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Graeme Newell
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In This Issue
Promo of the Day
Oscar Viewership Highest Since '05
Disney Threatens to Pull ABC from Bigger Cable Ops
Moody's Report Crowns Cablevision as Likely Victor in Dispute
Iger Hints of ABC Spin-Off
TV's Top 3 Biggest Moneymakers
Leno's Winning Streak Ends
Ex-Producer Pleads Guilty in Letterman Case
Conan Targets Lone Twitter Followee for Fame
Time Warner Mulls MGM Acquisition
Murdoch Flags Abu Dhabi as Key in Expansion
Murdoch Asks Middle East to Reject Censorship
Major Media Brand Searches Down in Feb
YouTube To Interview Genachowski About Broadband Plan
Message From Michael
Hey There! ConanOBrien is Using Twitter
Quotes
"To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity."
- Douglas Adams
"You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand."
- Woodrow T. Wilson
"To survive, men and business and corporations must serve."
- John H. Patterson
Promo of the Day
WSLS Marketing Producer Patrick Tonkinson submitted these 6 new image campaign promos that ran during the Olympics in which their on-air personalities define what the 'On Your Side" brand means to them.
602communications.com/VideoExamples
Share your creative work with your promo peers on the 602communications.com site. Just email it to
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Flash (.flv) or QuickTime (.mov) files, size 320 x 240, are preferred, but WindowsMedia (.wmv) files will also be accepted. Large files may be sent via http://www.yousendit.com. You can also mail your clip a DVD to Graeme Newell at 1011 Lyndhurst Falls Lane, Knightdale, NC 27545.
Oscar Viewership Highest Since '05
An estimated 41.3 million people saw "The Hurt Locker" top the popular "Avatar" for best picture in the most-watched Academy Awards telecast since 2005. Oscar viewership was up 14 percent over last year, the Nielsen Co. said Monday, keeping with a trend of bigger audiences for major events on broadcast television a month after the Super Bowl set the mark for most-watched telecast ever. In true film fashion, the Oscars built to a big climax when the Iraqi war thriller "The Hurt Locker" and its director, Kathryn Bigelow, topped "Avatar," directed by her ex-husband James Cameron. Bigelow was the first woman to win the Oscar for best director. The audience was up from the 36.3 million who saw "Slumdog Millionaire" win best picture last year and 32 million — Oscar's smallest audience on record — in 2008, Nielsen said. The Oscars had just over 42 million watch in 2005, when "Million Dollar Baby" was the big winner. The Oscar ratings fall in line with bigger audiences for awards shows in recent months. The Golden Globes were up 14 percent over the year before, and the performance-heavy Grammys up 36 percent, Nielsen said. The Emmys, the Tonys and the Miss America pageant all saw higher ratings. Analysts say fewer chances for Americans to gather in front of the television set for communal events may help make these events more popular. With a poor economy, more people are staying home, too. The Internet may also help draw viewers; experts say many people are online while the shows are on, and they comment about them to friends. Ratings for the New York market appeared unaffected by a business dispute between Cablevision and ABC's parent, Walt Disney Co. ABC had been dropped by Cablevision for its 3.1 million subscribers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Sunday, and the network was not restored until 13 minutes after the Academy Awards telecast began. Still, New York ranked No. 13 among the 56 biggest media markets in the country, Nielsen said. New York's overnight rating was 11 percent above the average for all of the big markets.
Yahoo News
Disney Threatens to Pull ABC from Bigger Cable Ops
Walt Disney Co., which blocked some viewers from the first 13 minutes of the Oscars last night amid a dispute with Cablevision Systems Corp., may be about to do it again with bigger cable operators, analysts said. Disney didn’t restore the WABC-TV signal until after the Academy Awards show began airing at 8:30 p.m. New York time last night. Disney may repeat the maneuver if it can’t reach a deal with Time Warner Cable Inc. once their agreement ends in August, according to Wunderlich Securities LLC analyst Matthew Harrigan. “Disney may have been using Cablevision as a test case for its negotiations with Time Warner Cable and Comcast, where much larger dollars are concerned,” said Harrigan, who is based in Denver. “The timing will be hard to replicate, though -- the Oscars is one of the most watched programs other than the Super Bowl.” Time Warner Cable has already put its 13 million viewers on alert, noting in an e-mail to subscribers yesterday that they haven’t lost access to the signal “yet.” Larger rival Comcast Corp., whose contract for ABC isn’t up this year, also will face off with CBS Corp. at the end of 2010 as more broadcasters seek payment for channels that used to be free. “As the broadcast networks are less able to get advertising revenue, they’re turning to the cable guys to make up for that shortfall,” said Todd Mitchell, an analyst with Kaufman Brothers LP in New York. “For the cable guys, these programming costs are vastly outstripping their subscription pricing, so we’re getting to the point of showdowns.”
Bloomberg
Moody's Report Crowns Cablevision as Likely Victor in Dispute
Cablevision Systems Corp was the likely winner in its recent stalemate with ABC's parent, Walt Disney Co, but broadcasters may ultimately win the industry's running debate over fees, Moody's Investors Service said on Monday. "We award this Oscar to Cablevision as the likely victor, this time," Moody's said in a report. Disney "presumably ceded more ground than it would have liked....If not, Cablevision's track record suggests that a blackout of the ABC TV station programming would have almost certainly ensued." Cablevision reached a last-minute deal with Disney late on Sunday that returned WABC-TV, the New York-area ABC station, to cable customers 12 minutes into the Oscars, one of the most-watched events of the year. The stand-off had no impact on Disney's credit profile because ABC and its New York station are only a small part of Disney's overall business, Moody's said.
Rueters
Iger Hints of ABC Spin-Off
Walt Disney Co's Chief Executive Bob Iger said on Wednesday that the top U.S. media company was keeping its options open for dealing with TV network ABC and its struggling news division, including a spin-off. At Disney's shareholders' meeting, Iger noted that ABC News, which cut 300 to 400 jobs as part of a drive to refocus and recapture viewers lost to the Internet, is in a business undergoing significant challenges because of changes in the way people access and consume news. Asked by a shareholder if Disney intended to spin off ABC, Iger said he was comfortable with the current mix of assets but added that the company was always reviewing the longer-term options for all its businesses. "There are no guarantees in terms of what will remain part of our company and what will not," he said. Speculation has surfaced from time to time in the media and among analysts that ABC might be split from Disney. But Alan Gould, an analyst with Soleil Research, does not believe Iger was signaling any developments in the works. "Iger was just making sure he was not locking himself into a position by saying he'd never sell ABC News. He was keeping all of his options open," Gould said. Sanford C Bernstein analyst Michael Nathanson said such speculation resurfaces periodically, on the argument that ABC does not fit in well with Disney's focus on exploiting its content and theme park properties across all divisions. "ABC doesn't add a lot of value to Disney's other divisions," he said. But he did not expect Disney to spin off ABC, particularly in light of its recent squabble with Cablevision Systems Corp over fees to transmit its programming.
Reuters
TV's Top 3 Biggest Moneymakers
At this time last year, Madison Avenue didn't know what to make of the Fox musical dramedy Glee. Without a clearly defined genre (was it a musical? A comedy? A drama?) advertisers seemed hesitant to shell out. The show became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with chart-topping music and a hotly anticipated concert tour, but because of those early misgivings, it averaged only $1.4 million in ad revenue per half hour in 2009, putting it at an unimpressive 45th place among all network shows. One year and many million loyal viewers later, freshmen hits like Glee--which should get a ratings boost from appearing after American Idol this spring--will likely see their asking prices rise. To determine which series generated the most advertising revenue in 2009, we turned to Kantar Media, formerly TNS Media Intelligence, which tracks ad spending. The firm surveyed all regularly scheduled prime-time shows, excluding sports franchises, for our third annual list of TV's Top Moneymakers. For an apples-to-apples comparison of network programs of differing lengths, the series are ranked based on ad revenue per average 30 minutes. To be sure, the revenue figures provided are estimates. The amount individual buyers actually forked over for their collection of 30-second spots varies, depending on everything from advertisers' perceptions about a show's value to their clout with the respective network. The broadcast networks' continued viewership decline along with a recessionary marketplace factored into the decision-making process as well. Once again, the ratings juggernaut American Idol on News Corp. channel Fox scored the top spot on our list. The singing competition, now in its ninth season, continues to average some 26 million viewers each week, according to The Nielsen Company. As a result, advertisers desperate to capture their attention collectively shelled out $32.4 million for a two-hour episode, or $8.1 million for 30 minutes. Coming in second is the only sitcom on the list, the CBS program Two and a Half Men. What the long-running comedy lacks in critical acclaim it makes up for in audience size and media buyers' desire to court its viewers. Thus far this season, the show has charmed 14.7 million per show, making it the top-rated comedy on the air. According to Kantar, the Charlie Sheen star vehicle generated $3.1 million, on average, per half-hour show. Fox's 24 rounds out the top three. The long-running drama may be losing buzz, but advertisers are still eager to pay up: A single episode--an hour in Jack Bauer's high-voltage world--generated $6 million, on average.
Forbes
Leno's Winning Streak Ends
Jay Leno’s winning streak is over, ending at 5 days. On Monday night The Tonight Show had a 1.1 rating with adults 18-49 based on fast national numbers (which cover the country more broadly than the 25 local People Meter markets we reported this morning). Letterman’s Late Show had a 1.3 rating with adults 18-49. Dave beat Jay with adults 25-54, too with a 1.6 rating versus Leno’s 1.4 rating. Leno still edged out Letterman in total viewers 4.36 million to 4.19 million.
TV By the Numbers
Ex-Producer Pleads Guilty in Letterman Case
Former CBS News producer Robert Halderman pled guilty today to charges stemming his alleged attempt to blackmail CBS late night TV host David Letterman last fall. Halderman agreed to plead guilty to second-degree grand larceny for demanding last October that Letterman pay him $2 million to keep quiet about affairs that the TV host had with women on his production team. Instead of paying the money, Letterman went to prosecutors in New York. The day Halderman was arrested after he deposited a fake check from Letterman, the host disclosed the plot and confessed to having affairs on his program. In a statement, Letterman said, "I would like to thank the District Attorney of Manhattan, Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., the former District Attorney, Robert M. Morgenthau, the Special Prosecutions Bureau in the D.A.'s Office and the New York City Police Department. When they became involved with this case, I had complete faith that a just and appropriate result was inevitable. On behalf of my family, I am extremely grateful for their tireless efforts." Prosecutors had charged Halderman with first degree attempted grand larceny, for which he could have received 15 years in prison. When first charged, Halderman pled not guilty. Now with the plea to the lesser charge, he'll likely get six months in jail, community service time and probation. Sentencing is set for May 4.
MediaWeek
Conan Targets Lone Twitter Followee for Fame
Last week, Sarah Killen had three Twitter followers. This week, she has 20,000 — as well as a new iMac computer and offers to help pay for a dress and drinks for her wedding. The unsuspecting rural Michigan woman has one out-of-work late-night talk show host to thank for her newfound online popularity — Conan O'Brien. O'Brien decided last week to pick Killen as the only person he would follow on Twitter, turning the 19-year-old's life upside down. The deposed "Tonight Show" star whose exit deal with NBC barred him from TV appearances for several months, has taken to Twitter to reach the masses during his exile and has amassed more than a half-million followers. But up until Friday, O'Brien had steadily increased his number of Twitter devotees without following the feeds of anybody else. Enter Killen, who is finishing up her high school requirements, preparing to make the jump to college and getting married in September. "I've decided to follow someone at random," O'Brien's posting read at 3:55 p.m. on Friday. "She likes peanut butter and gummy dinosaurs. Sarah Killen, your life is about to change." Boy, did it ever. Immediately after O'Brien started following her, Killen — whose Twitter handle is "LovelyButton" — picked up followers at a rate of 150 per minute. Then came the calls: Family, friends (actual and long-lost) and interview requests from Web sites, TV shows and radio stations. She sleeps a few hours each night, has fallen woefully behind on her schoolwork and day-to-day activities such as laundry and rarely leaves the house. "It's totally nuts," she said.
Until O'Brien plucked Killen from obscurity and turned her into an overnight Web celeb, she and fiance John Slowik Jr. lived a normal life, residing in the basement of a house in Conway Township, more than an hour's drive west from Detroit. It's hard to say exactly what O'Brien's motivation was — O'Brien spokesman Beau Benton had no comment on Wednesday — but it's had a profound effect on Killen and her 21-year-old fiance. The exposure has resulted in a brand-new iMac, which was bought for them by a Florida businessman. A New York designer is donating a wedding dress, and someone else is sending wine for the nuptials. Not bad for a couple who saved $30 for the wedding, hadn't reserved a location and faced the prospect of not being able to afford a wedding dress. "People are saying that I'm asking for gifts and stuff, and I'm not," Killen said. What she is asking of her newfound army of Twitter followers is to contribute to charity, including the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Still, Slowik says he'd love one more thing from the man who used to make them laugh nightly during his abbreviated "Tonight Show" run. Slowik wants O'Brien to be his best man at the wedding. Will he do it? "I would hope so," Killen said.
Yahoo TV
Time Warner Mulls MGM Acquisition
As many as a half-dozen companies are expected to place updated offers for MGM by March 19, the newly set deadline on second-round bidding for the beleaguered Lion. That's only because six companies were invited to the latest round of due diligence, including management presentations of MGM financial data. It's an open question how many will be inspired to put their money where their curiosity is. Those still involved appear disheartened by the data they are seeing. "The deeper you dig, the more bad news you get," a participant in the due diligence said. "The numbers just aren't getting any better." The chief problem involves MGM's large but heavily exploited film library, which hasn't been replenished with attractive new titles in years. Those invited to the binding round of bidding include Time Warner, Lionsgate, Liberty Media, Summit Entertainment, Access Industries and Elliott Management. MGM's consultant in the bidding process, Moelis & Co., is eager to pry an acceptable offer from one or more parties as the Lion has a big interest payment to lenders coming due March 31 and the studio's credit facility expires April 8. Time Warner might be in the best position to make a compelling offer. The Lion film library would fit well with its Warner Bros. catalog, which boasts pre-1986 MGM titles originally acquired by Ted Turner. MGM's current owners include Providence Equity, TPG Capital, Sony, Comcast, DLJ Merchant and Quadrangle.
Hollywood Reporter
Murdoch Flags Abu Dhabi as Key in Expansion
Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of News Corp, has signaled that Abu Dhabi is to become a key location in his efforts to expand across the Middle East. The media giant revealed plans to open a raft of offices in the capital. Fox International Channels, a subsidiary of News Corp, is making Abu Dhabi its regional hub for online advertising sales, documentary production and satellite television broadcast. The partnership between Fox and twofour54, Abu Dhabi’s media zone, was announced on the eve of the first Abu Dhabi Media Summit, at which Mr Murdoch will deliver the keynote speech today. Mr Murdoch is expected to highlight the importance of the UAE and the Middle East region in his address. David Haslingden, the chief executive of Fox International Channels, said: “We are investing because we are confident that the sheer sociographic structure of the Middle East means that there is going to be a very large and demanding audience for media products." The Middle East has a population of more than 300 million, half of whom are under 25 years old. GDP in the region is expected to increase 9 per cent between last year and 2013, according to the consultancy Booz and Company. Online advertising, bolstered by the rapid expansion of broadband networks, is expected to increase by about 40 per cent annually for the next five years, Booz said.
The National
Murdoch Asks Middle East to Reject Censorship
The Middle East must open up its markets to foreigners and renounce media censorship if it wants to harness a “powerful wind” of creative energy blowing through the region, Rupert Murdoch said yesterday. Speaking at the inaugural Abu Dhabi Media Summit, the chairman and chief executive of News Corporation, parent company of The Times, said that the world did not “think of the Middle East when it thinks of creative content”. Even Arab citizens, he said, preferred to watch “Hollywood movies or American television”. A more transparent advertising market, faster adoption of new business models and greater competition between media buyers and sellers would lead to “creative Arab enterprises rising higher and faster than your most modern buildings”, Mr Murdoch said. He told guests including Prince Alwaleed of Saudi Arabia, one of News Corp’s biggest shareholders, that Arab media companies needed to get to know their customers better. “The stronger the relationship between media companies and their customers, the more they will cater to local tastes,” Mr Murdoch said. Speaking in the ultra-modern Yas hotel in Abu Dhabi, Mr Murdoch warned his hosts not to use censorship to “bury” inconvenient stories. “Throughout my life,” Mr Murdoch said, “I have endured my share of blistering newspaper attacks, unflattering television coverage and books that grossly distort my views or my business or both.” Countries that buried bad press ended up “promoting the very panic and distrust that they had hoped to control”, Mr Murdoch said. “In the long run, this is counterproductive.” Abu Dhabi, which has a tradition of state-controlled media, allows substantial fines to be levied against publishers for critical reporting of the emirate’s authorities. Mr Murdoch this week announced a partnership between Fox International Channels and Abu Dhabi’s twofour54, a creative content initiative.
Times Online
Major Media Brand Searches Down in Feb
Searches for major U.S. broadcast news brands fell across the board in February, according to data from Experian Hitwise. Each of the top 10 brands in the Broadcast Media category experienced loss of share compared with the previous month, and even generic searches for "news" dipped from 0.75 percent of searches in the category to 0.57 percent over the course of the month. Elsewhere, Toyota's recall woes continued to dominate the automotive category, accounting for a large portion of automotive-related searches for the second month running. Click here for the top 10 search terms by search volume. Data are provided by Hitwise.
Clickz
YouTube To Interview Genachowski About Broadband Plan
YouTube will interview Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski immediately following the agency's unveiling of the national broadband plan at its March 16 public meeting. The FCC touted the appearance Wednesday, calling it a chance to make "one of the most open and participatory processes in the history of the FCC" even more so. Genachowski joins his old friend and classmate President Obama, who did an interview with YouTube following his State of the Union speech. "Now it's your turn to ask FCC chairman Julius Genachowski questions about his plan for the future of the broadband in America," the FCC said in announcing the interview. "No topic is off-limits: from civic engagement to economic opportunity, education to health care - we want to know what Americans have in mind for Internet innovation in the 21st century." The interviewer: Steve Grove, head of news and politics for YouTube, who also conducted the Obama interview
MultiChannel
Message From Michael
THE DEMISE OF DEMOGRAPHICS: That’s the headline on a recent study of the much-sought-after and much-vaunted 18 to 49 demographic group. Surprise, surprise, the study by the University of Southern California’s Entertainment Technology Center found they’re all different. Okay, that’s sarcasm, but much of the study (like so many studies) tells you what you probably already knew or suspected. That is… even if you’re the same age, your tastes and attitudes will differ based on your lifestyle. Quote: “A 45 year old with a child in pre-school will have different entertainment and purchasing needs than a 45-year-old whose teenage has left for college.” Or, a 37 year old with a child under the age of 13 has a different perspective than a 37 year old who is married but has no kids. The study commissioned by The Hallmark Channel identified eight sub-groups in this demographic – College students which comprised a surprising 22% of the total; New Nesters which is people with young children (also 22%); Married No Kids (21%); Recent Grads (12%); Established Families (11%); Single No Kids (10%); and Empty Nesters (3%).
New Nesters value television more than other groups while Married No Kids are more engaged with friends and activities outside of the home. Both groups use social networking tools, but New Nesters view it more highly (33% very satisfied) because they use it to keep in contact with friends and family while Married No Kids are less enamored (20% very satisfied) and use it mainly for professional networking. Although all groups value laptop computers highly, college students are more likely (80%) to rate them as important compared to established families (54%). A smartphone was the next highly rated item, but here the Single No Kids group were twice as likely to rate it as important (64%) than, for example, the Empty Nesters (32%). Empty Nesters though were three times more likely to value Tivo or DVR (63%) higher than, for example, Teens (21%). Teens were twice as like likely (51%) to value an iPod as important compared to Established Families (24%). The point, says the executive director of the technology center, is that new technologies change the way people think about media.
CONFIDENT, CONNECTED AND OPEN TO CHANGE: That was the headline on another demographic study, this one by the Pew Research Center and focused on Millenials. Add the words, liberal and self-expressive, and the study says you have pretty well defined the generation. Despite the “Great Recession” and its impact on their job hunting prospects, they are actually more upbeat than their elders about the economic future and the nation as a whole. Not surprising, three quarters have created a profile on a social networking site. Also not surprising, one in five has posted a video of themselves online. A little surprising maybe, four-in-ten have a tattoo; More surprising, half of those with tattoos have two to five; even more surprising 18% have six or more. Also in the little surprising category, one in four have a piercing in some place other than an earlobe. And in the category of you can’t judge a book by its cover, more than half (52%) say the most important thing in their lives is… being a good parent. Nearly a third (30%) rank having a successful marriage as most important. Continuing that theme of perception and reality differences, and somewhat surprising, only one percent of this 18-29 age group rate ‘becoming famous’ as most important. Also somewhat surprising, they get along well their parents and, the study says, respect their elders. Somewhat surprising, six in ten Millenials believe families have a responsibility to have a parent come live with them, compared to four in ten adults aged 60 or older. In the not surprising category, Millenials remain the most likely of any generation to self-identify as liberals. Interestingly, as an addendum to the demise of demographics study, the Pew study notes that there is “an element of false precision” in trying to set hard distinctions between the generations and that it’s important to recognize that there can be as many differences in attitudes and behavior within the same generation.
A SNAPSHOT OF YOUTH: By Harris Interactive, shows that teens and ‘tweens’ are more accepting of gay and lesbian relationships, but less accepting of abortion or sex before marriage. More than half of the young people surveyed (59%) now feel “gay or lesbian relations are OK if that is the person’s choice” – a dramatic jump from the one-third (31%) who believed two decades ago in 1989 that “homosexual relations are OK.” A quarter of them (25%) believe “abortion is all right if having the baby will change your life plans in a way that you will find hard to live” – a drop from a third (33%) who felt that way 20 years ago. Similarly fewer teens and tweens (44%) think that sex before marriage is “ok if a couple loves each other” compared to more than half (53%) who believed that in 1989. Acceptance of smoking has dropped from 27% in 1989 to 18% in the latest survey while three quarters (77%) believe selling drugs is “foolish”, almost the same percentage as in 1989 (80%).
INVERT, ALWAYS INVERT: That is one of the maxims of Prussian mathematician Carl Jacobi who postulated (rightfully most times) that many hard problems can be clarified by expressing them in inverse terms. It is also a business maxim that the “Oracle of Omaha” Warren Buffett uses, although as he says, the inversion principle can be applied on a less lofty level as well. For example, “sing a country song in reverse and you will quickly recover your car, house and wife.” His long-time business partner Charlie Munger has a more pragmatic application – “all I want to know is where I’m going to die, so I’ll never go there.” It is that kind of down-home, folksy advice that permeates Buffett’s annual letter to stockholders of his company Berkshire Hathaway and which makes it a must-read. It is unfortunately un-too-common-sense applied to business. For example, when measuring what they have, or have not accomplished, they don’t, as he put it, see where “the arrow of performance… lands… and then paint a bull’s eye around it.” But then they don’t have to. A single share of Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway company goes for $84,487. It started at $19. Admittedly that was 45 years ago, but still… pretty dang impressive. On a conservative measure (per-share book value), that shows a gain over that time of 434,057%, or 20.3% compounded annually.
A LESSON IN ADVERTISING: In the letter, Buffett notes that subsidiary insurance company GEICO spends $800 Million a year on advertising. That’s double the runner-up company advertising in the insurance business. But it has paid off. GEICO’s market share has grown since Berkshire acquired it, from 2.6% to 8.1%, a net gain of seven million policyholders. It has risen from the sixth largest auto insurer to the third largest. And its float (the amount of actual cash money it has on hand) has risen from $2.7 Billion to $9.6 Billion.
CEO’S AND JOURNALISTS: One of Buffett’s other traits is a self-honesty and responsibility not often associated with CEO’s. For example, he confesses that he pushed for GEICO to get into the credit card business even though his managers were not enthusiastic about the idea. It turned into a business fiasco, as he admits, entirely of his own making. He thought he was older and wiser when he pushed for the credit card idea; it turns out, he admits, in this case, he was only older. In the same self acceptance of responsibility, Buffett says he handles the company’s controversial derivative contracts because if they go bad, he has only himself to blame. Buffett excoriates the CEO’s and directors of some of the huge financial institutions bailed out by the government. The shareholders ended up bearing the cost of such failures when it should have been the CEO’s who should have had to suffer severe consequences. Buffett is less scathing but no less forgiving of journalists and “sound bite reporting.” He cites as an example a quote from his last annual letter in which he said the economy will be in shambles in 2009 but it was hard to say whether the market would rise or fall. The first part was “blared” on news reports without the second part. The result was the stock market fell precipitously on the day the letter came out. Buffett makes the point that the complexity of the business can’t be summarized in a few paragraphs (like I’m doing now) or put into a “catchy headline that journalists sometimes seek.” However, it should be noted that Buffett asked three financial journalists to act as moderators on behalf of the shareholders at the annual meeting which he dubs “Woodstock for capitalists.”
MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES: Buffett’s company Berkshire-Hathaway came in third in a survey by Fortune Magazine of most admired companies. The most admired company was Apple followed by Google. Microsoft came in at number 11. Somewhat surprisingly, Toyota came in at #7, but the editors note the survey was taken just as the recall was starting and before it reached the proportions it has now. Just as surprising, until you realize that this is a survey of investors, not ‘real people,’ one of those financial institutions Buffett talks about – Goldman Sachs ––-- came in at #8. Only three foreign companies made the list -- Singapore Airlines, Nokia and Samsung.
A WEBSITE ADDENDUM: In the interest of providing a balanced Message, here is another website for you to visit. Last week it was shitmydadsays and chatroulette. Both sites are generating a lot of ‘buzz’ (don’t you hate that word?) but which are (to put it mildly) risqué and, in the case of chatroulette, risky. So, for something completely different, try woodshedwisdom.com. On this one, the warning is the opposite. It has a very distinct Christian message. But, like Buffett’s letter, it also has some folksy observations that provide an often welcome rest area on the tension-jammed highway of life. Full disclosure: It is produced by Freeman Martin, one of the account executives at the university-owned television station, WNEG-TV.
Michael Castengera is an instructor at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia AND President of Media Strategies and Tactics Inc., a consulting firm that works with all media but primarily broadcasting. You can visit his website at MediaConsultant.tv.
Hey There! ConanOBrien is Using Twitter
1. OMG! My pal Sarah got bumped from Larry King for something called "Breaking News". Has the whole world gone insane?!
2. http://twitpic.com/17lx53 - I no longer have health care. Could someone show this to a dermatologist and get back to me?
3. If I had a show, I'd tweet about which Oscar winner is coming on tonight. Instead, here's my favorite frozen vegetable: Peas!
4. Hey gang! Look for me at the Oscars tonight. I'll be in the parking lot, wearing my prom tux and listening on the radio.
5. Sarah likes Twizzlers and craves cantaloupe. I like Raisinets, but melon feels creepy in my mouth. Twitter pals 4 eva! :)
6. I've decided to follow someone at random. She likes peanut butter and gummy dinosaurs. Sarah Killen, your life is about to change.
7. This morning I applied for a job at Home Depot, but they couldn’t find an apron big enough to fit over my head. Tomorrow: Staples.
8. I just had the fries at the McDonald's in Culver City near the Lady Foot Locker. SO AWESOME. If you can get there, ORDER THOSE FRIES.
9. http://twitpic.com/1695g1 - This is how many people it took to write today's tweet: "Jumbo" shrimp? WTF!!
10. If anyone's curious what I look like with a beard, it's this ?:^(0) Coincidentally, that's also my ATM pin number.
11. This is only my 5th tweet and I’m already exhausted. My God, how does Ashton do it?
12. http://twitpic.com/15ox1s - Good news! I can now spend quality time with my vintage '92 Ford Taurus. Bad news - I left yogurt in the trunk.
13. Today I connected all the freckles on my arm with a Sharpie. It spells out RIKSHAZ9LIRK. Clearly I am The Chosen One.
14. This morning I watched Remington Steele while eating Sugar Smacks out of a salad bowl. I was naked.
15. Today I interviewed a squirrel in my backyard and then threw to commercial. Somebody help me.
twitter.com/ConanOBrien
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Graeme Newell
602 Communications
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(919) 217-4438
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