The Bad Business of Media Mergers
Date: 14 January 2000
By Tom Rosenstiel and Bill Kovach
Tom Rosenstiel
Op-Ed article by Tom Rosenstiel and Bill Kovach says news coverage probing potential impact of America Online-Time Warner merger has focused on whether reporters and editors will face new conflicts of interest; says this is wrong question, and hard to identify; says real issue is that megamergers are bad business strategy for journalism; says history of recent mergers suggests that when media companies synergize their brands, they do not add to them, they dilute them; says theory of free press is that there would be independent voice that could comment on and monitor influence of powerful institutions in society; asks if public can rely on small cadre of behemoth corporations to monitor themselves (M)
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Leaving the Cocoon
Date: 14 January 2000
Editorial says Hillary Rodham Clinton should be pleased with good reviews she got for composure and humor on David Letterman show, but now she needs to show she does not have to hide behind her advance team and press spokesman; says she has yet to show how well she can survive as independent operator outside cosseted world of spinners and loyalists; says New York likes its politicians available and open to questions from constituents and reporters on any and all subjects
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FEDERATED TO DOUBLE WEB BUDGET TO $200 MILLION
Date: 15 January 2000
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Federated Department Stores, in conference call to analysts, says it will double its Internet-related spending to $150 million to $200 million in next fiscal year to bolster its online units; says most of investment will go to Macys.com, Fingerhut.com and Bloomingdales.com Web sites (S)
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RPC TO SPIN OFF CHAPARRAL, A BOAT BUILDER
Date: 15 January 2000
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
RPC Inc to spin off its Chaparral Boats Inc unit to shareholders in third quarter and focus on its service and equipment business for oil fields; companies will trade separately on New York Stock Exchange (S)
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LIBERATE AGREES TO BUY TV TECHNOLOGY FROM 2 COMPANIES
Date: 14 January 2000
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Liberate Technologies Inc, maker of software that lets cable companies provide interactive television services, to buy interactive television technology jointly owned by Source Media Inc and Insight Communications Inc for about $182 million in stock (S)
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Speedway to Study The Meadowlands
Date: 15 January 2000
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
International Speedway says it will conduct yea
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Metro Business; Office Vacancy Rate Is at a 10-Year Low
Date: 14 January 2000
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Cushman & Wakefield says Manhattan's office vacancy rate at end of 1999 fell to 6.7 percent from 8.5 percent year earlier; says vacancy rate is at its lowest point in decade (S)
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BRITISH RADIO DEAL
Date: 14 January 2000
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Britain's fifth-largest commercial TV broadcaster, Scottish Media Group PLC, agrees to buy Ginger Media Group to enter radio, fastest-growing British advertising medium; Scottish Media will pay 110 million pounds in cash and assume 75 million pounds in debt from Ginger Media (S)
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LUCIO TAN'S BANK HOLDING
Date: 15 January 2000
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Philippine investor Lucio Tan says he controls almost half of shares in Philippine National Bank, making him single biggest stockholder; does not disclose details on price he paid for stock or timing of share purchase; his photo (S)
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EXPORT GROWTH SLOWS
Date: 15 January 2000
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
International Business Daily, government publication, reports exports from China increased at their slowest pace in six months in Dec, totaling $20.2 billion, up 2.1 percent from corresponding period year earlier (S)
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