Articles

Emmis program creating a ‘Buzz’: Show gains in other markets, but hasn’t caught on locally

A syndicated morning news show co-owned by locally based Emmis Communications Corp. is making in-roads nationally but has failed to cause a buzz among viewers locally. “The Daily Buzz,” co-owned by Emmis and California-based ACME Communications Inc., and produced in Orlando, Fla., now airs in 137 markets and has shown increased ratings in several critical markets, including Orlando and Tampa, Fla.; Dallas; and Norfolk, Va. “We’re definitely looking to expand our syndication, and we think we’ll be successful because we…

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Cab drivers drive down complaints: Service may have improved after city toughened rules

But much of the evidence is anecdotal, as city officials said they do not have complete complaint records for the periods just before and after the City-County Council imposed tougher regulations in 2002. One key problem addressed by those reforms seems to have diminished-drivers taking passengers to the wrong address. The city received only two such complaints in the last 1-1/2 years, according to records kept by the City Controller’s Office. That had been a commonly reported problem in the…

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Taking the pulse of life sciences: Experts weigh in on whether Indiana is keeping up in the economic development race

IBJ: Is Indiana gaining ground against other states in the race to grow as a life sciences hub? What are some specific benchmarks that underscore your opinion? JOHNSON: Indiana is gaining ground, but Indiana already starts on really very substantial ground. There are a lot of outside validations of that and I think it’s important for this audience to hear a couple of them because there is nothing like having people on the outside pay attention to what we’re doing…

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Light dims for U.S. Grand Prix:

What started out as a technical problem for one tire company here at the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix blew up into a catastrophic F1 public relations pandemic that could very well kill the U.S. event. Fans immediately wanted to know if they were going to get their money back, not whether F1 was coming back. It is every businessman’s nightmare to have so many things go wrong in public all at once, and it will be interesting-maybe even instructive-to…

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SPORTS: The game is on: Academics vs. big-dollar sports

Give NCAA President Myles Brand and his Task Force on the Future of Intercollegiate Athletics their due. If you will pardon both the pun and the cliché, they’re going to give it the old college try. Putting the paste back into the tube won’t be easy. It will require a dramatic change in our sports culture-American in general, on campus in particular-to view intercollegiate athletics by any measure other than the one posted on the scoreboard. That is especially true…

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Charitable sector rides on road to recovery: Giving makes big jump for the first time since 2000

Americans gave more money to charity last year than ever before, signaling a return to the pre-9/11 philanthropic heyday. Contributions were up 5 percent, to $248.5 billion-the first significant increase after adjusting for inflation since 2000. “Things have been kind of flat,” said Eugene Tempel, executive director at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. “This … tells us things are getting a little stronger. This is a good sign.” Researchers at the center compile data each year and write…

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Rose-Hulman looks ahead: Search for new president could take a year

But trustees currently have a higher priority: Let the dust settle. “It’s only been a couple of days,” said Rose-Hulman Chairman Robert Bright. “Nothing’s been established for sure yet.” It took the Terre Haute engineering school 10 months to find and narrow the field of 60 candidates that produced Midgley-nearly the length of his presidential stint. Most expect the search for his successor to last at least as long. In the meantime, Rose-Hulman has a more pressing task. It must…

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Med school takes hit: IU trims $5.2 million from budget, cuts 36 positions

The school tabled some construction plans and may have to curtail recruiting of “star” faculty in areas such as diabetes research, said Dr. Craig Brater, the school’s dean. On top of that, the school cut 36 positions and halted spending for several programs after it was hit by decreases in state funding and grants, and a rise in expenses. Brater said the medical school has been lucky “in large part” to receive the funding it needed over the years. He…

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Ready to unify?: Danica’s impact puts IRL in driver’s seat

To nudge the idea along, executives of the Japanese automaker are becoming personally involved, marking the first time an IRL sponsor and major manufacturer has pushed this hard for unification talks. “It’s no small deal when a partner like Honda gets involved,” said Bob Basche, chairman of Millsport, a Stamford, Conn.-based sports and event marketing agency. “Not only do they supply engines [to the IRL], but Honda pumps in millions of dollars annually in sponsorship and advertising for the series.”…

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Jester Promotions LLC: Keeping promotions on the cutting edge Advertising specialty firm also always on the lookout for inexpensive merchandise

Advertising specialty firm also always on the lookout for inexpensive merchandise Back in days of old, jesters were the eyes and ears of the power brokers. “They knew everything the king knew,” said Rick Atkins, co-founder of Jester Promotions LLC, a specialty advertising company. That’s the know-how Atkins said he brings to the table: up-to-the-minute knowledge about the latest trends in promotional activities and where his clients can get the best price for their items. He toyed with naming the…

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BULLS & BEARS: What’s seen as wisdom is financial pornography

In 1995, Jane Bryant Quinn wrote an article in Newsweek titled “The Big Tease” and used the term “financial pornography” to describe magazine headlines we have all seen. Headlines like: “Ten Mutual Funds to Buy Now” “Surefire Oil Stocks” “Five Stocks to Own for Your LIFE” “How to Profit from $100 Oil” One of the definitions of pornography in Webster’s is “the depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction.” Replace the…

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Shrinkage a growing problem: Manufacturers seek ways to stem product losses

The U.S. manufacturing industry has begun rebounding from its economic swoon, but some industry experts think more manufacturers must become more efficient and eliminate waste if they are to compete in the current global climate. While the Manufacturers Alliance, an Arlington, Va.-based business and public policy research group, projected manufacturing growth of 3.4 percent this year and 3 percent in 2006, big challenges remain. One growing problem is the so-called shrinkage factor, defined in manufacturing as the percentage by which…

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INVESTING: With oil prices sky high, Hoosier ethanol knows no limit

Oil prices are acting stubborn by staying above $50 a barrel. Our economy is adjusting to these high gas prices, but every consumer in America would like to see some kind of solution. In August, Congress is expected to vote on an energy bill that has some quences for us. The mainstream media will spend most of the time talking about the drilling rights in Alaska, but there is a shorter-term and higher-impact portion of the bill that can offer…

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GERALD BEPKO: Deep Throat: a hero or a villain?

Forty years ago this month, I reported for duty as a special agent of the FBI. In the course of new agents’ training, we met a distinguishedlooking middle-age agent named W. Mark Felt, who headed the Training Division. In his meetings with new agents, Felt exuded the “fidelity, bravery and integrity” that are the motto of the FBI. He looked like the actors who were at that time filming some scenes nearby for the first episodes of a popular 1960s…

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NOTIONS: The Wiccans and the Speaker: Two cases, one topic

A few months ago, I had lunch with Fran Quigley, executive director of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union. We’d never met, but we’d exchanged emails about one another’s newspaper columns. As we ate, we did the getting-to-knowyou dance. We talked about our wives and kids, faith and friends, grief and recovery. After that, work wormed its way into the conversation. We talked about our mutual interest in writing, law, government, politics and our often-frustrating quests to save the planet from…

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VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Indiana must not let TDL opportunities elude its grasp

Unlike some other Hoosier economic initiatives, much of the required infrastructure to rapidly advance TDL into significant growth is already in place. More Interstate highways cross the state An economic development analyst determining the physical advantages of Indiana might initially be challenged. Indiana has no oceans. No mountains. No temperate climate. But the Hoosier state does possess one singular unmatched physical plus: It is the state geographically closest to the bulk of most U.S. major markets. For more than a…

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Y&L shoots for Lands’ End: Underdog Young & Laramore fights national advertising behemoths for $10 million account

The seemingly undersized, undermatched independent advertising agency Young & Laramore has found itself in the national spotlight competing for a multimillion-dollar account with some of the industry’s largest national players. The Indianapolis-based firm best known for its award-winning ad campaigns for Steak n Shake, Goodwill Industries and most recently Stanley Steemer, is one of four finalists vying for the lucrative Lands’ End broadcast creative contract. Young & Laramore’s competitors for the Lands’ End account are Omnicom Group’s BBDO and Downtown…

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Feed store offers unique product mix: Retailer remains a Wanamaker institution, despite having numerous competitors

Wanamaker Feed and Seed Feed store offers unique product mix Retailer remains a Wanamaker institution, despite having numerous competitors Pig noses, pig ears, cow hooves, wind chimes, jackknives, horse feed, bottled water, Indiana-dipped candles, carousel bird feeders-the inventory at Wanamaker Feed and Seed runs an interesting gamut. And owner Jim Trimble knows what to add, because he takes the time to know every customer and find out exactly what is wanted. (The first three items are for dogs to chew…

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Purdue student plays key role in “RFID for Dummies”: Book helps businesses implement logistics technology

Patrick Sweeney was the book’s author. Most other books on RFID consider only the highly technical aspects of the technology, Sweeney said. “RFID for Dummies” is aimed at businesspeople charged with actually implementing the technology, or for those who determine its ROI. “This is really the first book of its kind that walks people through the logical process to deploy an RIFD system,” Sweeney said. The cost of implementing RFID is based For an up-and-coming new technology like radio frequency…

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State targets salvage yards: 44 violations cited, but no fines so far

Indiana auto salvage yards are finding themselves in the crusher-in the clutch of regulatory jaws bent on reducing salvage-yard pollutants. In barely two years, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management has issued violation notices to 44 salvage yards, according to state records. While historical numbers weren’t immediately available, “before, we were sporadic and really didn’t have a widespread effort,” said Amy Hartsock, an IDEM spokeswoman. While on the prowl lately, the agency’s jaws have been padded with rich Corinthian leather:…

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