Toll Brothers, the nation’s largest builder of luxury homes, reported its first quarterly profit in three years. Now the company is looking for more growth by launching a new subsidiary to buy distressed assets. My story aired on the Marketplace Morning Report.
Internet giant Google is denying that it’s reached a deal with Verizon on Internet traffic management. Both companies have been part of closed-door negotiations on the future of broadband regulation brokered by the Federal Communications Commission — talks that have now been called off, perhaps in response to the uproar over the reported Google-Verizon deal. My story aired on NPR’s All Things Considered.
Lollapalooza draws more than 100 bands and thousands of music fans to the shores of Lake Michigan. But Illinois’s Attorney General apparently isn’t one of them. Her office is looking into claims that Lollapalooza’s exclusive contracts make it harder for other Chicago promoters to book bands well beyond the three days of the festival. My story aired on NPR’s All Things Considered.
The Army Experience Center in a mall in Philadelphia is a teched-out wonderland with a Black Hawk simulator and military video games galore. But the Center is closing its doors after two years, even though the Army says its stint at the mall was a successful one. My story aired on Marketplace.
This week, the giant concert promoter Live Nation confirmed what most industry observers already knew: ticket sales in 2010 have been lousy. The company says this could lead to lower ticket prices, but it may not be that simple. My story aired on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.
Federal regulators are reviewing the proposed $30 billion merger between NBC Universal and Comcast. The Federal Communications Commission is holding a public hearing on the deal in Chicago today. While few observers expect regulators to block the merger, some hope the FCC will require far-reaching consumer protections. My story aired on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Promoters and artists are blaming the sluggish economy for a 17 percent drop in revenue from concert ticket sales. But some say the industry itself deserves part of the blame for a rash of canceled shows this year. My story aired on NPR’s All Things Considered.
Starting this month, gamblers in Pennsylvania are able to play blackjack, craps and poker without crossing the state line. Industry experts say the growing casino competition on the East Coast is another bad break for Atlantic City. My story aired on NPR’s All Things Considered.
According to researchers at York College in Pennsylvania, many new college grads seem to be ill-prepared for the demands of the workplace. My story aired on NPR’s Morning Edition.
The owners of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News are fighting to keep local control of their newspapers despite declaring bankruptcy early last year. They may find out if they’ve succeeded this morning, when the papers go up for auction. My story aired on NPR’s Morning Edition.
