Weak Economy Boosts Sales of T.V. Picture-Tubes

Weak Economy Boosts Sales of Picture-Tube TVs
By Eric A. Taub
The slowing American economy has had an unexpected effect on the television business: a resurgence in the popularity of the standard picture-tube TV.
According to new sales figures from the DisplaySearch research firm, tube TVs edged out plasma models to become the second-most-popular technology during the first quarter of this year. In the fourth quarter of 2007, it was plasma that enjoyed the number-two spot, after LCD.
The reasons are simple, according to Paul Gagnon, the company’s director of North American TV research. It all has to do with price sensitivity and the sense among consumers that they should purchase a cheap digital-capable set before the nation switches to all-digital broadcasting next year.
Enjoying the boom in picture-tube TV sales are the low-cost mass marketers like Wal-Mart. Tube sets have all but disappeared from big-box consumer electronics retailers, such as Best Buy, Circuit City and even Costco. In terms of revenue, the venerable RCA brand, owned by China’s TCL, has captured a 46 percent market share, putting it in first place.

And while picture-tube TVs may be hard to find here, that’s not the case in the rest of the world. Tube TVs still outsell LCD sets worldwide, although the two technologies are now neck and neck. In the first quarter of this year, 22.1 million tube TVs were sold worldwide, compared with 21.1 million LCD sets.
For those who still want to buy a flat-panel TV, the economy has also caused consumers to rethink their need for the biggest and best.
TV sales normally fall after the holiday buying boom, and this year was no exception. But unit sales of sets 40 inches and larger dropped by a larger-than-expected 36 percent in the first quarter of 2008 compared with the last quarter of 2007. Meanwhile, sales of sets smaller than 40 inches in size decreased only 33 percent. “With the Super Bowl in January, typically sales of larger sets do well in the first quarter,” Mr. Gagnon said. “Sales of TVs in the 30- to 37-inch size were stronger than expected.” Smaller sets mean lower revenues for the manufacturers.
On the plasma front, Panasonic remained the sales leader, even though plasma now accounts for just 6 percent of worldwide TV sales. And in the United States, Vizio, the low-cost manufacturer, has seen its plasma market share almost double from the fourth quarter of last year, from 5.7 percent to 10 percent. (Panasonic’s first-place share of the U.S. plasma business dropped from 38 to 35 percent.)
One bright spot for the industry: sales of still-pricey TVs 50 inches and larger “was stronger than expected,” Mr. Gagnon said. If the rich do not always get richer, so far at least many seem to have retained their ability to buy big TVs. http://davidsradiotv2000.blogspot.com/ 5-23-2008

Obama poised to gain a majority of pledged delegates in Oregon

CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama is expected to take a majority of the pledged delegates in the Democratic race after primary voters weigh in Tuesday in Kentucky and Oregon.

Sen. Barack Obama campaigns Monday in Montana, while Sen. Hillary Clinton seeks votes in Kentucky.

Obama's campaign sees the two contests as a milestone in the protracted fight for the Democratic presidential nomination with Sen. Hillary Clinton, who continues to campaign hard.
There are 3,253 pledged delegates, and Obama, even with a poor showing Tuesday, should easily top the 1,627 delegates needed to gain a majority.
A candidate needs 2,026 delegates to win the Democratic nomination. Going into Tuesday races, Obama has 1,909 delegates, while Clinton has 1,718.
The Kentucky and Oregon primaries hold 103 delegates combined. Obama needs 15 more to achieve a majority of the pledged delegates -- the delegates won either in state caucuses or primaries.
Clinton appears to be the overwhelming favorite in Kentucky. CNN's "poll of polls," which averages the latest public opinion surveys in the state, suggests the senator from New York leads Obama by 30 percentage points. The last polls in Kentucky close at 7 p.m. ET.
Obama is the favorite in Oregon, where a CNN poll of polls indicates he has a lead of 10 percentage points. Oregon's primary is a mail-in only contest, which means voters must mail in or hand in their ballots in person by 8 p.m. PT (11 p.m. ET
Both Kentucky and Oregon's primaries are closed, so only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic contests. http://harlemblogosphere.blogspot.com 5-20-2008

IRS: Some stimulus checks sent to wrong accounts

IRS: Some stimulus checks sent to wrong accounts
BY CAROL POLSKY
Through the wonders of modern technology, some of those federal economic stimulus checks are being deposited directly into recipients' bank accounts.But some are not - and are instead winding up in the bank accounts of complete strangers."We do know of instances of problems; we've hMay 15, 2008

eard of situations where stimulus checks have gone to the wrong people's bank accounts," conceded Kevin McKeon, the Internal Revenue Service spokesman for the New York region. "We're getting a lot of calls to the toll-free number."One local taxpayer, who asked not to be identified, reported that he had discovered an unexpected deposit of $1,800 in his bank account. He said a review of his bank records revealed that it was a deposit from the IRS bearing another taxpayer's Social Security number. He said he contacted the IRS and was told by an agent that the deposit was one of 15,000 misrouted checks sent out incorrectly as a result of a computer programming glitch.
Adapted from ---nynewsday---5-15-2008--posted by davidsradiotv2000

Rev. Al: Cut off cop cash

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Rev. Al: Cut off cop cashBy David'sRadioTV2000(A Blogger) ... Nicole Paultre Bell, and his friend Joseph Guzman attended the hearing, but made only brief remarks urging the panel to make changes to prevent another such shooting. --------nydailynews.com--posted by davidsradiotv2000 5-13-2008.The Harlem Blogosphere - http://harlemblogosphere.blogspot.com/

Hillary Tweaks Her Golden Goose

HILLARY TWEAKS HER GOLDEN GOOSE

May 6, 2008 -- 'Why don't we hold these Wall Street money-brokers responsible for their role in this recession?" So asked Sen. Hillary Clinton in Indiana over the weekend, sneeringly.

Pretty harsh words.

Could she be referring to the "money-brokers" who are directly responsible for nearly a third of all wages earned in New York City in any given year?

Or the folks who generate more than 20 percent of Albany's tax revenue?

On a more personal level, was Sen. Clinton talking about her friends at Goldman Sachs - you know, the ones who have kicked $445,350 into her campaign kitty so far this election cycle?

Or the combined personal contributions from Citigroup ($406,752), Morgan Stanley ($482,845) and Lehman Brothers ($269,560) - among many others?

Those money-brokers?

How about this: If money "brokered" on Wall Street so profoundly offends the senator, why doesn't she just give it all back?

Albany and City Hall don't have that luxury. Things are tough, and likely to get much worse - and maybe even worse than that if Sen. Clinton keeps it up with the condescending rhetoric.

She should be ashamed
From newyorkpost.com 5-6-2008 p28