Nov. 15, 2010 at 10:53 a.m.
Filed under:
Entertainment,
TV,
Telecommunications
By Reuters
A TV display at a Best Buy. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
The Pay TV industry has heatedly debated this fall whether consumers are dropping their cable or other TV subscriptions to watch more TV content online. A new study by Nielsen, commissioned by the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing, argues that most people who watch at least some content from the Web on their TV sets are “cord keepers” rather than “cord cutters.”
The study, called “Life is a Stream,” surveyed 769 people 18-49, and used eight focus groups to explore the viewing habits of consumers who watch at least some TV shows and movies from the Internet on their TV sets. That group makes up about 11 percent of the U.S. population, according to the study’s authors.
One key finding of the survey, which will be unveiled this week: 84 percent of such viewers reported that they are watching the same amount, or more, regularly scheduled TV since they started streaming or downloading content to watch on their TV set. Importantly for TV distributors, 92 percent of these entertainment enthusiasts subscribe to a pay TV service, with only 3 percent reporting plans to give up their subscription. Get the full story »
Nov. 15, 2010 at 10:43 a.m.
Filed under:
Chicago executives,
Work culture
By Alejandra Cancino
Despite slight improvements, minorities continue to have limited access to managerial and executive positions in Chicago-area corporations, according to a report by Chicago United, an advocacy group.
“Unfortunately, despite the more than 30 years of affirmative action and corporate diversity initiatives, access to the C-suite is still elusive in Chicago and in corporations across the country,” according to the report.
The report, called the “2010 Corporate Diversity Profile,” was based on a survey of 19 public corporations. It found a slight increase in the number of minority executives, but no change in the representation minorities at the corporate director level, where about 9 percent of board members are black, 4 percent are Hispanic, 3 percent are Asian and 84 percent are white. Get the full story »
Nov. 15, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
Filed under:
Autos,
Environment,
Technology
By Mary Jane Grandinetti
Ford has chosen Chicago as one of the initial markets for its electric Focus, due to hit showrooms late next year.
Ford based the rollout markets on commuting patterns and hybrid purchase trends, among other criteria. The other first markets are Atlanta; Austin and Houston, Texas; Boston; Chicago; Denver; Detroit; Los Angeles; San Francisco; San Diego; New York; Orlando, Fla.; Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz.; Portland, Ore.; Raleigh/Durham, N.C.; Richmond, Va.; Seattle; and Washington, D.C.
The Focus Electric will be powered by a 23 kWh lithium-ion battery with a system that uses a liquid heating and cooling system to maximize battery life and driving range. Get the full story »
Nov. 15, 2010 at 9:43 a.m.
Filed under:
Policy,
Politics
From Bloomberg | Chicago’s controversial parking meters deal, forced into effect by Mayor Richard Daley in 2008, has had many lessons for other cities considering their own parking meter agreements. Cities like Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles are considering options such as taking less money up front in favor of more total fees, and demanding exit clauses that let them end the lease.
Nov. 15, 2010 at 9:25 a.m.
Filed under:
Pharmaceuticals,
Stock activity
By Reuters
A once-daily pill being developed by Bayer AG and Johnson & Johnson was better at preventing stroke than standard treatment, with less risk of the most worrisome types of bleeding, researchers said on Monday. Get the full story »
Nov. 15, 2010 at 7:41 a.m.
Filed under:
Economy,
Retail
By Reuters
Sales at U.S. retailers rose more than expected in October to post their largest gain in seven months, boosted by purchases of motor vehicles and building materials, according to a government report on Monday that was further evidence the economy was regaining strength.
The Commerce Department said total retail sales increased 1.2 percent, the biggest rise since March, after advancing by an upwardly revised 0.7 percent in September. Get the full story »
Nov. 15, 2010 at 7:03 a.m.
Filed under:
Construction,
M&A
By Associated Press
A Bucyrus 495HR electric mining shovel loads a Caterpillar 793C mining truck at a mine site. (AP/Bucyrus)
Caterpillar Inc., the world’s largest construction and mining equipment maker, said Monday it has agreed to buy Bucyrus International Inc. for $7.6 billion, aiming its sights on rapid growth in emerging markets.
Bucyrus, which is based in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, makes surface mining equipment used for mining coal, copper, iron ore, oil sands and other minerals. Growth in emerging markets like China, India and Brazil has driven profit many companies as growth in the rest of the world remains slow. Get the full story »
Nov. 15, 2010 at 6:43 a.m.
Filed under:
Work culture
By Associated Press
Simone Cox takes a breather in her office at Ariba Network. (Dai Sugano/MCT)
Working women are equal to men in a way they’ll wish they weren’t. Female workers with stressful jobs were more likely than women with less job strain to suffer a heart attack or a stroke or to have clogged arteries, a big federally funded study found.
Worrying about losing a job can raise heart risks, too, researchers found.
The results seem sure to resonate in a weak economy with plenty of stress about jobs — or lack of them. The mere fact this study was done is a sign of the times: Past studies focused on men, the traditional breadwinners, and found that higher job stress raised heart risks. This is the longest major one to look at stress in women, who now make up nearly half of the workforce. Get the full story »
Nov. 15, 2010 at 6:33 a.m.
Filed under:
Chicago executives,
Food,
Packaged foods
From the Chicago Sun-Times | Former Sara Lee CEO Brenda Barnes attended the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago’s SkyRise event to give her two sons and daughters — part of Team Brenda — a medal for walking up 103 floors of the Willis Tower. “It’s been six months since my mom first had a stroke, and it’s been a long road for us,” Barnes’ daughter, Erin, said at the finish line. Get the full story >>
Nov. 15, 2010 at 5:59 a.m.
Filed under:
Exchanges
By Dow Jones Newswires
Caterpillar Inc. said late Friday that it plans to delist its common stock from the Chicago Stock Exchange to streamline operations and eliminate redundancies that occur from dual listings. The withdrawal is expected to be completed within a month. Get the full story »
Nov. 15, 2010 at 5:42 a.m.
Filed under:
Credit Cards,
Retail
By Associated Press
They can tempt customers with discounts and short-term low interest rates, but a New York congressman is warning people to stay away from store credit cards as the holiday shopping season gets underway.
U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner released a study Sunday that shows some store credit cards have interest rates that are substantially higher than regular credit cards. Get the full story »
Nov. 15, 2010 at 5:35 a.m.
Filed under:
Housing,
Media,
Real estate,
TV
ELITE STREET | By Bob Goldsborough | WMAQ-Ch. 5 news anchor and reporter Jeff Goldblatt and his wife have listed their four-bedroom house in Deerfield for $749,000.
Goldblatt, 41, joined NBC-5 in September after concluding a two-year run at WFLD-Ch. 32 as a news anchor. He was a Fox News correspondent for nearly a decade before that. Get the full story »
Nov. 15, 2010 at 5:30 a.m.
Filed under:
Reports: Retail sales for October, 7:30 a.m.; Business inventories for September, 9 a.m.
Major earnings: Lowe’s Cos., Nordstrom Inc.
Nov. 14, 2010 at 11:14 p.m.
Filed under:
Autos,
China,
IPOs,
International
By Reuters
China’s SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd has agreed to take a stake in General Motors Co if Chinese regulators approve a deal to deepen an existing alliance between the two automakers, four people familiar with the matter said.
The potential investment from SAIC is part of a surge in investor interest in GM that is expected to push the pricing of its shares to $29 or above in the the U.S. automaker’s initial public offering, one of the sources said. Get the full story »
Nov. 14, 2010 at 8:46 p.m.
Filed under:
Advertising/Marketing,
Beverages,
Food
By Associated Press
The maker of a caffeinated alcoholic drink that has been banned in four states has agreed to stop shipments to New York state.
Gov. David Paterson and the State Liquor Authority announced the agreement Sunday with Chicago-based Phusion Projects, which makes the drink Four Loko, and with the state’s largest beer distributors to stop selling caffeinated alcoholic beverages. Get the full story »
