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Obama's bet on GM hangs on
new pickup boosting share price
By The Associated Press
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (Bloomberg) — General Motors's best bet for 2013 may also provide the Obama administration an exit ramp for its $50 billion investment in the largest U.S. automaker.
With Thursday's unveiling of its first redesigned Chevrolet Silverado full-sized pickup since 2006, GM aims to take Ford head on with new trucks that could help boost its share price, encouraging the U.S. government to sell its stake.
GM's Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, mechanically similar models that combined to made up 23 percent of the Detroit-based automaker's U.S. sales last year, generated an estimated 16 percent of the company's global earnings before interest and taxes this year and the redesigned versions could boost Ebit by more than $1 billion in 2013, according to a Citigroup estimate.
Even with the recent cloud of high existing truck inventories, the new models hold the promise of giving GM's investors, the U.S. government included, a long-awaited boost.
Introducing a new pickup "tends to correlate very well with positive stock returns" for GM, said Itay Michaeli, an analyst with Citigroup. Since GM's initial public offering in November 2010, "there was high anticipation already then for the 2013-2014 truck launch."
Of 13 new Chevrolet vehicles introduced next year, the Silverado will do more than any other model to help boost sales and profits, which analysts project will increase next year.
"It's really hard to find a product for GM that's more important," Rebecca Lindland, an industry analyst with IHS Automotive, said this week in a telephone interview.
The U.S. may sell its remaining 32 percent stake in GM, a hold-over from the 2009 rescue of the automaker, if the shares rise. The Treasury wants to sell for at least the $33 a share price it got in the initial public offering in November 2010, people familiar with the matter have said. It needs to sell for more than $50 for the U.S. to break even.
GM has long battled Ford for pickup buyers. Sales of Ford's F-Series, which was redesigned in 2008 and has been the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for 30 consecutive years, have outpaced Silverado and Sierra as customers have shifted to the Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker's more efficient smaller engines.
About 54 percent of F-150s sold through September came with six-cylinder engines whereas only 7.6 percent of Silverado 1500s had the smaller powerplant, according to Edmunds.com, a website that tracks auto sales. Before Ford's 2010 introduction of the Ecoboost version of its V-6 engine, which uses direct fuel injection and turbocharging to increase fuel economy and power, about 14 percent of F-150 sales came with six-cylinder engines in 2008, Edmunds said.
"They need to move fuel efficiency that sticks beyond what Ford is doing without sacrificing power," Matthew Stover, an industry analyst with Guggenheim Securities based in Boston, said in an interview. GM will probably "shift it from a horsepower war to a fuel-efficiency war."
GM's current Silverado has fallen behind in technology as the automaker wasn't able to keep investing enough during its 2009 bankruptcy reorganization, said Larry Dominique, executive vice president of researcher TrueCar.com.
"They had a really good riding truck, good fuel economy," he said in an interview in Bloomberg's Southfield, Mich., bureau. "They've got to take that leap again. They've got to leapfrog Dodge and Ford."
Chrysler Group makes vehicles under brands including Dodge, Ram and Jeep.
While GM hasn't publicly released details of the new truck, the company showed it to dealers in September in Las Vegas for a private review of future products. Executives promised a new pickup that would have more torque and better fuel efficiency than Ford.
"Everything that I have heard, I think the truck is going to be a threat not just to Ford but a threat to everybody in the full-sized truck business," Jason Brickl, chief executive officer of a dealership chain that has two Chevrolet outlets in the Madison, Wis., area.
The introduction of the new pickup comes as GM struggles to manage inventory of the old version it must sell down while production of the new truck begins in the second quarter.
At the end of November, GM's pickup inventory rose 4.4 percent to 245,853 compared with a month earlier. Kurt McNeil, GM vice president of sales operations, said the pickup inventory may finish the year higher than the company's 200,000 to 220,000 target.
After considering trimming its estimate for 210,000 GM pickups to be produced in the first quarter, IHS decided against doing so, Tracy Handler, an analyst based in Northville, Michigan, said yesterday in an e-mail.
Production of GM's full-size pickups and the sport-utility- vehicles built on that truck frame could rise 20 percent in 2014 compared with 1 million produced this year, Citigroup's Michaeli said.
Full-sized pickup sales make up about 30 percent of John McEleney's Chevrolet sales at his dealership in Clinton, Iowa.
"A lot of people have been waiting for it," he said in a telephone interview this week. "I think a lot of Chevy and GMC truck buyers who have had two or three of the current version are excited to maybe move into the new one."
After previewing the truck in Las Vegas, he said the cabin is nicer and has improved technology.
"They did a great job with the interior," he said. "The outside appearance is strong, but the interior is probably the biggest change, which I'm very encouraged about."
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Task force expects report on BIA reorganization in early 1992 ■ni.- • j • t«-l- t:~..~«> «». .u- —,..lv th. ' .u_™ k., Mirlnnal offir«»c ic »T-ru>^«/>i4 «•« K» iniri^tii/oc th#» TasVr Fnm> nut a Ponf«»renre Renorf on the FY 1991 Bureau nroBTams havine the hiehest The Advisory Task Force on the Reorganization of the BIA Nov. 15 wound up three days of meetings in San Diego, California with plans to submit a report on its work to the Secretary of Interior and Congressional Appropriations Committees in early 1992. Here are actions taken to date during the group's nine meetings that it is expected to spell out in detail in the Task Force report: • Considered a draft restructuring and streamlining plan for the BIA Central Office which reduces positions required for a headquarters operations and makes additional funds available for distribution to the agencies or other field offices; • Formally approved a resolution to create a Central Office of Economic Development and will review and receive tribal consultation on the creation of a regional structure for the Bureau's credit and financing program; • Further institutionalized a consultation process for bringing management improvement and reorganization initiatives to the group for information and action. • Proposed that the name of the BIA budgeting process and system wherein tribes establish funding levels for programs, from the Indian Priority System (IPS) to the Tribal Budget System, to better emphasize the government-to-government relationship; • Initiated a process for tribes to rank the programs serving them by requesting that each tribe identify the eight programs they believe have the highest priority; and • Accelerated development of a standard assessment methodology for budget development using the services of the National Indian Policy Center. The approach would be to develop a methodology to apply for all tribes to determine funding allocations. Harold Monteau, tribal attorney with the Montana law firm of Monteau and Guenther, a Task Force representative for the Billings Area and Task Force tribal coordinator, was asked to begin the task of writing the report. Federal staff representatives will work with him in that effort. Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan at the Task Force's Anchorage, Alaska meeting last month urged the group to submit a report by January 1992 so that any necessary information could be included in the Administration's budget message to Congress in February. While Task Force members agreed on headquarters functions of the economic development office, they deferred action on a proposal designating headquarters for regional offices. A proposal for regional offices will be taken to tribal leaders by the designated tribal representatives for consultation to determine the most effective cities for locating the regional offices. A decision on final locations of the regional offices is expected to be reached when the group concludes its meeting in Tampa, Florida, later today. It was agreed that the Central Office will use existing positions to create an office of preferential contracting and technical assistance in the new Office. In working on the consultation process for management improvement and reorganization Reservation fishing co-op paid $2.5 million bonus Bemidji, Minn. (AP) - A $2.5 million bonus being divided among nearly 600 Red Lake Fisheries Association fishers is the largest in the association's history, an official says. The amount nearly doubles the $1.35 million in bonuses paid out a year ago, fisheries general manager Marlene Hanson said. "Part of the reason for the higher bonuses is hard work," Hanson said. Another was an increase in the number of Red Lake Reservation commercial fishers, from 348 a year ago to 578 who will share bonus money this year. Last year's record bonus and money drew more interest in commercial fishing this year, she said. Higher sales of yellow perch also helped push sales to a record plateau, Hanson said. Red Lake Fisheries (lad a record 54.4 million in 1991 sales. Last year's Sales were $2.5 million. A family-oriented industry, commercial fishing at Red Lake has become an important economic industry with a weekly payroll of $100,000, according to Dave Connor, Red Lake tribal fisheries biologist. "It's not a glamorous occupation, but high unemployment has forced many to turn to fishing," Connor said. Under the cooperative system, reservation fishers are paid for fish they bring to the Redby processing center. Profits from commercial sales by the Fisheries Association are pooled and the association's board of directors decides how much to give in bonuses at the end of the season. "During the summer we paid out to all fishermen $1.25 million," Hanson said. "After the bonus, we will have paid out $3.79 million, so 87 percent of the fisheries total sales went back to the fishermen." The bonus amounts to a final payment for the season. For example, a Red Lake Reservation tribal and cooperative member earning $3,000 during the season would receive a bonus check Wednesday of $6,030. Only association members may fish commercially on the Red Lake Reservation and the fish is marketed through the association. The fishing season runs May 15 to Nov. 15, with the Red Lake Fisheries Association the only commercial walleye fisheries in the United States. Bonuses are paid based on poundage of fish brought to the fisheries plant during the season, Connor said. While walleye take has declined, the take of yellow perch has skyrocketed, he said. The average daily catch per fisher was 179 pounds of walleye and 25 of yellow perch in 1989. By 1991, the average was eight pounds of walleye and 112 of yellow perch. The Red Lake Fisheries Division, which has no connection to the commercial fishing association, monitors and manages fish resources. Self-governance Project draws large attendance In mid-November, more than 110 individuals attended a working conference on Indian tribal self-governance in Mesa, Arizona. The elected heads of 11 tribes and representatives of 16 of the 17 "compact" tribes explored creative ways to refine and improve the Self- Governance Demonstration Project. "Both the President and I view self-governance as the next step in the government-to- government relationship," Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan wrote in a letter to the conference participants. "I am pleased that self-governance has become a reality during the President's first term in office. I am also pleased that it has started to expand in terms of the number of tribes participating and in the range of issues that it is addressing." He continued, "Over the next year, let us see how far we can go in streamlining Departmental, Bureau and Tribal procedures in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of programs and services that are ultimately delivered to American Indians and Alaska Natives." In his keynote address, Assistant Secretary Eddie F. Brown said the Demonstration Project will continue to receive the highest priority from his office. "Secretary Lujan has made it clear that this administration views it as becoming permanent for those tribes who want it. The question before us is not whether this program will continue but rather what form it will take." Brown encouraged the sixteen participating tribes to push for change but to recognize that change does not occur overnight in the federal government. "To the BIA area and agency staffs, I encourage you to roll up your sleeves and participate in a rare opportunity in the federal government - the creation of something new." Twelve work sessions for the conference were organized under the four main themes of functional restructuring; budgetary and resource allocation; legal and programmatic issues; and accountability. William Lavell, director of the Office of Self- Governance, termed the conference a huge success. "This success is due to the cooperative efforts of tribal leaders and staff working closely with BIA staff," Lavell said. He added that many issues and questions were discussed and numerous options were proposed for consideration. "A variety of tasks are being planned and progress reports will be made at a follow-up conference which is tentatively planned for next spring, prior to the commencement of negotiations of the FY 1993 Compact Agreements," Lavell said. initiatives, the Task Force put a process in place for identifying current or future initiatives of the Bureau and determining the ones to be brought before the Task Force for review and comment or recommendations which need Task Force approval. The process adopted further refines the participatory role of the Task Force in dealing with reorganization as referenced in the Conference Report on the FY 1992 appropriations bill. Reports were also heard on the continuing development of agency level organizations which reflect tribal design of the offices direcdy serving them. The process was begun at the Bismarck meeting in September and should be completed by all areas in December. In asking tribes to rank eight Bureau programs having the highest priority, Assistant Secretary Eddie Brown will direct the Bureau's line officers to work with the tribes in their jurisdictions. The Task Force can then communicate these priorities to the Secretary and senior management officials of OMB for their use in making funding allocation decisions in the federal budget process. "VTaoxoa— of -fclng; Anishinabe Fifty Cents Founded in 1988 Volume 4 Issue 12 December 18,1991 U c Copyright, the Ojibwe News, 1991 Alternative A Bi-Monthly Publication Bemidji, Minnesota 56601 schoofmust Is there a truck in your future? repay state v St. Paul, Minn. (AP) - A private alternative school for American Indian children has been ordered to return $29,100 to the state and won't get a $48,267 grant. The state Board of Education on Monday ordered the Red School House in St. Paul to make the repayment based on an audit showing the money had been improperly spent. The board also said the school won't get the grant previously awarded for this year's language and culture programs. The Red School House has an annual budget of $1.5 million, made up mostly of federal money, and serves 150 students. "This will really hurt our program," said Ronald Leith, the school's administrator. The state audit covered the 1989-90 academic year when Stephanie Autumn was the school's administrator. Autumn left in May after the school board did not renew her contract. Leith, a critic of the previoiV, administration, said school officials did not keep careful financial records and auditors could not find receipts for many expenses. > ♦.t" ' * -, ■"'>■■'.■■■.. It has been rumored that the Red Lake Tribal Council will be using creative financing to meet their next payroll. Could these trucks be a Merry Christmas present for some one? East Grand Forks and Red Lake Falls to host new casinos Redlake, Minn. (AP) - The Red Lake Chippewa Band plans to locate casinos in East Grand Forks and Red Lake Falls according to tribal officials. Thief River Falls and Crookston, two cities considered as possible casino locations, were ruled out by the tribal council, said Bill Hallett, the tribe's economic development director. The tribe, which opened a casino in Warroad in August, initially planned to open a second casino in Thief River Falls but now is "proposing to go ahead with two additional expansions," Hallett said. Three sites in East Grand Forks have drawn the tribe's interest: Liberty Lanes bowling alley and the former Regency Inn, both located on U.S. Hwy. 2; and the White Mart store within the Holiday Mall downtown. In Red Lake Falls, the tribe is interested in a 15,000-square-foot space available in the downtown mall. The Red Lake Falls City Council won the tribe's attention with an "aggressive" proposal this week, Hallett said. East Grand Forks would have the larger of the two casinos because it would serve a larger market, Hallett said, but the Red Lake casino may open sooner. "Red Lake Falls would be the quickest to develop. We're looking at minor renovations in the mall there," Hallett said. East Grand Forks Mayor Ken Moulds said he informally polled City Council members on die casino proposal and found unanimous support. "Everybody has some questions," Moulds said, "but at the same time, everybody is anxious to get on with it." "Whatever you do, you'll have a certain element of people who have concerns about gambling. Overall, people will recognize that this is a good thing for the community." Meanwhile, the tribe's decision was a letdown for city and county officials in Thief River Falls. The community was the tribe's first choice for a casino, but it also was the only town in which there's been significant opposition. "We're very disappointed, to say the least," said Thief River Falls City Council member Bob Reeve. "But I can't feel entirely bad about Red Lake Falls. They've had some rough times too. They're close to us, so hopefully, we'll get some spin-off." Hallett said the tribal council decided to avoid Thief River Falls because tribal members detected a "radical, racist element" among casino opponents. "There were calls to the chairman while we were in council, vowing to do everything they could to shut us down, including picket," Hallett said. David Grothe, a Thief River Falls businessman who led a campaign against the casino, said he called the tribal council during its deliberations Tuesday. He said he told a tribal official mat some opponents planned to picket if the tribe opened a casino in Thief River Falls, but that he would concentrate on convincing Gov. Arne Carlson not to sign a gambling compact with the tribe. "She said I used nice-sounding words, but that I was a racist," Grothe said. "I told her it wouldn't matter if a totally white group brought in a casino. We're opposed to it because we think it'll hurt people." Hallett said, "There's a lot of charitable gaming going on in that community and these people aren't standing outside picketing them." Hallett said the tribe isn't concerned about competition from the White Earth Chippewa Band, which last month opened a casino in Mahnomen, because "business creates business." In fact, the Red Lake Band hopes to expand its Warroad casino soon, Hallett said. The tribe is negotiating the purchase of Reed's Landing, a motel-restaurant-charter fishing resort in Warroad. Gambling casinos, which offer video slot machines and high stakes blackjack, have proved a major economic success for Minnesota's Indian tribes since Congress passed the Indian Gaming Act in 1988. All of the tribes in northern Minnesota are building casinos or expanding current operations. The state's Indian-run casinos drew $400 million in wagers in 1991. State officials predict wagers could top $700 million in 1992. Lujan addresses Federal Financial System issue Speaking to the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Albuquerque area and central office employees recently, Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan called BIA's conversion to the Federal Financial System (FFS) to date a success and declared that it was time to fully integrate BIA employees into the management team. "As you know, last year there was much turmoil here in Albuquerque because I sent a team of financial and management experts from other bureaus here in response to an Inspector General's report regarding major accounting problems," Lujan told the employees. "This team came to Albuquerque to put into effect the FFS for BIA. I'm pleased that this task is being accomplished," he added. He said that it was now time to move ahead in cleaning up the old system, entering proper dates into the new accounting system, and fully integrating BIA employees into the new operations. "It is my desire that upon reconciling of all accounts and control problems and full implementation of the new system, all financial and management functions will be solely in the hands of BIA employees," Lujan said. The Interior Secretary spent more than three hours in his visit answering questions from BIA's financial and management staff, the team of experts that have been working since last year in converting to FFS, and all employees of the Albuquerque area. "I always make it a point to meet with the Bureaus that have large staffs in the areas I visit," he said. "I especially wanted to visit at this time to call attention to the new accounting system to which BIA has just converted," he added. He told BIA's financial and management employees they would continue to be trained to take full control of the FFS system. He asked Brown to speed consideration by the Reorganization Task Force of a plan to restructure the unit so that further training of employees could begin. Lujan also said some new positions would be created for which many of the current employees in financial and management unit could qualify. "One of the problems still being addressed is the backlog of payment vouchers," Brown said. "Each Bureau that has converted to the new system has initially built up substantial payment backlogs and BIA has been no exception." He said that to address the problem, the Division of Accounting Management formed a special project team to establish controls over the flow of payment documents, to identify documentation problems before much time is wasted on transactions not yet ready for payment, and to identify and resolve roadblocks to making payments. Typical payment problems include incomplete documentation and a lack of a recorded obligation in the accounting system. Interior officials told BIA that BIA's conversion so far has been the smoothest of any of the seven Interior bureaus currently using FFS. Prior to conversion to the new system, a $95 million negative cash balance with Treasury was cleared and differences in excess of $400 million in BIA's general ledger balances and Treasury balances were resolved. It will take about a year for the BIA staff to become proficient at using the new system based upon the experiences of the other Interior bureaus that have converted. Christmas Greetings from the Ojibwe News
Object Description
Title | The Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1991-12-18 |
Edition | Volume 4, Number 12 |
Date of Creation | 1991-12-18 |
Publishing Agency | William J. Lawrence (Bemidji, Minnesota) |
Language | English |
Minnesota Reflections Topic | American Indians |
Item Type | Text |
Item Physical Format | Newspapers |
Formal Subject Headings |
Ojibwa Indians Community newspapers Indians of North America -- Newspapers |
Locally Assigned Subject Headings | American Indians; Native Americans; Ojibway; Ojibwe |
Minnesota City or Township | Bemidji |
Minnesota County | Beltrami |
State or Province | Minnesota |
Country | United States |
Contributing Organization | Bemidji State University, 1500 Birchmont Drive NE, Bemidji, Minnesota 56601-2699 |
Rights Management | Content and images in this collection may be reproduced and used freely without written permission only for educational purposes. Any other use requires the express written consent of Bemidji State University and the Associated Press. All uses require an acknowledgment of the source of the work. |
Local Identifier | bdj_1991 |
LCCN | sn 2001061867 |
OCLC Control Number | 25931514 |
Fiscal Sponsor | Funding provided to the Minnesota Digital Library through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. |
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Rage Against the Machine Videos
Now Playing: Hottest New Music Releases: Alicia Keys, Glee, Rage Against The Machine, Future
Hottest New Music Releases: Alicia Keys, Glee, Rage Against The Machine, Future
2012-11-27 Celebs soak in the sun at Coachella music festival
2012-04-16 Linkin Park Debut Comeback Single Burn It Down
2012-04-16 Musicians pay tribute to Bob Dylan for Amnesty International.
2012-01-30 Radiohead, Massive Attack Occupy London
2011-12-08 Joe McElderry dropped by Cowell's record label
2011-04-15 Tom Morello Excited About Steelers, Grammys Not So Much
2011-01-29 X Factor winner Matt Cardle is Xmas No1
2010-12-20 Matt Cardle wants Katy Perry
2010-12-08 Rage' give free thank you gig
2010-06-07 Kiss kick off 25th Rock am Ring
2010-06-04 Cypress Hill battle to keep fans
2010-04-21 JLS quit partying for music/Subo for Rage factor?
2010-03-30 The Brits are upon us!
2010-02-16 Lady Gaga knocks Joe McElderry off number 1
2010-01-04 Music Review 2009
2009-12-24 Joe McElderry could still get to No.1
2009-12-23 X Factor move for 2010
2009-12-22 Joe McElderry reacts to not getting the Xmas no. 1
2009-12-21 Michael Jackson tribute concert cancelled
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2009-12-21 Rage Against The Machine are Christmas Number 1!
2009-12-20 Cowell and Cole rage against anti Joe campaign
2009-12-18 Lily Allen too sick to record Top of the Pops Xmas
2009-12-17 X Factor v Rage Against the Machine for Xmas No.1
2009-12-17 X Factor or Rage for Xmas number one?
2009-12-14 Tens of thousands Rock at the Ring
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YouTube, new King of the Primetime Hill?
// May 17th, 2010 // No Comments » // Emerging Tech
If anyone needed any further proof that the interweb tubes were acting as a disruptor to the media and entertainment industry, this story from Wired has to be a wake up call.
It's been interesting watching the trends when it comes to the effect the internet has been having on the media and entertainment industry. You'd have thought they'd have picked up on this a bit quicker…since the trends have been pretty clear for at least ten years (see below), and the trends have started in the US–home of the world's largest entertainment industry ("Hollywood").
It all started with music
First hint at the huge disruptive impact of the internet came waaay back in 1999 when Napster was released to the world by Shawn Fanning. Sure there were other music sharing apps out there, but Napster went viral, and soon enough dominated the field. The music industry's reaction? At first indifference, then they swung wildly to the other end of the spectrum: inappropriate overreaction and panic. Instead of embracing the new technology, the music industry (read the RIAA) decided to attempt to fight it. Didn't anyone over in the RIAA realize that trying to oppose advances in technology is akin to trying to dig a hole in the water in the middle of the ocean? Sure you may win a couple of fights…but you'll never put the genie back into the bottle. But hey, if you are scared sleepless by something in the US, what do you do? Launch a lawsuit, of course. The RIAA did win the battle with Napster, but it inevitably lost the war.
And things progress…
Then in November of 2003, along comes The Pirate Bay. Building on Bram Cohen's bit torrent technology, The Pirate Bay became one of the internet's most popular sites for discovering torrents (although the site, itself, didn't host any content, it provided an invaluable "tracking" service to discover torrents. Again, the entertainment industry's reaction: sue. And so they did. Of course, the flippant attitude (and quite appropriate "pirate" responses–which, by the way, were hilarious) of the site's operators only goaded the suits to pursue their lawsuits…and eventually The Pirate Bay was also deluged with a blizzard of lawsuits and legal costs (though it should be noted that the site does continue to this day). Did the industry learn anything? Evidently not. Or maybe they did?
Finally understanding that the internet/web might pose an opportunity rather than one big threat, NBC, Fox, and ABC teamed up to create Hulu–a website which features their content and delivers it, streaming, via the web. Of course, the old titans of the broadcast industry still had some old fashioned notions which illustrated that the old guard was still out of touch with how things work with the internet/web (and still had a view of the internet as a threat rather than an opportunity), but hey, you can only hope the old dog learns a few new tricks, I suppose. Nevertheless, Hulu has proven to be largely successful…and hopefully will lead the old guard into the new age of video content.
Of course, it's not just the broadcast media that's been affected. Everything in the entertainment industry has been affected–including the movie studios. Nothing illustrates this better than Netflix, and the disruption it has caused the traditional distribution mechanisms of the movie studios. Here, too, the industry has been slow to respond…first insisting that new movies would be released on DVD/BluRay after a delay so that their traditional distribution systems (read: movie theaters) could make money/profit off of the new releases. What the studios will eventually realize is that the market would like immediate releases of movies on the internet/web. And that the potential for immediate profits is huge: imagine a movie being released worldwide–and getting gross receipts for the entire world, at one time (instead of the piecemeal release studios do today on a country/geographic basis). Instead of waiting a month (or two) to get worldwide receipts, studios could potentially pay off their investment in days. In addition, word of mouth these days spreads within hours–not in weeks. If they have a dog on their hands, the best chance to make money is by making the movie available immediately everywhere…before word of mouth closes off some markets (yes, that's a bit Machiavellian…but it's true nonetheless). Economics will force the studios to adopt this new way of doing business–and those companies which embrace it first, will reap huge rewards…
Lessons Learned?
Im using "learned" loosely here–mainly because I'm convinced the media and entertainment industry still doesn't, by and large, "get it". The bottom line is this: expect instant distribution of media. Monetize that distribution by reducing costs (afterall the cost to distribute a movie via the web is significantly less than the cost of distributing via theaters…reduce the cost of a movie, say, to $5/viewing would immediately boost sales while at the same time increasing revenue due to an expanded market base…and the commoditization effect is inevitable anyways…for proof of that, just look at the iTunes store).
So, adapt or die. It's something that we're all extremely familiar with in the tech industry (and a basic precept of evolutionary theory). But, unfortunately, it seems as if it's still largely not understood in the media and entertainment industry (to be fair, they're not alone–same thing is evident in the news/newspaper industry, and to a lesser extent the publishing industry–which is being dragged kicking and screaming by the likes of Amazon and now Apple). Within five years, I suspect, the landscape will be significantly different. If you're a movie theater owner, by the way, you better find some differentiators that's compelling enough for people to fork over 3x the amount they'll be charged to view the content online in order to survive. I'm fairly pessimistic that the theater owners can adjust that quickly (or have the capitalization to effect the changes they'll need).
So kick, back, have some popcorn, hook up your lappy to your TV (eventually that cable will disappear and you'll just be able to stream it–yes the technology exists today, but it's always too geeky for widespread adoption…it should literally be a couple of button presses/clicks), and enjoy your favorite entertainment. Produced by the former broadcast networks (which will increasingly, I believe, resemble movie studios as producers of content rather than the delivery mechanism)…


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Search results for 'Transformers: More than Meets the Eye'
Next Men: Aftermath #44
$3.99It all ENDS here! Is the timeline shredding? Is it repairing itself? Or is it something else entirely? An old friend returns—and the beginning of an answer is seen. But it may not be an answer any of the Next Men like! Learn More -
Angel Special: Lorne
$7.99The world is in peril (again!), and only the most unlikely member of Angel's entourage is able to save the day. A special book-length tribute to the late Andy Hallett and his character, Lorne, presented by writer-artist John Byrne. Learn More -
John Byrne's Next Men #6
$3.99The American Civil War grinds to its grim conclusion, with one last act to be written in blood across the pages of history. But what if someone from the future had prior knowledge of that act? And took steps to prevent it? And what if that someone was Tony Murcheson? Learn More -
Next Men: Aftermath #42
$3.99The year: 1975. The place: a not so sleepy town in West Texas. The stakes: an unborn life. PROJECT NEXT MEN has been wiped out of existence, but some things remain unchanged. And that's the easy part! Learn More -
Jurassic Park: The Devils in the Desert #4
$3.99The dinosaurs are breeding and continue their deadly hunt—and humans are the prey! With the possibility of dinos spreading across the continental United States a real danger, Sheriff Tobias and company are forced to resort to unconventional measures to contain the threat. But the dinosaurs aren't going extinct again without a fight! John Byrne's reptile rampage comes to a ravenous conclusion! Learn More -
Next Men: Aftermath #40
$3.99It ain't over till it's over. Project Next Men has been undone, the Past has been rewritten… but it's never easy to reshape the Fourth Dimension. As Jasmine is about to discover. She was afraid to go with Nathan and Bethany back to the 1950s—by the end of this issue, she may regret that decision! Learn More -
Next Men #4
$3.99Who is the mysterious figure in black, and why are the Next Men being victimized? Our fourth issue reveals the answers lie in a tale of disaster and destruction… that never happened! Learn More -
Cold War #3
$3.99Former MI6 agent Michael Swann is racing against time to prevent nuclear dominion over the planet from falling into Soviet hands. Which is harder than it looks while preventing his own death aboard a train speeding across Europe in the dead of winter! The penultimate issue of "The Damocles Contract" rolls toward an explosive conclusion! Learn More -
Jurassic Park: The Devils in the Desert #2
$3.99The nature of the dinosaur terror reveals itself and the Feds have started to get involved. That's little consolation to young Tyler, who is determined to find out what happened to his disappeared dad... a quest that leads him directly into a nest of hungry dino mouths! Can Sheriff Tobias and his men save Tyler before it's too late? John Byrne continues his unique take on the world of Jurassic Park! Learn More -
Cold War #1
$3.99Acclaimed creator John Byrne releases his latest creation, MI-6 agent Michael Swann. In Swann's opening 4-part adventure, "The Damoclese Contract," the secret agent is called on to stop a defecting British scientist from granting the Soviets complete nuclear dominion over the free world… Learn More


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Location: BMW / Cars / All Z3 Roadster & M Roadster Ads |
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- Price drop! Well under NADA value, but we have a baby on the way and need this gone NOW. - Bone stock - Never been modded, raced, tracked, etc. Normal wear and tear for a 10 year old car. It was daily driven by a late twenties female driver(my fiancee). Oil changes and maintenance done regularly. The car is CLEAN and in amazing condition. Must see! - ~10,000 Miles on Dunlop A/S tires. - Hardtop pictured is NOT included. All else is as shown! -Aftermarket JVC Headunit w/ ipod integration. Only mod to the car, but it fits the interior very well, is very tasteful and sounds 500% better than the horrible stock unit did. |


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We offer unexpected challenges and unusual viewpoints, sparking creativity and supplying critical analysis. Above all, we empower individual expression, seek innovative solutions and demand aesthetic excellence through design for a better world.
Vehicle Design is a complex subject, concerned with aerodynamics, environmental impact, ergonomics, legislation, materials, production, safety and technology. The programme seeks to pioneer new design, innovation and new approaches for our mobile futures. Three Pathways help to define and focus the work through Urban Flow, Automark and Inside-out. The graduates presenting here are not only the future of the discipline, they are defining it. The work represents their aspirations, concerns and hopes.


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Customer Service Representative Birmingham Alabama Job Listing at Family Dollar in Birmingham, AL
DescriptionCustomer Service Representative Birmingham Alabama ( Job Number: CUS04310 ) , General Summary : As a Family Dollar Customer Service Representative you will be responsible for providing exceptional service to our customers. Key priorities include greeting customers, assisting them with selection of merchandise, completing transactions, and answering questions regarding the store and merchandise. Principle Duties Responsibilities :
Apply on Company Website |
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