Formula 1 Racing
Written by Joyce L Chow & William Hoehne March 21 2006
MBN
www.montebubbles.com for more MBN news
MONTEBUBBLISM: Effort counts only if you believe it does.
Podium Place For Jenson in Malaysia
Next Olympic Winter Village started.
Del Monte Foods Company
VOD and VCR Make Strange Bedfellows
A U.S. soldier was killed in Baghdad today
Academy to Fuse Topical Issues with the Art of Filmmaking
18 to 81 important: don’t believe it
Fast-growing market for mobile games
Workers try to buy newspapers
Dolby will unveil two new ground-breaking broadcast products at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) 2006 Conference and Expo
DIRECTV is foregoing some growth
Fundraising for Pentagon Memorial Approaches Halfway Milestone
Predator Crashes in Iraq; Operation Swarmer Continues
Hip Hop for Hunger Succeeds and Top Cop Apologizes Publicly
Podium Place For Jenson in Malaysia
Third position leaves Jenson in second place in the world championship.
Honda Racing F1 Team
A sensational drive from Jenson Button in the Malaysian Grand Prix gave him and the Honda Racing F1 Team their first podium finish of 2006. Jenson’s pace throughout the 56-lap race was strong, which confirmed the potential of this year’s RA106
Rubens Barrichello, by contrast, had a tough race. He started from 20th position, having received a 10-place grid penalty after the team changed his engine yesterday morning, and he climbed steadily through the field to be 10th at the checkered flag.
At the start of the race, Jenson made a clean get-away from the front row to be second into the first corner. A very strong opening stint followed, which resulted in him taking over the lead of the race when Giancarlo Fisichella pitted on lap 17. Jenson made his first pitstop on lap 18, rejoining the race in fourth position.
Rubens also drove a strong opening stint. With a heavy fuel load, he charged through the field to be 11th by lap 19. He then pitted for tyres and fuel on lap 31, rejoining in 11th place, and looked set for a points-scoring finish.
Unfortunately, he was booked by the stewards for speeding in the pitlane and he had to return to the pits on lap 36 for a 10-second stop-go penalty, which ended his chances of a strong finish.
At the front, Jenson remained just a few seconds shy of race leader Fisichella, until he was held up by a slower car on his in-lap, on lap 38. The incident ultimately cost him second place because he emerged from the pitlane behind Fernando Alonso and had to settle for third place.
Honda now has a two-week gap and a test in Vallelunga, Italy, before the next race, the Australian Grand Prix, on 2nd April.
JENSON BUTTON
Position: 3rd / Fastest Lap Time: 1:35.604
“I’m obviously pleased to see us back on the podium but it was the top step that we had in mind, so we are a little disappointed. We want to be winning races and today showed that we are in the fight, but there is still a lot of work to be done before we can achieve that target. Having said that, I was held up by traffic a few times, not least of all by Scott Speed before the second pitstop. Had that not happened, maybe I could have come out of the pits ahead of Alonso. Regardless of that though, we have two weeks and a test in Vallelunga to work through our issues and hopefully we can look forward to better things in Melbourne in two weeks’ time.”
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
Position: 10th / Fastest Lap Time: 1:36.188
“It’s certainly been an eventful weekend and it was disappointing to end it with a stop-go penalty when I was in with a chance of at least coming away with a few points. These past two races have been a bit of a learning curve but I’m sure things will pick up for the next few races and we can start to realize more of the car’s potential.”
GIL DE FERRAN
SPORTING DIRECTOR
“We are happy with our first podium of the year. Jenson fought hard all afternoon but in the end we lacked a little pace and he lost some time in traffic during crucial periods of the race, especially around the second stop. Rubens was on course to be fighting for points, but unfortunately got a 10 second stop-go penalty for a pit lane speed violation. Another good note was the reliability of the engine, which in its second race showed no problems in dealing with the hot conditions we have encountered in Malaysia. We are certainly encouraged by our performance so far this season, but at the same time are determined to make further improvements and bring us closer to the fight. Let’s see what Australia brings."
SHUHEI NAKAMOTO
MANAGEMENT BOARD MEMBER – HONDA RACING F1 TEAM ENGINEERING DIRECTOR – HONDA RACING DEVELOPMENT
“Aside from the problem with Rubens yesterday, which necessitated an engine change, we have been encouraged by the engine performance in the first two races. We have two weeks to improve for the next race in Australia and will be working hard in testing and with the data we have gathered here to do our best for Melbourne.”
SUPER AGURI FORMULA 1 Team
Takuma Sato and Yuji Ide drove a solid race for the SUPER AGURI F1 TEAM in Sepang today. During what was only the team’s second grand prix, they were able to challenge for position and contribute to an exciting, action-packed Malaysian race.
Takuma Sato
Position: 14th / Fastest Lap Time: 1:40.199
“Great team work has meant that we have been able to improve on our pitstops since Bahrain and as a result I lost no time and was able to get back into the race and actually challenge a few cars. Of course we struggle on the high downforce corners with our pace, but I had another exciting race and at least we managed to finish the race once again. We still have a lot of hard work to do if we are to catch up to our nearest rivals, but we showed good teamwork today and I am very happy and proud of the team.”
Yuji Ide
Position: DNF / Fastest Lap Time:1:42.833
“The balance of the car was not good from the start and I had the same mechanical problem as I had in Bahrain. The problem got worse as I continued the race and gradually the car's pace got slower and I could not accelerate on the straight, then I stopped. I really wanted to finish the race, so my goal is to finish the race in Australia and then move on from there.”
Aguri Suzuki
Team Principal
"I think that the team did a great job during the pitstops and Takuma had a great race. He made a good start today and had better performance than we thought we could achieve from the current chassis. Unfortunately Yuji had a similar mechanical problem to the one he suffered in Bahrain and stopped once again before the checkered flag - but I think that he drove very well today. I am very happy that we have completed our second race and I am very much looking forward to traveling for round three in Australia next week."
Next Olympic Winter Village started.
With four years remaining before the next Olympic Winter Games, the ground has been broken at the site of Vancouver’s Olympic Village, Southeast False Creek. During the Games, the Village will be home to some 2,800 athletes and officials; in the long-term, it will be converted to serve as a mixed-use community, serving as an example for sustainable living.
A Warm Welcome
“The Vancouver Olympic Village will be the ‘home from home’ for athletes and officials from around the world and we intend to make it as memorable an experience as possible for these special guests,” said Jack Poole, Chairman of the Organising Committee for the XXI Olympic Winter Games – Vancouver 2010 (VANOC). “Equally as important, the Village housing will be developed afterwards into a vibrant new community for more than 2,000 residents following the Games.”
Sustainable Legacies
Consistent with the approach to Games organisation encouraged by the IOC from bid phase onwards, the Olympic Village is being developed in such a way as to prove a model of sustainability after the Games. Bicycle lanes, footpaths, and easy access to public transport will reduce reliance on car travel. Green roofs will cover 50% of the development and many new ideas are being tested on the site.
“This is a day of celebration,” said Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan at the groundbreaking ceremony. “Southeast False Creek will be a model community of economic, social and environmental sustainability, and will contribute to our reputation as one of the world's most livable cities.” The City of Vancouver is responsible for building the Village, in cooperation with VANOC.
Waterfront Location
The Southeast False Creek site forms part of Vancouver’s metropolitan inner harbour, providing a waterfront location and easy access to the Vancouver ice-sport competition venues. Covering 55,700 square metres and comprising a total of 600 accommodation units, the project represents the final step in False Creek’s redevelopment, a project started in the 1970s.
Vancouver 2010
Vancouver will host the XXI Olympic Winter Games from 12 to 28 February 2010. The mountain events will take place in Whistler, which will also host the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from 12 to 21 March 2010.
Del Monte Foods Company
March 16, 2006--Del Monte Foods Company (NYSE: DLM) today announced that Del Monte Corporation, its wholly-owned subsidiary, has entered into an agreement to acquire certain pet product assets, including the Milk-Bone brand ("Milk-Bone"), from Kraft Foods Global, Inc. for approximately $580 million. The effective cost to Del Monte of the acquisition will be offset by approximately $125 million of future tax benefits which Del Monte expects to achieve as a result of the acquisition.
"We are extremely pleased to add Milk-Bone to our portfolio of leading pet brands," said Richard G. Wolford, Del Monte's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Milk-Bone, with its strong brand position in the fast-growing and dynamic pet snacks category, will significantly strengthen our overall competitiveness in the pet business. Importantly, it is another key step forward for Del Monte as we deliver against our overall strategic commitments and our execution of Project Brand.
This transaction will meaningfully improve the overall margin and growth potential of the entire Company. Further, the acquisition builds on the momentum generated with our recently announced agreements to acquire Meow Mix and divest Del Monte's private label soup and infant feeding businesses, resulting in a greater branded focus of the entire portfolio."
Project Brand is Del Monte's previously announced strategic plan to enhance shareholder value by increasing the branded focus of its product portfolio and accelerating innovation-driven organic growth in higher margin categories.
Milk-Bone is a leader in dog snacks, generating revenues of approximately $180 million in calendar year 2005 (53 weeks). The acquisition complements Del Monte's portfolio of pet products in dog snacks, a segment which has grown at an average annual rate of approximately 10% since fiscal 2001. As a result of the transaction, Del Monte's pet business will have an improved platform for developing and promoting innovative and successful products.
As noted above, the Company expects to realize tax benefits with a net present value of approximately $125 million associated with the amortization of intangible assets as a result of the acquisition. In fiscal 2007, the Company expects the acquisition to be neutral to slightly accretive to earnings before integration expense. When incorporating the impact of integration expense, the Company expects that the transaction will be dilutive to earnings in fiscal 2007. In fiscal 2008, the Company expects the transaction to be meaningfully accretive to earnings. Additionally, since Milk-Bone has gross margins well in excess of Del Monte's current overall average, the Company anticipates that the acquisition will increase Del Monte's overall gross margin.
Del Monte expects to fund the Milk-Bone acquisition with additional debt, and in order to complete this transaction, Del Monte has received financing commitments for senior debt financing in an amount sufficient to fund the purchase price. Assuming that most of Del Monte's post-acquisition cash flow will be used to pay down debt, the Company expects debt levels to return to the Company's current and targeted range within the next three years.
"With its 100-year heritage, Milk-Bone is one of the most trusted and widely recognized brands in the pet products industry and joins our already strong pet portfolio, which includes such brands as Kibbles 'n Bits, 9-Lives, Snausages and Pup-Peroni, as we focus on enhancing the emotional connection between pets and their families," continued Mr. Wolford.
Milk-Bone's iconic brand equity and focus on oral care complements the positioning of our current snack portfolio equities, and we see great opportunities to utilize our innovation capabilities and capitalize on key pet trends, including health and wellness of pets. We believe Del Monte brings real value to this brand. We will work to energize the equity with increased investment in Milk-Bone, bring effective innovation to the product base and utilize our R&D and manufacturing expertise in pet snacks. We also plan to build in-store momentum with our extensive pet category knowledge and will utilize our U.S. retail go-to-market platform, including strong customer relationships, to drive growth in this brand. We are looking forward to Milk-Bone becoming a core part of our pet products offering to our customers and consumers, and believe it will benefit from Del Monte's strategic focus going forward."
Since 1908, when the first Milk-Bone Original dog biscuit was sold, Milk-Bone has grown to become a leading brand in pet snacks. Kraft Foods has accomplished this through marketing a complete line of quality dog biscuits, chewy treats and crunchy treats that excite dogs and their pet parents, and Milk-Bone currently has a leading brand awareness score in dog snacks. Key products include Milk-Bone Original Biscuits, Milk-Bone Grillin' Bites chewy treats, Milk-Bone Bakery Bites Cookies for Dogs, Milk-Bone Mar-O Snacks crunchy treats, and Milk-Bone Original Dog Treats. Milk-Bone products are distributed nationally, with the majority of sales originating from the grocery and mass merchandiser channels. Del Monte believes there are opportunities to expand Milk-Bone's business in other key customer segments where Del Monte has a greater presence.
Del Monte Foods expects the transaction to close in fiscal 2007, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions and antitrust approval under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. The financial results of Milk-Bone are expected to be reported within the Pet Products reportable segment.
Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Banc of America Securities LLC are acting as financial advisers to Del Monte Corporation.
Del Monte Foods
Del Monte Foods is one of the country's largest and most well known producers, distributors and marketers of premium quality, branded and private label food and pet products for the U.S. retail market, generating over $3 billion in net sales in fiscal 2005. With a powerful portfolio of brands including Del Monte(R), Contadina(R), StarKist(R), S&W(R), College Inn(R), 9Lives(R), Kibbles 'n Bits(R), Pup-Peroni(R), Snausages(R), Pounce(R) and Meaty Bone(R), Del Monte products are found in nine out of ten American households. For more information on Del Monte Foods Company (NYSE:DLM), visit the Company's website at www.delmonte.com.
VOD and VCR Make Strange Bedfellows
New consumer research from the Leichtman Research Group, finds that nearly three quarters of VOD users who have a DVR from their cable company strongly agree that their cable service is better because they have both Video-on-Demand (VOD) and a Digital Video Recorder (DVR).
Just 15% feel that they don't need a DVR because they have on-demand service, and 19% feel that they don't need on-demand service because they have a DVR.
Nearly two-thirds of these key high-end subscribers are very satisfied with their cable operator, and few report that they are likely to switch providers. While over 14% of cable subscribers in the markets studied say that they are likely to switch from their current cable provider in the next six months, fewer than 6% of digital cable subscribers who have used VOD and have a DVR say that they are likely to switch.
Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, Inc.,said "Usage of VOD services continues to grow, with between 55%-83% of digital cable subscribers having used VOD in the four markets that were studied. For consumers (as well as providers), however, it does not come down to an either/or decision for DVR and VOD, but rather how the combination of the two creates the most compelling on-demand offering."
Among VOD users who have a DVR:
Mean spending on cable TV service is $76.65 per month (43% above average)
78% also get high-speed Internet from cable
Mean annual household income is 42% above average
65% of current digital cable subscribers have used VOD
There are few differences in overall satisfaction and likelihood to switch between digital cable VOD users and non-users
However, just 7% of Premium-on-Demand users say that they are likely to switch compared to 15% of all other digital cable subscribers.
Just 16% of current VOD users report that they would be very likely to pay $0.99 to get a primetime program on-demand
A U.S. soldier was killed in Baghdad today
A U.S. soldier was killed in Baghdad today, and the Defense Department has identified two previous casualties. A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier was killed by small-arms fire today while patrolling in western Baghdad. No further details were available. The soldier's name is being withheld pending notification of the family. The Defense Department also identified two soldiers who were killed while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. Amanda N. Pinson, 21, of St. Louis; and Spc. Carlos M. Gonzalez, 22, of Middletown, N.Y., died in Tikrit, Iraq, March 16, when a mortar round detonated. Both soldiers were assigned to the 101st Military Intelligence Detachment, 501st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Academy to Fuse Topical Issues with the Art of Filmmaking
Beverly Hills, CA — Fast food, oil, politics, press, retail giants, sexual abuse, war and filmmaking will be among the topics of discussion at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Documentaries of Dissent, Part II” on Friday, April 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
Hosted by Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan, the evening will feature film excerpts and discussions with Academy Award®-nominated director Kirby Dick (“Twist of Faith”), Academy Award-nominated director/producer Morgan Spurlock (“Super Size Me”), producer Kathleen Glynn (“Bowling for Columbine,” the 2002 Oscar® winner for Best Documentary Feature), producer/director Robert Greenwald (“Uncovered: The Whole Truth about the Iraq War” and “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price”), and director Jehane Noujaim (“Control Room”).
Documentaries questioning the status quo have been an integral part of culture for generations, giving film artists and audiences a means to express their particular, and sometimes contentious, points of view.
“Documentaries of Dissent, Part II,” a sequel to the Academy’s 2004 historical overview, will spotlight some of the filmmakers who exemplify alternative voices in recent documentaries and examine the methods they employed to make their voices heard. Theatrical documentaries have gained a newfound popularity, in many cases because of their willingness to challenge the status quo.
The program is being presented under the banner of the Academy's John Huston Lecture on Documentary Films, which annually provides an opportunity for established documentarians to discuss their work and the field of documentary filmmaking. The lecture is named in honor of the director, screenwriter and actor whose fourteen Academy Award nominations in the three disciplines included wins for directing and writing of "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre." Huston's documentary work during service in World War II produced three portraits, "Report from the Aleutians (1943), "The Battle of San Pietro" (1944), and "Let There Be Light" (1946).
Tickets to “Documentaries of Dissent, Part II” are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid I.D. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Free parking is provided in the garages located at 8920 and 9025 Wilshire Boulevard. For more information, call 310-247-3000 ext 111.
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©A.M.P.A.S.®
18 to 81 important: don’t believe it
CBS, CNN and those networks skewing to a cufflinks and cologne generation--your older demographics may still prove valuable.
There is the long-held belief that older TV viewers--40- and 50-year-old--rarely change brand loyalty. But baby boomer expert Ken Dychtwald and his Age Wave research company says boomers are, in fact, more open to new things such as new cell phone technology, Internet shopping, and other products
Dychtwald says marketers shouldn't fall into the trap that there is nothing they can do to change the mind of baby boomers. He says it is "one of the linchpins that holds media and entertainment together" and "one of the great myths of our time."
marketers shouldn't fall into the trap that there is nothing they can do to change the mind of baby boomers. He says it is "one of the linchpins that holds media and entertainment together" and "one of the great myths of our time."He told a group of marketing executives in Los Angeles yesterday that much is still unknown about baby boomers. But research says whatever they are doing, they are not stagnant about their habits. In fact, they change.
Aiding to their appeal is the fact that baby boomers have more money than any other TV viewer group. No matter. TV networks focuses on 18- to 49-year-olds. This has little to do with any viewer group's disposable spending habits and more with advertisers' historical budgets that don't budge--in part directed by their media agencies.
Their argument is this: older TV viewers and baby boomers see themselves as young. They don't want to be marketed to as older TV viewers. Then again, young TV viewers don't want to be marketed to as young TV viewers.
In effect, no one likes who they are.
What are we left with? Marketing by insult, or by restriction.
Lifetime tells viewers it is "Television for Women." That's a specific charge - and doesn't leave much room to expand viewership. As a man, then, it's hard to watch that network since I'm told I'm not welcome. TNT says "We know drama." Hey, I'll be the judge of that.
The WB doesn't fall into this trap. It doesn't call itself "Television for high-school- and college-age women and men." So I feel I can watch it--sometimes--without feeling I shouldn't be there. And, yes, that is a young-skewing network--just the thing Dychtwald wants advertisers to get away from.
Perhaps we should look at the opposite: Maybe "60 Minutes" has a better track record of attracting young viewers to its predominantly older-looking TV news program. The last I checked, "60 Minutes" doesn't call itself "The old-fart news program."
If Dychtwald is right and boomers are not brand loyal, then some creative or media executives must have figured it out--even from a mistake.
If not, there is a conspiracy and someone could call in Oliver Stone or Michael Moore to do a movie and blow the lid off why some 44-year-old executive isn't getting a targeted TV commercial from Adidas urging him to switch to hip-hop gym shorts from his beloved Nike brand.
Fast-growing market for mobile games
Dialing into the fast-growing market for mobile games, a San Francisco-based startup is poised to unveil a new service on Monday that it hopes will make television viewers as hooked to their cell phones as they are to remote controls.
AirPlay Network Inc. said it will introduce a lineup of cell phone games tied to live television broadcasts. While watching TV, subscribers could use their cell phones to compete against others in "real time" by predicting plays in sports, choosing winners on reality TV shows or picking answers on game shows.
The first product, "AirPlay Sports," is due for release in the fall to coincide with the start of the professional football season. An NFL-related AirPlay game, for instance, would ask cell phone quarterbacks to predict the offense's next moves -- a pass or a run -- as the real game unfolds live on television.
Other games tied to reality TV and game shows will be launched next, according to the company.
AirPlay subscribers would have to use an Internet-connected cell phone to play. They would download games to their handsets directly through AirPlay's Web site or through a partnering wireless carrier. The subscription fee has not been disclosed yet.
"We're creating a multiplayer experience and a social network synched with television," said AirPlay CEO Morgan Guenther, a former president at TiVo Inc. The idea, he said, is to transform TV from a passive pastime to an engaging, competitive experience.
Guenther contends the concept differs from earlier failed attempts to make TV interactive because AirPlay uses the ever-ready cell phone as the interface instead of an Internet-connected television. "Chances are, the cell phone is right next to them already," he said.
It also factors in the social aspects of gaming that have drawn millions of players to compete for rankings on community-like scoreboards, according to Guenther. Other game companies, such as Digital Chocolate Inc., have also introduced multiplayer-type games for the cell phone.
AirPlay is backed by $4 million from Redpoint Ventures and cell phone technology provider Qualcomm Inc.
Workers try to buy newspapers
Workers from 12 newspapers that are being sold by McClatchy Co. are pressing ahead with efforts to acquire the papers, which include The Philadelphia Inquirer and San Jose Mercury News, union representatives said on Monday.
The newspapers were part of McClatchy Co.'s $4.5 billion deal earlier this month to buy Knight Ridder Inc. (To help finance the deal, McClatchy is selling 12 of the 32 Knight Ridder daily newspapers it acquired.
Union representatives from those papers on Monday released a statement that said workers had an "unprecedented opportunity to have a direct voice" in outcome of the sale by joining with buyout firm The Yucaipa Companies to create an employee-owned company.
"Employee-ownership offers us a chance to create a place where employees want to work and invest," said the statement from the Newspaper Guild-CWA. The statement was adopted during a meeting on March 18.
It added that "a partnership with The Yucaipa Companies will allow us to reach our greatest potential as an innovative media company" and said it was working with Yucaipa "to buy and improve" the papers.
Yucaipa is a Los Angeles -based investment firm owned by billionaire grocery magnate Ron Burkle.The union and Yucaipa teamed up in February to consider the purchase of some of the Knight Ridder papers.
Besides interest from employees, the papers are also expected to catch the attention of private equity groups and other publishers.
Dolby will unveil two new ground-breaking broadcast products at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) 2006 Conference and Expo
Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: DLB) today announced that it will unveil two new ground-breaking broadcast products at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) 2006 Conference and Expo, April 22-27 at the Las Vegas Convention Center (booth SU2923).
The Dolby® DP600 Program Optimizer is Dolby's innovative new system for automated file-based loudness analysis and correction, as well as faster-than-real-time encoding and decoding of Dolby technologies. The company's new Cat No. 561 Dolby Digital Plus OEM Encoder Module is the first Dolby Digital Plus encoder designed for integration into third-party manufacturer's audio/video products. The Cat. No. 561 gives broadcasters real-time, multistream, and multichannel encoding for Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus formats.
In addition to the newest Dolby products, Dolby Media Producer will also be showcased at NAB. Dolby Media Producer is Dolby's new suite of professional audio mastering software used in the creation of DVD and high-definition disc media. The company also will highlight many of its other leading digital entertainment solutions: Dolby E and Dolby Digital for HDTV program production and distribution, Dolby Pro Logic® II for HD RadioT, and Dolby Digital Cinema.
"Dolby's goal is to provide technologies that make it easier to deliver the best possible entertainment experience," said Rocky Graham, Director of Broadcast Products, Dolby Laboratories. "Our newest products give the industry the tools it needs to bring audio into the new generation of broadcast and packaged media."
The Dolby DP600 Program Optimizer
The Dolby DP600 Program Optimizer is an innovative and flexible product that offers the world's first intelligent file-based audio loudness analysis and correction system. Compatible with many of the most common broadcast media file formats in use today, the DP600 expands upon the technology developed for the award winning Dolby LM100 Broadcast Loudness Meter with Dialogue IntelligenceT. Terrestrial, cable, and satellite broadcasters will now have the ability to automatically normalize the loudness of all of their file-based programming and commercials without impacting the original dynamic range. Programs can be normalized either by correcting metadata values or scaling the audio signal itself to a target loudness level.
The system also offers the option of faster-than-real-time, file-based encoding and decoding of Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby E content, as well as efficient transcoding between the formats.
The Dolby Cat. No. 561 Encoder Module
The first Dolby Digital Plus encoder module designed for integration into audio/video products from third-party manufacturers, the Dolby Cat. No. 561 offers real-time, multistream, and multichannel encoding of both Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus formats. This module will also allow for high-quality transcoding of Dolby Digital to Dolby Digital Plus bitstreams, and Dolby plans to include Dolby E decoding in subsequent software updates. By incorporating the Cat. No. 561, broadcast equipment manufacturers can provide their customers with a comprehensive integrated audio solution, saving equipment costs as well as valuable rack space.
The Dolby Media Producer
A professional suite of software DVD and high-definition disc mastering tools, Dolby Media Producer includes Dolby Media Encoder, Dolby Media Decoder, and Dolby Media Tools. The suite provides content creators with comprehensive audio mastering capabilities for packaged media applications. These tools support encoding and decoding of Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and MLP LosslessT for HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc and today's DVD-Video and DVD-Audio formats. Dolby Media Tools offers bitstream and metadata editing features to save costly re-encoding of existing files.
Dolby Digital Plus
Dolby Digital Plus is the next-generation audio technology for all high-definition programming and media. It combines the efficiency to meet future broadcast demands with the power and flexibility to realize the full audio potential of the high-definition experience. Built on Dolby Digital, the multichannel audio standard for DVD and HD broadcasts worldwide, Dolby Digital Plus was designed for the delivery formats of the future, but remains fully compatible with all current A/V receivers.
Also at NAB, Dolby will host Metadata Made Simple, a twice daily booth seminar that will focus on best practices for setting metadata when working with Dolby's industry-standard technologies for broadcast audio: Dolby Digital and Dolby E. As a recognized leader in digital cinema technology, Dolby will also participate in panel discussions within the NAB Digital Cinema Summit on Saturday, April 22, including Equipping Facilities for D-Cinema: A Practical Guide and The Digital Cinema Rollout Experience to Date.
To learn more about Dolby's products, technologies, and sponsored events at NAB 2006, please visit www.dolby.com\events\NAB2006.
About Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories (NYSE: DLB) develops and delivers products and technologies that make the entertainment experience more realistic and immersive. For four decades Dolby has been at the forefront of defining high-quality audio and surround sound in cinema, broadcast, home audio systems, cars, DVDs, headphones, games, televisions, and personal computers. Based in San Francisco with European headquarters in England, the company has entertainment industry liaison offices in New York and Los Angeles, and licensing liaison offices in London, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong,and Tokyo. For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, please visit www.dolby.com.
Dolby, Pro Logic, and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. Dialogue Intelligence and MLP Lossless are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. HD Radio is a trademark of iBiquity Digital Corporation. S06/17190 DLB-G
DIRECTV is foregoing some growth
DIRECTV is foregoing some growth to get more high quality subscribers," says Kagan Research associate analyst Christy Rickard. That strategy is designed to raise average revenue per unit (ARPU), reduce subscriber churn and hold the line on subscriber acquisition costs (SAC).
Murdoch's News Corp. acquired a controlling 34% stake in DIRECTV's parent in late 2003, and is applying its expertise gleaned from operating other DTH platforms: BSkyB in the UK,STAR TV across Asia and Sky Italia.
That means pushing DVRs harder, which are vehicles to offer true VOD by having select movie downloads stored on DVRs available for playback with VOD-like functionality. "That aims at cable TV's 'sweet spot' of VOD capability," notes Rickard, although the DIRECTV download/store system will have far fewer VOD titles available than does fixed-wire cable VOD.
DIRECTV's strategy is paying off are evident in its $75.53 for Q4 '05, up a sharp 5% for the quarter alone with more growth expected. By 2008, DIRECTV is forecasting $80-$81 in ARPU. In contrast, rival DISH Network generated a $57.81 for 2005 versus $69.71 for DIRECTV in the same full-year period.
The offset in DIRECTV's drive for so-called "quality" subscribers is that rival DISH Network, with $8.4 bil. in revenue and 12 mil. subs, posted more net subscriber additions in Q4 '05-- 330,000 vs. DIRECTV's 200,000. Both platforms were roughly even in gross additions, but DIRECTV's emphasis on high spending subs resulted in shedding of low spenders in the quarter. DIRECTV's average monthly churn rose to 1.70% in 2005, from 1.59% in 2004. But DIRECTV's average $642 in SAC, which fell $1 from 2004, comes in well below the $688 average at DISH, up 12.7% during the same period.
Among News Corp.'s other big changes was moving equipment sales to emphasize leasing vs. DIRECTV's prior strategy of selling equipment to customers. Leasing lowers upfront expenses for consumers, enables DIRECTV to capitalize the expenditures spreading out impact on its earnings, and lets DIRECTV more easily infuse technological upgrades.
All those bells and whistles make DIRECTV more competitive with cable TV, which still has a big advantage with its high-capacity broadband connection— unlike wireless satellite TV. Murdoch is known to be devising a "return path" to plug that gap, such as investing $1 bil. in a terrestrial network of high speed wireless antennas, possibly in a joint venture with DISH
Fundraising for Pentagon Memorial Approaches Halfway Milestone
Fundraising for a memorial to the 184 people killed during the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack on the Pentagon is nearing the halfway point in raising the almost $21 million needed to begin construction. More than $10.2 million has been raised for the project, Jim Laychak, president of the Pentagon Memorial Fund, told American Forces Press Service. Construction is set to begin later this year, he said.
"It's amazing to see the progress we've made in the last 12 months," said Laychak, whose brother, David, was an Army civilian employee killed in the attack. "We've gone from paper to prototype, and now to the early stages of construction activities." During the next two years, fundraisers will focus on corporations, foundations and other large donors, with hopes of collecting donations of $150,000 or more, Laychak said. Booz Allen Hamilton, which lost three people in the attack, recently donated $450,000 to the project, and BearingPoint, Inc., recently donated $150,000, he said.
While focusing on larger donations, Laychak said smaller, private gifts are important as well He noted the success of an option offered on the Pentagon Memorial Fund Web site that enables people to donate $9 a month for 11 months. "We want all Americans to feel that they are a part of this effort," he said. "This will be a historic memorial." In addition to the rest of the construction costs, fundraisers plan to raise an additional $10 million endowment to provide care and maintenance of the site, Laychak said.
The Pentagon Memorial Park will be built on a two-acre site at the Pentagon, just outside the spot where terrorists crashed the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 into the building. The design includes 184 illuminated benches representing each of the victims killed, with lighted reflecting pools beneath each bench. Concept designer Julie Beckman called these "the most personal component and heart" of the project. While fundraising continues, designers are fine-tuning their plans. "The designs for details of the memorial park, such as the lighting, landscaping and water systems, are nearing completion," Laychak said. "And we are on the verge of breaking ground to prepare the site for the construction of the memorial."
The goal is to have the project completed by fall 2008, he said. When completed, the memorial will offer a lasting tribute to those killed in the Sept. 11 Pentagon attack, Laychak said. He noted that it will serve as a place to remember those who died and to bring comfort and a sense of reflection for those left behind. Abraham Scott, whose wife, Janice, was killed when Flight 77 crashed into her Pentagon office, said he looks forward to the groundbreaking and construction of the memorial to honor her and the others whose lives were cut short in the terror attack. "Those who died were not just numbers," he said. "They were people with families." For more information about or to donate to the Pentagon Memorial Fund, visit the organization's Web site. Related Sites: Pentagon Memorial Fund [http://www.pentagonmemorial.net/site/PageServer]
Predator Crashes in Iraq; Operation Swarmer Continues
An unmanned aerial vehicle crashed this morning in Iraq, and combined operations continued in Salah ah Din province as part of Operation Swarmer. A pilot at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., was piloting an Air Force MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle, based with the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron at Balad Air Base, Iraq, when the aircraft crashed. Army and Air Force personnel recovered the wreckage and returned it to Balad Air Base. The MQ-1 Predator is a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV system. Its primary mission is interdiction and armed reconnaissance. Each Predator costs about $5 million. An interim safety investigation board president has been appointed and will conduct an investigation, officials said. In other news, Operation Swarmer continues in central Salah ah Din province today, as Iraqi security forces and coalition forces, began their sixth day of combined operations today. Participating units include 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, and 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. Units continue to sweep across the area to deny terrorist forces the freedom of movement and reduce their ability to operate in the province. These efforts also uncovered two weapons caches containing small arms, ammunition and materials used in making improvised-explosive devices yesterday.Hip Hop for Hunger Succeeds and Top Cop Apologizes Publicly
Hip Hop for Hunger came off without a hitch to a sell out crowd of 3000 in Fresno, with only 5 days of selling prior to the event due to a venue change from Visalia. Hundreds were turned away at the door. There were no incidents at all.
Hip Hop for Hunger was originally scheduled for Visalia as a benefit to Visalia Emergency Aid. Reel-Talk Entertainment was featuring up-and-coming Hip Hop and R & B artists focused on creating a positive image for Hip Hop while raising funds to prevent homelessness and care for the local needy. After concerns of potential violence and comments by interim police chief Bob Williams, Visalia Emergency Aid withdrew as beneficiary, leaving Thompson with no contract.
Visalia’s top cop, interim police chief Bob Williams issued a two paragraph letter of apology on March 17th, the same day the event’s promoter and supporters marched from the Visalia Convention Center to Main Street and City Hall. Both events, originated from the canceling of Hip Hop for Hunger at the Visalia Convention Center a week prior to the event.
“We marched to bring togetherness to the community” shared Bonnie Thompson of Reel Talk Entertainment. The march, of about 40 people through downtown Visalia, carried signs saying “One color one community”, “Hip Hop is not a crime”, “End racism”.
Williams’s apology letter was regarding “inappropriate” comments made at a meeting with promoters and those involved in the benefit. The letter states, “I have subsequently met with the police department staff and made it clear to them that my comments were simply wrong….It is to the community that I now apologize.” Williams said it is his job to unite, not divide, the community.
One has to credit interim police chief Williams for apologizing to the community a week after the event. After all, the Visalia community was the biggest loser. It makes one wonder how different the letter might have been if there had been any violence at all.
“The apology is a good first step and a commendable move toward understanding”, said attorney Douglas Hurt, who represents Visalia promoter Bonnie Thompson of Reel-Talk Entertainment.
The unfortunate part of all is this, is without a venue change, Bonnie Thompson, CEO of Reel Talk Entertainment, estimates that Visalia Emergency Aid, the original benefactor, would have benefited over $30,000. With the change of venue, due to Visalia’s concern of potential violence, the biggest loser of all is Visalia’s poorest which were to benefit. Now, with the additional costs, Thompson hopes to break even. She is still awaiting figures from the Fresno Convention Center, but if fortunate enough, monies are planned to be split between the Poverello House, a well known Fresno charity for the hungry and homeless, and a yet unnamed church in Visalia, as it started in that community.
Plans for a second annual Hip Hop for Hunger are being considered. Williams shared that Hip Hop concerts will be performed in Visalia. Thompson is hoping they will consider her as a promoter for the next Hip Hop event.
