7.00PM: A source at the Herald on Sunday believes the information the paper printed this morning outing the likelihood of the return of the Hero Parade came from a number of gay community sources other than the PR firm retained by the parade's possible sponsor. The Herald on Sunday's early revelation of the possibility of a parade in 2008 has clearly rattled the Hero Brand Management Group and the Hero Trust which indicate they are still in delicate negotiations with the Auckland City Council and possible sponsors and organisers. Some gay community media have been aware of Hero's Parade investigations but agreed to a request from Hero that the information be treated as confidential until Hero was ready to make a formal announcement. There was a possibility such an announcement was to have been made this weekend but Hero last week advised it would still be some weeks before a parade is confirmed or rejected. GayNZ.com is aware of a number of non-Hero people in the glbt community who were becoming aware that a return of the Hero parade was being seriously considered. Pead PR, retained by 42Below vodka which may sponsor such a parade, says it hinted to Herald on Sunday journalist Jonathan Marshall several weeks ago that there might be a parade announcement soon, but was as shocked as Hero when a story containing detail about the parade and inferring it was a done deal appeared. Pead says it was read a version of the story prior to publication and, although it was concerned about the story being published, felt the item was sufficiently speculative and lacking in confirmed detail not to hurt Hero. It says it is concerned that the published story was quite different to the version it was read over the phone. However, a source in the Herald On Sunday newsroom suggests it was substantially the same. Among those eventually quoted in the Herald on Sunday piece was Hero Brand Management Group spokesperson Michael Modrich, although it is unclear on what basis he believed he was speaking to the journalist who broke the story. Spokespeople for the Hero Trust and Brand Management Group are currently unavailable to clarify the situation regarding the parade, the leaks, and how the unexpected publicity could affect negotiations. Ref: GayNZ.com (j)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Sunday, 25th February 2007 - 12:00pm