAnne Stables, president of consumer products at Paramount Pictures, called it "an exciting and delicious way to build anticipation for the film." In a statement, Mr. Burgundy noted his other flavour suggestions for the brand: "Malt liquor marshmallow, well liquor bourbon peanut butter, and cheap white wine sherbet."

MOBILE ADVERTISING FEARS

"Some brands still remain wary of the mobile channel due to concerns that mobile advertisements may be perceived as inappropriate or intrusive.'

Juniper Research report, released this week, on the state of mobile advertising. The report predicted that global mobile advertising spending would reach $13-billion (U.S.) this year.

NURSES FIGHT 'REALITY'

Groups representing Canada's nurses are fed up with images of nurses in the media, which they say are often negative, demeaning and overly sexualized. The Ontario Nurses' Association, the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, and the Canadian Nurses Association have all sent letters to MTV complaining about a new "reality" show called Scrubbing In, which features a cast of buxom, hard-partying young nurses in California. (There is at least one male nurse in the cast.) "The nurses portrayed in the show [are presented] as sexual objects, exploit negative stereotypes and diminish the fact that we are knowledgeable health-care professionals who make the difference between life and death for patients every day," ONA president Linda Haslam-Stroud said in an open letter. The groups are encouraging members and others to sign an online petition to cancel the program. MTV Canada said in a statement that it "holds the nursing profession in the highest regard," and said it believed viewers would understand the program is "meant to entertain, not inform."

CRTC WANTS TO 'TALK TV'

The CRTC wants Canadians to hold "flash conferences" with friends and colleagues to discuss the future of television and then report their findings, as part of the broadcast regulator's examination of the country's broadcast system. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission officially launched its "Let's Talk TV" campaign Thursday. Hot topics will likely include the introduction of so-called pick-and-pay television services in which subscribers have greater choice over their television packages and whether traditional broadcasters should be regulated online when they launch services to compete with companies such as Netflix Inc. The CRTC hopes viewers will write letters or leave phone messages with the commission before Nov. 22 outlining their thoughts and frustrations ahead of a formal review planned for September.

Steve Ladurantaye

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