TV Networks Weigh Ad Fees May 31, 2004 • The major television networks are deciding how much they'll charge for commercial time during the upcoming fall season. The networks last year raised ad rates sharply, but their audience share is shrinking. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports.
Station Retailers Calibrate Gas Price Hikes May 31, 2004 • Gas prices have been soaring, but consumers may not realize the last few pennies are tacked on at the filling station itself. Independent and affiliated station operators, left to eke out their profits from retail sales, use differing strategies to appeal to customers. NPR's Scott Horsley reports.
U.S. to Sign Central American Free Trade Deal May 28, 2004 • The United States signs a new trade agreement Friday with five Central American nations. Known as CAFTA, the deal will make it easier for U.S. textile firms to send products to clothing factories in the region, and for Central American firms to sell the finished products here. But its potential threat to U.S. jobs complicates the deal's prospects in Congress. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick.
Critics: New Nielsen Meters Undercount Minority Viewers May 28, 2004 • Next week, Nielsen Media Research will roll out a new system for calculating local television ratings in and around New York City -- data used to help set advertising rates. Nielsen says the new method will improve the representation of cable TV viewers and TiVo users. But some activists say the new system undercounts minority viewers. NPR's Rick Karr reports.
Probing the Costs of Refining Oil May 28, 2004 • High prices at the pump have consumers wondering how much the refining process adds to the cost of a gallon of gasoline. Refiners attribute the vast majority of their costs to meeting environmental regulations. Environmentalists say that's very misleading. NPR's John Burnett tours an oil refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas, to learn more about the process of "cracking" crude oil and separating it into gasoline and other distillates.
Analysis: Rising Oil Prices May 27, 2004 • NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to David Wessel, The Wall Street Journal's Washington Bureau Chief, about the rising price of crude oil.
Experts: Global Instability Helping Push Up Oil Prices May 27, 2004 • Experts say the current high prices for crude oil and gas are more than just a result of growing demand. The costs involved in shipping oil from politically shaky places like the Middle East and Angola -- increased insurance premiums, higher salaries for workers -- are also playing a significant role in pushing up prices, experts say. Hear NPR's Scott Horsley.
Entrepreneur Revives Moribund Factories in Western N.Y. May 27, 2004 • Western New York has been particularly hard hit by the decline of the U.S. manufacturing sector and in recent years has lost thousands of jobs. But one local entrepreneur is finding success in resuscitating factories in the depressed region that others had written off. NPR's Jack Speer reports.
The Marketplace Report: Bush Plan to Lower Gas Prices May 27, 2004 • NPR's Madeleine Brand talks to Bob Moon of Marketplace about the Bush administration's proposal to ease environmental requirements on a variety of gasoline blends in an effort to increase supply and help lower gas prices.
Opinion Tech Guru Omar Wasow: Wired Prisons May 27, 2004 • NPR's Tavis Smiley talks to tech guru Omar Wasow of Blackplanet.com about the relationship between the Internet and the American prison population.
Wells Fargo Buys Most of Strong Financial May 26, 2004 • Wells Fargo will buy all but a small part of the Strong Financial Corporation. Analysts say the purchase might not have occurred except for the admitted misdeeds of Strong co-founder Richard Strong. Last week, federal and state regulators reached a $175 million settlement with Strong and his company over trading abuses at the firm. Chuck Quirmbach of Wisconsin Public Radio reports.
Armstrong Retires from Comcast Chair Post May 26, 2004 • NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Wall Street Journal technology editor Rebecca Blumenstein about C. Michael Armstrong, who stepped down as chairman of Comcast. He had been blamed by some for mismanaging AT&T when he was CEO there.
Minnesota Iron Mine Benefits from China's Boom May 26, 2004 • An idled Minnesota mine has been re-opened under a new partnership with a Chinese steel company and is now exporting iron ore to China. The new business has been a boon for the residents of the small mining town of Eveleth, Minnesota, which has suffered economically for decades. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports.
Grades of Gas: Is Premium Petrol Worth the Price? May 26, 2004 • NPR's Mike Pesca reports on the science behind the various grades of gasoline, and whether premium gas is really worth the price.
The Truth About Credit Consolidation May 26, 2004 • Do credit counseling services really get you out of a ditch, or could they put you into a deeper one? NPR's Tavis Smith discusses the issue with Lynette Khalfani, a veteran financial news journalist and author of Investing Success: How To Conquer 30 Costly Mistakes & Multiply Your Wealth.