Friday, October 28, 2011

Shaw Capital Management Online

http://shawcapitalmanagementonline.com/index/

Welcome to SCM Online, your sleek and no-frills alternative to the oh-so-cluttered news blogs that currently tops the search results. As a debut post, let me give you a rundown on how this whole thing works.

SCM Online conveniently groups incoming news into three categories that proves to be the most significant ones for the online community in general:

Technology. Keep tabs on the heating competition between search engine giant Google and social networking star Facebook. (Occasionally, we feature certain websites or software products and do some pros-and-cons analysis. Otherwise, anything new and newsworthy concerning consumer gadgets and the collective web.)

Lifestyle. Useful health and diet tips for those conscious with their well-being, with lots of other cool and practical stuff for everyday life thrown in for good measure.

Finance. Daily reports on the state of the market, notable fluctuations on stock prices, commodity updates, scam MOs, and several business and political factors that comes in to play.

We do host a whole lot of other stuff outside of those categories but only if they are totally interesting, amusing or informational (we don’t want to overwhelm you with useless news!).

Above all, we welcome active participation from our visitors (yeah, you!), so if you find something interesting, erroneous, terrible or inspiring, feel free to leave your two cents.

Stay tuned!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Shaw Capital Management Online-Blog

http://shawcapitalmanagementonline.com/blog/

Shaw Capital Management News: 1.2% to 1.6% Growth eyed over Belgian economy in 2012
WRITTEN BY: SCMONLINEBLOG - OCT• 17•11
2 Votes
The Belgian economy is anticipated to grow by 1.6% in 2012, the Federal Planning Bureau (FPB) accounts. But, in line with the most recent data from the four largest banks in Belgium, growth would have been a much simpler 1.2% – based from Shaw Capital Management news online.

In contrast to growth of 2.4% this year, the Belgian economy may decelerate to 1.6% in 2012, claims the federal Planning Bureau in their news release through September. Significantly less constructive results had been provided from the largest banks in Belgium that forecast the Gross domestic product growth rate of 1.2% in 2012.

Based on the most recent data by the Federal Planning Bureau, the Belgian economy will certainly grow at 1.6% in 2012. Comparable outcomes are already shown through the International Monetary Fund, ranking Belgian GDP growth for the approaching year at 1.5%.

Depending on the FPB, the Belgian economy can easily cool within 2012 as a result of less strong overall performance in the 3 major macroeconomic elements – imports, personal consumption and gross investment. What’s a lot more, within 2012, we ought to anticipate that salary indexation is going to exceed inflation that, consequently, may drop to roughly 2%. Through these signifies real wages are hoped for to improve by 1.9% the coming year, compared to 1.2% this year.

Moreover, the Bureau, along with the National Bank and the Central Economic Council, alerts concerning the decreasing competition from the economic climate of Belgium. “Although the wellbeing levels are actually substantial, economic development stays sluggish compared to different nations. A growing number of businesses tend to be shedding their own major placement in relation to efficiency”, claim the 3 establishments within their typical notice unveiled a week ago.

However, concerning the job market, the Bureau stays reasonable. Even though quantity of occupations continues to go up, joblessness is predicted to rise. During 2011 net employment generation may add up to 54,200; in 2012 it’ll fall close to 30,000. Simultaneously, the harmonized Euro stat-based lack of employment rate inside the EU-27 would be to increase by 7.3% in 2011 to 7.4% in 2012. Even so, in contrast to 8.9% in 2010, the unemployment rate is with a stabilizing course.

Nevertheless, varying information about the financial state has been supplied by the 4 largest banks working in Belgium – BNP Paribas Fortis, ING, Dexia and KBC. Statistically shown by all four banks in mid-September, economic growth in 2012 is predicted 1.2%. In this instance, government entities must obtain €800m much more to be able to link the actual deficit gap envisaged within the Planning Bureau’s foresight. However, in line with the banks, Belgium scores far better in relation to GDP-growth, joblessness or even residence debts compared to the majority of the Euro zone nations.

Am Cham Belgium’s Stance

Economic growth and restoration within Belgium continues to be healthier compared to anticipated which provides plan designers using possibilities to put into action structural changes for any versatile and aggressive job market, lasting government expenditures along with a lot more vibrant as well as revolutionary economy. In the 2011 Priorities for that Prosperous Belgium, the Chamber places ahead numerous crucial suggestions about exactly how Belgium may effectively handle structural difficulties concerning its competitiveness, social security system as well as job market.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Shaw Capital Management Online: Japan Shares Drop on Europe Tax Plan; Sony Falls

http://shawcapitalmanagementonline.com/blog/2011/10/04/shaw-capital-management-reports-japan-shares-drop-on-europe-tax-plan-sony-falls/

Japanese shares dropped for the first time in the span of three days while the French and German heads announced they will not increase a budget to help Europe’s debt crisis. Meanwhile, housing starts in US fell, renewing the concern that profits of exporters will be cut back as Shaw Capital management fears.

Sony Corporation, Japan’s largest exporter of consumer electronics, slumped 1.9% following talks in Paris yesterday between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Meanwhile, the world’s biggest carmaker, Toyota Motor Corporation, dropped 1.4%. Japan’s top energy exploration company, Inpex Corporation, fell 2.3% due to reduced crude prices.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 Stock Average dropped 0.8% to 9,039 as of 9:31 am. While the wider Topix index fell 0.5% to 774 with 3 shares losing for every 2 that climbs up.

An equities manager at SMBC Nikko Securities, Inc, Hiroichi Nishi, said that the meeting in Paris proved debt matters can’t be resolved in such a short time.

Futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 0.4% today. Yesterday, as the French and German leaders did not approved of selling euro bonds and increasing the 440-billion euro ($633 billion) rescue fund, the New York index dropped 1% to 1,1,92. Both leaders also proposed submitting another financial-transaction tax that was previously rejected in 2010.

European Union’s statistics office announced yesterday in Luxembourg that the 17-nation Euro area, Gross Domestic Product grew 0.2% in the second quarter compared to previous months when the economy increased 0.8%. In a Bloomberg News Survey, this has been the weakest expansion since the euro zone emerged from a downturn in late 2009 and was less than the 0.3% average estimate of 34 economists.

The Commerce Department detailed that housing starts in the US dropped 1.5% in July from June, and the alternative for future construction also suffered a setback, Shaw Capital management observed.

Nishi added, “The housing numbers of US were not really strong, which triggers a persistent delay in their economy.”

Exporters decreased following reports of economic development in Europe and the opposite happening in the US, which hurt the position for earnings abroad. Sony dropped 1.9% to 1,668 yen, Toyota fell 1.4% to 2,860 yen and Japan’s third biggest carmaker, Honda, lost 2.3% to 2,556 yen.

On the other hand, mining companies reduced prices of oil products. Inpex lost 2.3% to 514,000 yen. The second biggest oil driller, Japan Petroleum Exploration Company, fell 0.8% to 3,330 yen.

Yesterday, crude oil for September delivery decreased 1.4% to stay at 86.65 dollars per barrel in New York. Prices of 6 industrial metals, including aluminum and copper, fell 0.5% in the London Metal Exchange Index.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Shaw’s History

http://www.shawgrp.com/about/history

Shaw has experienced tremendous growth since it was founded in 1986 by Chairman, President and CEO J.M. Bernhard Jr. and two colleagues. Discover how a company that first specialized in pipe fabrication has become one of the world’s leading providers of engineering, construction, technology, fabrication, remediation and support services.

1986

The company is originally formed in 1986 under the name National Fabricators Inc. In 1987, National Fabricators Inc. changes its name to Shaw Industries Inc. Shortly thereafter it acquires certain assets of B.F. Shaw Inc., a Laurens, S.C., company.

1993

Shaw Industries and Abdulla Ahmed Nass (a Bahrainian entity) form Shaw Nass Middle East W.L.L. to operate a 60,000-square-foot fabrication facility in Bahrain to service the Middle East.

Shaw Industries, through a wholly owned subsidiary, and Formiconi C.A. form Shaw-Formiconi C.A. (now known as Manufacturas Shaw South America C.A.) to operate a 50,000-square-foot fabrication facility in Maracaibo, Venezuela, to service South and Latin America.

Shaw Industries acquires Shaw Sunland Fabricators Inc., a Louisiana pipe fabrication company, with a capability of 4,000 to 6,000 spools per month. This acquisition brings Shaw Industries employment to approximately 1,900 employees.

Shaw Industries changes its name to The Shaw Group Inc. (Shaw) and conducts an initial public stock offering of 3,125,000 shares at $14.50 per share. The common stock is first listed on the NASDAQ National Market.

Jim Bernhard, then president and CEO, is elected chairman of the Board of Directors.

1994

Shaw acquires Fronek Co. Inc. and F.C.I. Pipe Support Sales Inc.

1996

Shaw acquires Word Industries Fabricators Inc.

Shaw acquires stock of Alloy Piping Products Inc., a Louisiana manufacturer of carbon steel, alloy and stainless steel pipe fittings and other pipe products.

Shaw acquires the snubber and hydraulic restraints manufacturing business from Fronek A/DE Inc.

Shaw acquires Naptech Inc., a fabricator of industrial piping systems and engineered piping modules.

Shaw acquires stock of Pipe Shields Inc., a California manufacturer of pre-insulated pipe hanger supports.

1997

Shaw acquires two industrial constructors and project maintenance businesses, United Crafts Inc. (UCI) and Merit Industrial Constructors Inc.

Shaw acquires Cojafex B.V. of Rotterdam, Holland.

Shaw acquires Prospect Industries plc, which consists of Aiton Power Corp. (U.K. and Australia), Dunn Constructors, and C.B.P. Engineering Corp. Shaw added the previously acquired contractor PED to this group to form Shaw UK.

Shaw acquires Lancas C.A. (Lancas), a construction company in Punto Fijo, Venezuela.

2000

Shaw joins with Entergy Corp. to create EntergyShaw L.L.C., a new equally owned and jointly managed company to construct power plants in North America and Europe for Entergy’s unregulated wholesale operations.

Shaw acquires substantially all of the assets and certain liabilities of Stone & Webster Inc., a 110-year-old engineering and construction company, bringing the total number of employees to more than 12,000.

Shaw’s Board of Directors authorizes a two-for-one stock split of common stock.

2001

Shaw breaks ground on a new 350,000-square-foot worldwide headquarters in Baton Rouge, La.

Jim Bernhard, Shaw’s chairman, president and CEO, is recognized by Ernst & Young as Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year.

2002

Shaw acquires substantially all of the assets and certain liabilities of The IT Group Inc., bringing Shaw’s total number of employees to 18,000.

Shaw opens a new pipe fabrication facility in China.

2003

Shaw acquires stock of Envirogen Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, MWR Inc.

Shaw debuts on Fortune magazine’s Fortune 500 list at No. 479 with $3.2 billion in revenue for 2002.

Shaw acquires assets of Badger/P&C business from Washington Group International Inc.

Shaw acquires stock of Energy Delivery Services from Duke Energy Global Markets Inc.

2004

Shaw is named to Fortune magazine’s Fortune 500 list for the second consecutive year and also debuted on the magazine’s list of "America’s Most Admired Companies."

2005

Shaw is named as one of "America’s Most Admired Companies" by Fortune magazine for the second consecutive year.

Shaw joins Westinghouse in the AP1000® Consortium as architect engineer.

Hurricane Katrina strikes the Gulf Coast region. A leader in emergency hurricane response work, Shaw is called upon to provide a broad range of services including power restoration, emergency provisions, housing and temporary roof repairs.

Shaw and its Louisiana-based subcontractors pump the floodwaters from New Orleans in 17 days. The experts predicted it would take three months.

2006

Shaw increases its credit facility to $750 million.

Shaw and its employees announce a total cash contribution of $1 million to hurricane relief and recovery efforts.

Shaw acquires maritime engineering and design firm Gottlieb, Barnett & Bridges (GBB).

Shaw reports record revenues of $4.8 billion and record backlog of $9.1 billion for fiscal 2006 and ends the fiscal year with more than 22,000 employees.

Shaw acquires a 20 percent ownership position in Westinghouse Electric Co., the world’s premier provider of power generating technology, equipment, licensing expertise, fuel and services for nuclear plants.

The People’s Republic of China’s State Nuclear Power Technology Co. (SNPTC) selects the Westinghouse/Shaw Consortium and Westinghouse’s AP1000 passive Generation III+ technology as the basis for four new nuclear power plants to be constructed in China.

2007

Shaw booked nearly $11 billion in new awards during fiscal year 2007, and its backlog of unfilled orders at Aug. 31, 2007, rose to a record $14.3 billion. Year-end revenues were $5.7 billion.

Shaw is named "Contractor of the Year" by Associated Builders and Contractors Association.

Shaw names Charlotte, N.C., as headquarters for its Power Group.

Shaw is awarded contracts for four major clean coal electric generating facilities for clients AEP, Dominion, Duke and Entergy.

Westinghouse and Shaw sign historic definitive contracts to provide four AP1000 nuclear power plants in China.

Shaw is awarded a maintenance and modifications services contract for Exelon Generation Co. LLC’s fleet of 17 nuclear stations, the largest nuclear fleet in the U.S.

Shaw increases its pipe fabrication and manufacturing volume capacity with the acquisitions of Mid States Pipe Fabrication, Inc. and Ezeflow (NJ) Inc. (TUBE-LINE), the reopening of its Tulsa, Okla., pipe fabrication facility, the expansion of its Sunland facility and the development of a new fabrication facility in Mexico.

Shaw is awarded a contract to provide technology, design, engineering, procurement and construction for ExxonMobil Chemical’s 1,000,000 tons-per-year olefins recovery facility and 220-megawatt power cogeneration unit in Singapore.

Shaw Capital Inc. is formed to identify, develop and execute proposed investments, including acquisitions of operating assets, expansions and retrofitting of existing facilities, new constructions and project development.

Shaw completes the Comprehensive Master Plan for Coastal Restoration and Hurricane Protection for the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources and is chosen by the South Florida Water Management District to provide comprehensive engineering services as part of the continued efforts to restore the Everglades.

Shaw is awarded a contract to perform engineering, procurement and construction management services for a 2,000 metric ton-per-year polysilicon manufacturing plant.

2008

Shaw opens a new office in Shanghai, China, to support the rapidly growing Chinese nuclear power industry, which includes Shaw’s ongoing work at plants in Sanmen and Haiyang.

Shaw begins project management, design and construction of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC) Surge Barrier project, the largest design-build project ever awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Shaw and Westinghouse sign historic contracts to build the first new commercial nuclear plants in the U.S. in more than 30 years. The team is awarded an engineering, procurement and construction contract by Georgia Power Co., a subsidiary of Southern Company, for two Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power units and related facilities. The team also is awarded an engineering, procurement and construction contract by South Carolina Electric & Gas Co., principal subsidiary of SCANA Corp., and the South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper) for two Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power units.

Cash flow generation, sizable cash balance and favorable end markets result in an upgrade to Shaw’s credit ratings by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services.

Shaw opens a new fabrication facility in Matamoros, Mexico, significantly increasing pipe fabrication capacity.

Shaw AREVA MOX Services LLC signs a final construction contract for the Department of Energy’s Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility in Aiken, S.C., where surplus weapons-grade plutonium is set to be transformed into nuclear fuel.

2009

Shaw and Westinghouse are awarded an engineering, procurement and construction contract by Progress Energy Florida Inc., a subsidiary of Progress Energy, for two Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power units in Levy Country, Fla.

Shaw opens a new office in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to support its increasing activity throughout the Middle East.

Shaw and Westinghouse receive full notice to proceed from Southern Nuclear on its engineering, procurement and construction contract for two Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power units near Augusta, Ga.

Shaw and Westinghouse, along with China’s State Nuclear Power Technology Corp. (SNPTC), reach milestones at the Sanmen nuclear power plant project in China, successfully completing placement of first nuclear concrete and also of the first major structural module.

Shaw and China’s SNPTC sign a strategic cooperation agreement, allowing both companies to issue tasks to support each other in China’s growing nuclear infrastructure business. SNPTC announced plans to build at least 30 new nuclear power plants in China by 2020.

Shaw changes its stock ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange from "SGR" to "SHAW" to better identify the company’s name with its stock.

The Shaw Group reaches record revenues of $7.3 billion for fiscal 2009.

Shaw completes an air quality control retrofit program for a fleet of three clean coal-fired power plants in Maryland for Mirant Mid-Atlantic, modernizing seven units.

2010

Shaw successfully completes an air quality control retrofit project for PPL Generation at its Brunner Island clean coal-fired power plant in Pennsylvania.

Shaw achieves substantial completion of a new, 660-MW circulating fluidized bed petcoke-fired power plant for Cleco Power LLC in Louisiana after being awarded the engineering, procurement and construction contract in 2005.

Shaw CEO, Chairman and President J.M. Bernhard Jr. participates in President Barack Obama’s announcement of the first conditional federal loan guarantee for new nuclear plant construction. Southern Company was awarded the guarantee for Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Georgia, where Shaw is building two AP1000 commercial nuclear units.

For the third consecutive year, Shaw was named the power sector industry leader, according to Engineering News-Record’s list of Top 500 Design Firms.

2011

Shaw assumes full ownership of a joint venture with engineering company Rolta India Limited, advancing a strategic growth plan for the region.

Shaw acquires Florida-based Coastal Planning & Engineering Inc., expanding its coastal services spectrum and adding its first Brazil office to its global portfolio.

Teams from Shaw dispatch to Japan after an earthquake and tsunami to provide mitigation, remediation and recovery services at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station.

Shaw’s IHNC Surge Barrier project helps the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reach 100-year storm protection on May 31, 2011, just before the start of hurricane season.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Shaw Capital Management Online: Japan Shares Drop on Europe Tax Plan; Sony Falls

http://shawcapitalmanagementonline.com/blog/2011/10/04/shaw-capital-management-reports-japan-shares-drop-on-europe-tax-plan-sony-falls/

WRITTEN BY: SCMONLINEBLOG - OCT• 04•11
Japanese shares dropped for the first time in the span of three days while the French and German heads announced they will not increase a budget to help Europe’s debt crisis. Meanwhile, housing starts in US fell, renewing the concern that profits of exporters will be cut back as Shaw Capital management fears.

Sony Corporation, Japan’s largest exporter of consumer electronics, slumped 1.9% following talks in Paris yesterday between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Meanwhile, the world’s biggest carmaker, Toyota Motor Corporation, dropped 1.4%. Japan’s top energy exploration company, Inpex Corporation, fell 2.3% due to reduced crude prices.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 Stock Average dropped 0.8% to 9,039 as of 9:31 am. While the wider Topix index fell 0.5% to 774 with 3 shares losing for every 2 that climbs up.

An equities manager at SMBC Nikko Securities, Inc, Hiroichi Nishi, said that the meeting in Paris proved debt matters can’t be resolved in such a short time.

Futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 0.4% today. Yesterday, as the French and German leaders did not approved of selling euro bonds and increasing the 440-billion euro ($633 billion) rescue fund, the New York index dropped 1% to 1,1,92. Both leaders also proposed submitting another financial-transaction tax that was previously rejected in 2010.

European Union’s statistics office announced yesterday in Luxembourg that the 17-nation Euro area, Gross Domestic Product grew 0.2% in the second quarter compared to previous months when the economy increased 0.8%. In a Bloomberg News Survey, this has been the weakest expansion since the euro zone emerged from a downturn in late 2009 and was less than the 0.3% average estimate of 34 economists.

The Commerce Department detailed that housing starts in the US dropped 1.5% in July from June, and the alternative for future construction also suffered a setback, Shaw Capital management observed.

Nishi added, “The housing numbers of US were not really strong, which triggers a persistent delay in their economy.”

Exporters decreased following reports of economic development in Europe and the opposite happening in the US, which hurt the position for earnings abroad. Sony dropped 1.9% to 1,668 yen, Toyota fell 1.4% to 2,860 yen and Japan’s third biggest carmaker, Honda, lost 2.3% to 2,556 yen.

On the other hand, mining companies reduced prices of oil products. Inpex lost 2.3% to 514,000 yen. The second biggest oil driller, Japan Petroleum Exploration Company, fell 0.8% to 3,330 yen.

Yesterday, crude oil for September delivery decreased 1.4% to stay at 86.65 dollars per barrel in New York. Prices of 6 industrial metals, including aluminum and copper, fell 0.5% in the London Metal Exchange Index.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Shaw Capital Management

Specialist in International Shipping

Welcome to Shaw Capital Management
Value of great service... Help grow your business...
Shaw Capital Management and Financing provide same-day-funding. We can help you meet your cashflow needs immediately without entering into a long term factoring relationship. The money you get for the freight bills we purchase is payment in full.
Shaw Capital Management and Financing offer a complete line of factoring services, purchase order funding, asset based financing, accounts receivable management, and other related financial services.
Shaw Capital Management and Financing offer funding for a wide range of industries and flexible funding requirements that most businesses can easily qualify for.
Based in Baltimore, Maryland. Importing into the tri-state area mostly from the far east such as China, Thailand, Taiwan and South Korea.
For your convenience, we have associate offices in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei and Seoul in S Korea.
At Shaw Capital Management - No financials needed - and with Flexible terms...

Monday, October 3, 2011

Shaw Capital Management Scam Info: Royal Scam: Why Media’s Excessive Royal Wedding Coverage Is Appalling And Wrong

http://warning.shawcapitalmanagementscaminfo.com/2011/05/shaw-capital-management-scam-info-royal-scam-why-media%E2%80%99s-excessive-royal-wedding-coverage-is-appalling-and-wrong/

http://www.mediaite.com/online/royal-scam-why-news-medias-excessive-royal-wedding-coverage-is-apalling-and-wrong/
by Colby Hall | 12:05 pm, April 29th, 2011

Watching the wall-to-wall royal wedding coverage on the network morning shows and cable news networks this morning, it is easy to forget that every one of them is supposedly run by a “news” division. Wall-to-wall is not figurative term but a literal one. Give the people what they want right?
But wait, a recent poll by the New York Timesand CBS found that about 28% of Americans were following the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton “very closely” or “somewhat closely,” a number that eclipses even the rosiest estimates of NASCAR fandom. Now, imagine if every NASCAR race of the past 20 years happened on the same day.
Yes, it has become fashionable to bash the saturation coverage of the royal wedding, but the the problem isn’t with the amount of coverage, or even the expense, but with what it costs us. This spectacle illustrates the degree to which profit-driven “giving the people what they want” has undercut journalism’s true purpose.
There have been a great number of people who have openly admonished the news media for royal wedding “circus act.” In fact, the only subject more hackneyed than royal wedding commentary on Twitter of late, is people complaining about the royal wedding commentary. These hipper-than-thou critiques ignore the fact that the royal wedding is a rare “real-life” vestige of a myth that runs deep in our culture. Quick, name a Disney movie that didn’t have a princess or a prince in it.
There was a time, though, when you could have a gloriously decadent royal wedding cake, and eat it, too, by having a news media that devoted adequate resources to fulfilling its public service obligation. But times have changed, and so too have the apparent strategy of network news. Former ObserverEIC Kyle Pope summed it up best on a recent tweet, writing “The big TV networks show their true stripes, investing hugely in royal wedding coverage while letting their foreign bureaus die.”
Yes, by any measure, the decision makers at both network and cable news divisions went long on the royal wedding, spending millions of dollars of the very budget that they constantly carp about being so diminished. And remember lay-offs of the last year? Think of the poor news producer who was recently let go due to a lack of funds, who must be thinking “I was fired for this?!”
The thinking behind the news director’s decisions is crystal clear; British royalty (particularly with regards to Princess Diana) was big media business in “the Colonies,” and so the thinking is that we will collectively be very interested in the next Princess. Given the difference in the times, and the public hits that the Monarchy has taken in the interim, it’s doubtful that Kate Middleton will ever get to Princess Di status. In much the same way, we are unlikely to enjoy an omnipresent news media with resources in every corner of the world.
Of course, there were only three (real) channels back then, and only sixteen or so programming hours to fill. E! was just another letter in the alphabet, Bravo was just something you hollered at the opera, and MTV was just a jukebox with pictures. You didn’t have to do much more than point your camera at the happy couple to be guaranteed a huge audience. Nowadays, the fierceness of the competition is manifested in amped-up graphics, increasingly tangential guest “experts,” and a crowding-out of…everything else. Especially — and rather sadly — real news coverage.
But its not just the news media, the media watchdogs are largely complicit. Even the thoughtful Poynter Institute collected Twitter reactions from a various media critics, and nary one was actually critical of the coverage, nor questioned the gross amount of overkill involved.
The recent Tornado disaster in the Southern part of the country perfectly illustrates the stark disconnect between NY based news staffers and, well, the rest of the country. Over 300 people have died as a result of this catastrophe, but the cable news networks have all reported more on the royal wedding than the tornadoes in the South, judging by a topic search on TV Eyes. Don’t worry though, real-time reports on the devastation in the South could still be found…by civilians on the ground uploading videos and reports via YouTube and Twitter. Is it any wonder that so many Americans so deeply distrust the American media?
One can cynically presume that many in the news business saw a trip to London (vis-à-vis the royal wedding) as a classic media boondoggle. And while its too soon to know the ratings and how this investment has paid off, the coverage does feel a little shoved down our collective throats right now. With apologies to Steely Dan, it all feels a lot like the royal scam.