Business Services Industry
POOR RECEPTION FOR PLAYBOY; Sales in its U.S. television biz decline as on-demand porn opens door for rivals.(News)(Playboy Enterprises Inc.'s Bob Meyers )
Crain's Chicago Business, March, 2007 by Meyer, Gregory
Byline: GREGORY MEYER Bob Meyers is learning fast that technology and libido can be a treacherous mix. As Playboy Enterprises Inc.'s president of media, Mr. Meyers is scrambling to sustain the profitability of the company's U.S. television business. Leading the assault on the business is video-on-demand technology, which threatens to make obsolete the pay-per-view networks that Playboy has dominated for a decade, largely thanks to several big acquisitions orchestrated by CEO Christie Hefner.
Playboy's sales from domestic TV-the company's largest business-last year fell 16%, to $82.5 million. Fears of continued TV weakness led four analysts to downgrade their Playboy stock ratings to "hold'' last month. Earlier this month, Chicago-based Playboy gave...
- 5 Rules for Immediate Annuities
- Death in the Family: 12 Things to Do Now
- Dumbest Things You Do With Your Money
- 6 Online Networking Mistakes to Avoid
- 401(k) Mistakes to Avoid
- 5 Economic Scenarios to Keep You Up at Night
- The Real ‘Best Places to Retire’
- Best Credit Cards for You
- 12 Tough Questions to Ask Your Parents
- The Real ‘Best Colleges’
- Home Buyer Tax Credit: How to Cash In
- Why You Shouldn't Bash Cash
- 8 Phony 'Bargains' and Better Alternatives
- Danger: 3 Debit Card Scams to Avoid
- 6 Myths About Gas Mileage
- 29 Fees We Hate Most
- Quick and Easy Ways to Boost Returns
- Best Stocks to Buy Now
- Lower Your Taxes: 10 Moves to Make Now
- New Jobs: 8 Lessons from Real-Life Career Switchers
- The New Job Market: Who Wins and Who Loses?
- Health Care Reform's Public Option: Everything You Need to Know
- Volunteer Work When Unemployed: Should You Work for Free?
- Whose Recovery Is This?
- Long-Term-Care Insurance: 4 Biggest Risks to Avoid
Most Recent Business Articles
- CUSTOMER WIN: BEA China Selects BMC Software to Deliver Business Service Management Platform
- SiBEAM Invigorates CE and PC Industries with Launch of Products and Partnerships to Fuel WirelessHD® Expansion
- Research and Markets: China Chocolate Market Overview 2009-2010: a Guide to Selling Chocolate in China with Full Forecasts to 2010 and Key Statistical Data
- Project Management Institute Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs Extends Agreement with China National Steering Committee of Professional Education of Masters of Engineering
- Research and Markets: China Sulfur Industry Report Reveals the Market Increased Greatly, Importing 9.72 Million Tons in the First Nine Months Alone in 2009
Most Recent Business Publications
Most Popular Business Articles
- 7 tips for effective listening: productive listening does not occur naturally. It requires hard work and practice - Back To Basics - effective listening is a crucial skill for internal auditors
- Using object-oriented analysis and design over traditional structured analysis and design
- FAS 109: a primer for non-accountants - Financial Accounting Standards Board's "Statement 109: Accounting for Income Taxes"
- LIFO vs. FIFO: a return to the basics
- Design a commission plan that drives sales - Sales Commissions
