While CBS says they are "benefiting greatly from a return of advertising to historical levels" according to CEO Les Moonves, that growth might be stunted in the final quarter after a lackluster October at retail. Moonves, was crowing about a 9% increase in revenue last quarter but will that growth continue? 247wallst.com reports October retail sales as weak overall with some bright spots. Sales increases in October were originally slated at 2.2% but that number was later lowered to 1.7%. According to Retail Metrics, overall growth was just 1.5%...
The bright spots include teen clothing store Zumiez Inc. (+21.5%), Costco (+6%), Macy's (+2.5%), Limited Brands Inc. (+9%) and BJ's Wholesale Club (+2.2%). More modest gains were made by Target Corp. (+1.7%), Gap Inc. (+2%) and teen clothier Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (+2%). October sales generally depend on promotions and, with winter gear on the retailers shelves, warm fall weather can push sales down too...
247wallst.com reports that good October sales will translate into good holiday season sales, but high unemployment and an overall weak economy don't point in that direction. Still more proof that the economy is not yet out of the woods...
10 Timeline Memories:
1.1869] Tee for two: Rutgers beats Princeton 6-4 at New Brunswick (NJ) in the first college football game. There were 25 players on each side, touchdowns were worth one point and the game resembled soccer more than football (11/6)...
2.1923] A patented shave: Colonel Jacob Schick patents the first electric shaver (11/6). This good-looking model rocks a newer version of the shaver...
3.1935] The birth of FM: Edwin H. Armstrong announces the development of FM broadcasting. Bless you Edwin H. Armstrong (11/6)...
4.1935] Premiered on this date: The game of Monopoly is introduced by Parker Brothers (11/5)...
5.1962] I get no kicks from champagne: Richard Nixon who fails in his bid to become Governor of California tells reporters: "You won't have me to kick around anymore" (11/7)...
6,1967] Premiered on this date: Phil Donahue begins his TV talk show in Dayton (OH) and stays on the air for over 25 years with it (11/6). This clip is from 1989... 7.1990] Gunned down: Jewish Defense League head, Rabbi Meir Kahane, 58, is shot to death after a speech in Manhattan. His assassin, an Egyptian, is later sentenced to life in prison. Many believe Kahane was the first victim of Al Qaida (11/5)...
8.1994] The new champ is the old champ: George Foreman becomes boxing's oldest heavyweight champ at 45 by knocking out Michael Moorer in the 10th round (11/5)...
9.1994] Former presidential announcement: Former President Ronald Reagan discloses he has Alzheimer's disease (11/5)...
10.1998] Former presidential offspring: A study shows strong genetic evidence that Thomas Jefferson fathered at least one child by his slave, Sally Hemmings (11/5)...
Music Memories:
- 1961] Number One on this date: "Big Bad John" - Jimmy Dean (11/7)...1972] "I Can See Clearly Now" - Johnny Nash (11/7)...
- 1965] Premiered on this date: Bill Graham opens Fillmore West in San Francisco with Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead opening the famous venue (11/6)...
- 1965] Released on this date: "It's My Life" - Animals (11/6)...
- 1965] Live on 'Shindig': The Rolling Stones, Fontella Bass, who made a suit out of her table cloth and the camera-shy Strangeloves (11/6)...
- 1995] Love will keep us together: The Captain and Tennille renew wedding vows on their 20th anniversary (11/7)...
Remembering: Sparky Anderson, 76, passed away Wednesday,November 3, one day after being placed in hospice care at his home in Thousand Oaks (CA). A family spokesman said Sparky died as a result of complications from dementia. Sparky was the colorful, white-haired manager of the Cincinnati Reds and later - Detroit Tigers. Anderson was the first manager to win world championships in both the National and American leagues. He stands 6th in games managed behind Hall of Famers Connie Mack and John McGraw and also trails Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre. R.I.P. Sparky. You'll be missed by the world of baseball and fans everywhere...
Commentary: WBZ morning news anchor Ed Walsh, who started his career at WRKO, will retire at the end of the month. Walsh came to WBZ in January 2007 as the replacement for Gary LaPierre, a WBZ mainstay for more than four decades. Walsh will anchor a final morning newscast on Tuesday, November 30. No replacement for Walsh has been named yet. In addition to WRKO, Walsh worked at WCBS, WOR & WINS in New York and KFYI Phoenix. Congratulations Ed. Lunch is on me...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": (11/5) Johnny Damon (37), Tatum O'Neal (47), Bryan Adams (51), Bill Walton (58), Peter Noone (63), Art Garfunkel (69) & Elke Sommer (70)...(11/6) Rebecca Romijn (38), Maria Shriver (55), Glenn Frey (62), Sally Field (64), Eugene Pitt (73), Stonewall Jackson (78) and Mike Nichols (79)...(11/7) Keith Lockhart (51), Joni Mitchell (67), Johnny Rivers (68), Jim Kaat (72) and Reverend Billy Graham (92)...
Timeline Countdown: Standard time starts at 2AM, November 7. Set your clocks back one hour before going to bed Saturday night, 20 days until Thanksgiving, 26 days until Hanukah, 46 days until winter and 49 days until Christmas...
