107-
Alibaba's Jack Ma = tvi Person of the
Month
Jack Ma, is the
founder and CEO of Alibaba.com, and runs
one of the world's largest E- commerce
businesses.
Alibaba is China's,
biggest online commerce company. Its three
main sites -- Taobao, Tmall and
Alibaba.com -- have hundreds of millions
of users, and host millions of merchants
and businesses. Alibaba raised $25billion
in an IPO, in September 2014, becoming one
of the most valuable tech companies in the
world. Ma now serves as Executive Chairman
of Alibaba Group, which is a holding
company with nine major subsidiaries:
Alibaba.com, Taobao Marketplace, Tmall,
eTao, Alibaba Cloud Computing, Juhuasuan,
1688.com, AliExpress.com and
Alipay.
Click
For More
tviStory
107-s90- TimeLIne Jack Ma- TVI's Person of
the
Month
108-
Alibaba quarter revenue surges 54
percent
Alibaba's
financial quarter results, highlighted the
Chinese e-commerce company's strategy of
putting its profit back into investments,
particularly in mobile commerce and
marketing.
Alibaba
said net income fell 39 percent in
the quarter ending in September despite a
54 percent surge in revenue.
It was Alibaba's first earnings report
since it went public on the New York Stock
Exchange in September, with a
$25 billion initial public offering,
the largest ever.
Despite the revenue growth, the company
reports a net income of $494 million, a
38.6 percent decrease from the previous
year. Alibaba attributes the drop to
share-base compensation charges, increased
amortization expenses and an increase in
taxes. Long-term plan- the race to go
mobile
China's
600 million-plus Internet users are
migrating to smartphones, setting off a
scramble among the country's Internet
giants. Alibaba's toughest rival is
Tencent, which runs the WeChat mobile
messaging application, with 355 million
users. The companies are spending billions
of dollars to invest in businesses that
can help them compete.
Vice
Chairman Joseph Tsaid said Alibaba sees
challenging Google's Android operating
system with one of its own, named YunOS,
as a "long-term winning strategy.
80% of mobile phones in China run on
Android while less then 1% run YunOS. Many
of Google's services, such as Maps and
it's flagship search, are sometimes either
blocked or don't work in China.
"The
whole idea with an operating systems is it
makes sense if you have a whole lot of
overlying services, for instance maps and
for us, e-commerce, said Tsai," "It's a
very long term game. The dominant player
today might not be the dominant player
tomorrow. That's why we continue to invest
in our mobile OS." Eyes on
Hollywood
During
a recent stay in Los Angeles, Alibaba's
Jack Ma was meeting with high level studio
executives and visiting major Hollywood
movie studios, including 20th Century Fox,
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Paramount
Pictures, with the aim of striking content
deals for online distribution in China.
"
I watch a lot of movies, but it doesn't
mean I know about the movie industry," the
billinaire said when asked about his
Hollywood strategy. "I watched my mother
cook for 30 years; I cannot cook. So I
come here to learn. I want to come here
looking for
partners.
"At
a question-and-answer session at a digital
tech conference in Laguna Beach, Ma said
he's enamored of Hollywood hereos and
wants to bring those story line back to
China.
Ma predicted that China will overtake the
U.S. as the world's largest film market
and said he's particularly interested in
broadening the entertainment offering
there to serve the country's growing
middle class, which needs "great cultural
products."
Buffett
Rule.
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More
tviStory
108-s90- Alibaba quarter revenue surges
54% ///
101-
Cory's Road to
China>
First American to perform on Stage in
China, PRC.
Troy Cory was among the first
international entertainers and the first
American entertainer to perform in the
People's Republic of China, beginning in
1988. In itself a notable
culture-historical feat, in view of
China's closed door policies of the late
70s and well into the 80s. The PRC's
administrative climate in comparison is
much less restrictive now and China's open
door policy enables many entertainers to
introduce themselves to the populace
Chinese
audiences
Back in the
80s, as a goodwill ambassador representing
the U.S.A., Troy Cory and his back-up
dancers and singers, "The Brooke Sisters,"
were the first entertainers from the
United States to appear in a full staged
program in the People's Republic of China
during the Shanghai TV Festival, and
televised on China's National Television
(CCTV), viewed by over 300 million
people.
It was there
Cory met Jiang Zemin, then mayor of
Shanghai, and who later became the 5th
President of the People's Republic of
China.
The
'88 Shanghai Concert was the beginnings of
Troy's concert tours in China for the next
two decades. The concerts, just to name a
few, included the following cities:
Shanghai, Beijing, Anshan, Harbin, Fuzhou
and and Tsingtao (Qingdao)
Click
More For TC in China
More ///
106-
Germany commemorates the Fall of the
Berlin Wall 25 years
ago
On November 9, 1989,
East German border guards, overwhelmed by
large crowds, threw open the gates to West
Berlin, allowing
free
passage for the first time since it was
built in 1961.
In
commemoration,
Germany kicked off
celebrations Friday marking 25 years since
the epochal fall of the Berlin Wall, set
to culminate in rock stars and freedom
icons joining millions at an open-air
party.
Chancellor
Angela Merkel- who grew up in communist East Germany,
was leading three days of commemorations
for those killed trying to flee the
repressive state, ahead of a giant
festival Sunday marking the joyous breach
of Europe's Cold War division on November
9, 1989.
"I think you never forget how you felt
that day -- at least I will never forget
it," Merkel, 60, said in her latest
podcast.
"I had to wait 35 years for that feeling
of liberty. It changed my life."
The festivities under the banner "Courage
for Freedom" recall the peaceful
revolution that led communist authorities
to finally open the border after 28 years
in which Easterners were prisoners of
their own government.
After the wall fell, Germany would reunite
within the year, on October 3, 1990.
The last Soviet
leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, whose
"perestroika" and "glasnost" reforms
helped pave the way for the Wall's fall,
on Friday greeted crowds at Berlin's
iconic former Checkpoint Charlie border
crossing. Gorbachev, who is revered here for
having refrained from a bloody crackdown
on protesters in 1989, understated his own
role in history, saying: "I am proud I
could contribute a little bit to the fact
that we live like this today."
The Nobel Prize winner however, also
warned of new East-West tensions sparked
by the Ukraine crisis, saying both sides
must "get a grip on the tensions that have
emerged recently."
On Saturday, Gorbachev will join former
German foreign minister Hans-Dietrich
Genscher for a debate about the legacy of
1989, and the resurgence of tensions
between Russia and the West.
Berlin gears up for a
weekend of festivities It has set up an installation
featuring nearly 7,000 white balloons
pegged to the ground along a 15-kilometer
(nine-mile) stretch of the Wall's former
155-kilometer path and dramatically
illuminated them at dusk.
The glowing orbs, which from above look
like a string of pearls, are to be
released Sunday and set to float into the
night sky, to the stirring strains of
Beethoven's "Ode to Joy".
Mayor Klaus Wowereit said, "the world's
eyes would once again be trained on the
now reunified German capital "with joy,
goodwill and the knowledge that Berlin
today is an open, tolerant and globally
recognised metropolis in the heart of
Europe."
Freedom icons.
Merkel will on Saturday attend a memorial
concert at Bertolt Brecht's historic
Berliner Ensemble theatre opposite the
former "Palace of Tears", where Easterners
said goodbye to visitors returning to West
Germany.
And on Sunday she will open a major
exhibition on Bernauer Strasse, a street
divided by the Wall that saw harrowing
scenes of families ripped apart overnight
when the Wall went up in 1961.
Following a ceremony at the elegant
Gendarmenmarkt square, at least two
million people are expected to gather at
the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of German
unity.
There, Gorbachev and former Polish
president and freedom icon Lech Walesa,
will join German head of state Joachim
Gauck,, a former pastor and rights
activist in the East, and Hungarian
ex-premier Miklos Nemeth.
Entertainment will range from the Berlin
State Orchestra to a fireworks display and
performances by East German rock band
Silly and techno musician Paul
Kalkbrenner.
British singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel
will perform the Wall anthem "Heroes,"
which David Bowie recorded when he lived
in then West Berlin.
East Germany built the Wall, which it
called an "Anti-Fascist Protection
Rampart," in August 1961 to halta
mass exodus to the West.
At least 389 people lost their lives
trying to escape East Germany, according
to an official toll, although victims
groups put the figure much higher.
Click
More
tviStory
106-s90- Germany commemorates the Fall of
the Berlin Wall 25 years
ago ///
The Berlin
Airlift began on June 24, 1948 when the
Soviets sealed off the western portion of
Berlin controlled by American, British and
French forces. Back
in 2008, the 60th Anniversary of the
Berlin Airlift commemoration,
took
place at the Goethe Institute in
conjunction with the the Consulate General
of the Federal Republic of Germany in Los
Angeles.
The
Honorable Tom LaBonge, Councilmember, 4th
District of Los Angeles offered welcoming
remarks,
before
the showing of some Berlin airlift film
footage.
The
discussion panel members were: Ret. USAF
Col. Gail S. Halvorsen,the famed
"Candy Bomber" of the Berlin Airlift;Professor Michael Meyer, CSU
Northridge, Department of History; Ursula
Krummel, Berlin historical
eyewitness, 1948; Dorothea Schoene,
Berlin contemporary eyewitness, and
Moderator, Bernd Desinger, Director of the
Goethe-Institut Los Angeles. Also in
attendance were Consul General, Christian
Stock, and three U.S. pilots of the Berlin
Airlift endeavor.
General
Lucius Clay was deputy to General Dwitght
D. Eisenhower, commander in chief of the
U.S. Forces in Europe and military
governor of U.S. Zone, Germany. He is
considered the 'father" of the Berlin
airlift.
The Berlin
Airlift began on June 24, 1948 when the
Soviets sealed off the western portion of
Berlin controlled by American, British and
French forces.
In response,
the US and her Allies took to the skies on
June 26, flying in provisions for West
Berlin's grateful residents, an effort
that grew into the Berlin Airlift. In what
was one of the greatest humanitarian
efforts of all time, they saved more than
2 million men, women and children from
hunger and cold.
In one amazing
day about 1,400 planes carried in nearly
13,000 tons over a 24-hour period. That
was an average of one plane landing every
62 seconds.
On May 12,
1949, the Berlin Airlift, ended after 322
days when the Soviets gave in and reopened
access to Berlin.
This heroic
effort changed the course of history and
laid the foundation for a legacy of
friendship that endures today between
Germany and America.
Click For
More
///
115-
LA Auto Show - Nov. 21 -
30
THIRTY WORLD
DEBUTS and 60 TOTAL REVEALSScheduled for 2014 Los Angeles Auto
Show Press & Trade Days Nov. 18-20 LOS ANGELES - The Los
Angeles Auto Show confirmed that 30 world
debuts (totaling 60 vehicle unveilings
overall) will be introduced in front of a
global audience during its 2014 Press
& Trade Days (Nov. 18-20) at the Los
Angeles Convention Center.
Almost every manufacturer has news to make
in Los Angeles, but several automakers
stand out with multiple global premieres
of significant new vehicles.
Audi is planning one of its biggest LA
Auto Shows to date, with up to eight total
debuts, three of which are global, all to
be presented by chairman of the board,
Rupert Stadler. Mercedes-Benz will
feature three world premieres, which will
be showcased alongside the brand's two
North American debuts, while Porsche will
hold several world reveals. Mazda
will feature three global premieres, one
of which is an all-new vehicle. BMW
has confirmed two world debuts and three
North American debuts, and Chevrolet has
also committed to two global
premieres.
Cadillac has already announced its world
reveal of the high-performance 2015 ATS-V,
while Chrysler plans to introduce its
completely refreshed 300 and 300C
models.
Scion also recently announced its plans
for a global premiere of an all-new
vehicle. Other brands making big
statements with world premieres include
Acura, Lexus, Toyota and Volkswagen.
A few other brands that are keeping
their plans under wraps are expected to
add to LA's roster of global
premieres.
At least a dozen manufacturers have
confirmed North American introductions,
including Land Rover, who will reveal its
all-new 2015 Discovery Sport crossover.
Also expected are the MINI hardtop
four-door and the Superleggera Vision
concept, a redesigned Kia Sorrento, the
convertible versions of the 228i and M235i
from BMW, the Mitsubishi XR-PHEV concept
vehicle and a dramatic statement by Volvo,
who is re-launching its entire brand with
the introduction of the second generation
XC90, the company's first model in four
years. Fiat, Infiniti and Nissan are
also verified to make North American
debuts.
Volvo's "Drive Me" autonomous vehicle will
also make its North American premiere on
the Connected Car Expo (CCE) show floor on
Nov. 18, with executives discussing the
car's progressive autopilot technology.
For the second consecutive year, the
LA Auto Show's CCE will take place in
conjunction with Press & Trade Days
and will feature 80 presenting experts, 20
conference topics and executive
interviews, multiple news conferences and
an expanded 50,000 square foot exhibit
space. Breaking technology news from
Audi, Hyundai, KPMG and several other
exhibitors will highlight a full day of
expert presentations. For more
information and news regarding CCE, please
visit here.
"With this debut lineup, Los Angeles will
deliver the best of what's to come in the
automotive space and we're eager to see
how it all unfolds," said LA Auto Show
President, Lisa Kaz. "The automotive
landscape is ever-changing and we continue
to be at the forefront of the
groundbreaking news."
be available for sale by
January 1st of the award year.
Click
For More
tviStory
115-s90- LA Auto
Show ///
115-
LA Auto Show, Nov 21-30-
"GREEN
CAR OF THE
YEAR®" LOS ANGELES - Green Car Journal
has announced its five finalists for the
magazine's high-profile 2015 Green Car of
the Year® program. Winner of the
Annual Award will be revealed at LA Auto
Show® Press & Trade Days, November
20.
The Green Car of the Year® award, an
honor widely recognized as the auto
industry's most important environmental
accolade, celebrates its 10th anniversary
this year.
An increasing number of vehicle models are
considered for the Green Car of the
Year® program each year, a reflection
of the auto industry's expanding efforts
in offering new vehicles with higher
efficiency and improved environmental
impact. Green Car Journal has been
honoring the most important "green"
vehicles every year at the LA Auto Show,
since its inaugural award announced at the
show in 2005.
"These
five exceptional vehicles reflect an
expanding 'green' car field that embraces
diverse fuels and technologies as answers
to a more efficient and low carbon
future," said Ron Cogan, editor and
publisher of Green Car Journal and
CarsOfChange.com. "Each offers a
distinctly different approach to driving
'green' that appeals to buyers with
varying needs and perspectives on how best
to lessen environmental impact, while
maintaining the joy of
driving."
FINALISTS: Audi A3 TDI Audi's
all-new A3 TDI presents an exciting choice
for those looking to go upscale and
'green,' appearing for the first time as a
stylish four-door sedan featuring the
automaker's new fuel-efficient, 2.0-liter
TDI clean diesel power plant. BMW i3 Offering
a lightweight carbon fiber reinforced
plastic (CFRP) body on an aluminum space
frame, BMW's innovative i3 offers
environment-conscious drivers all-electric
drive with an optional internal combustion
range extender. Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel The
Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel sedan breaks new
ground by offering the comfort and
functionality of a popular mid-size
four-door sedan with the ability to drive
on affordable clean natural gas or
conventional gasoline. Honda Fit Honda's
third-generation Fit features a new
space-efficient body and flexible seating
configuration to bring class-leading
interior room, combined with 41 highway
mpg from a new 1.5-liter Earth Dreams
gasoline engine. Volkswagen Golf VW's
seventh-generation Golf offers something
for everyone in a stylish and fun package,
with new 2.0-liter TDI clean diesel,
efficient four-cylinder gasoline, and in
some areas of the country, all-electric
drive.
The
Green Car of the Year® is selected
through a majority vote by an esteemed
jury that includes celebrity auto
enthusiast Jay Leno, plus leaders of noted
environmental and efficiency organizations
including Jean-Michel Cousteau, president
of Ocean Futures Society; Matt Petersen,
board member of Global Green USA; Dr. Alan
Lloyd, President Emeritus of the
International Council on Clean
Transportation; Mindy Lubber, President of
CERES; and Kateri Callahan, President of
the Alliance to Save Energy.
During
the award's vetting process, Green Car
Journal editors consider all vehicles,
fuels, and technologies as an expansive
field of potential candidates is narrowed
down to a final five. Finalists are
selected for their achievements in raising
the bar in environmental performance.
Availability to the mass market is a
factor to ensure honored models have the
potential to make a real difference in
environmental impact, and finalists must
be available for sale by January 1st of
the award year.
Click
For More
tviStory
115-s90- LA
Autoshow
Click
Direct
LA
Auto Show
2014 ///
106-
FCC: Pay-TV distributors to include Tech
companies Federal
Communication commissioner Tom Wheeler
proposed expanding the definition of a
pay-TV distributor to include companies
that transmit TV programming via the
Internet. The move should give tech
companies access to some of the most
popular channels in television.
The proposal was designed to spread
competition within an industry dominated
by cable and satellite TV giants.
"Consumers have long complained about how
their cable service forces them to buy
channels they never watch," Wheeler said
in a blog post announcing his plan to
modify the FCC's definition of a
multi-channel video provider. "The move of
video onto the Internet can do something
about that frustration -- but first
Internet video services need access to the
programs."
Under the proposed rule change, which must
be approved by the full commission,
companies that seek to distribute packages
of TV channels over the Internet would be
included in an expanded definition of a
"multi-channel video programming
distributor." That would level the playing
field, making Internet companies equal to
satellite television, cable and
programming provided via telephone
companies. Long before the Internet was a
viable distribution outlet-
Wheeler said his goal was to modernize FCC
rules that were adopted in the early 1990s
-- long before the Internet was a viable
distribution outlet. The FCC's rules were
adopted then with the blessing of Congress
to prevent cable companies from using
their clout to shut out what was then a
new technology: satellite TV.
However, skepticism remains that Wheeler's
move would translate into lower-cost
pay-TV subscriptions.
Content companies, such as CBS Corp.,
NBCUniversal and the Walt Disney Co.,
control the terms of the distribution of
their channels. That includes the prices
that distributors, including DirecTV and
Dish Networks Corp., pay to carry those
channels.
Three start-up companies asked
the FCC- to be included in the definition of a
multi-channel distributor, namely
SkyAngel, which describes itself as a
"faith and family values" broadcaster;
FilmOn Networks, a streaming service in
Beverly Hills; and Aereo Inc., the tech
start-up that distributed broadcast TV
signals over the Internet until the U.S.
Supreme Court ruled the transmissions
violated the broadcasters' copyright.
A rule change could also help tech giants,
including Google Inc. and Apple Inc., to
offer a package of television channels to
consumers.
However, the rule change was not intended
to help on-demand services, such as
Netflix Inc. or Amazon.com Inc. But it
should boost the efforts of several large
companies -- including Dish Networks,
Verizon Communications Inc. and Sony Corp.
-- that have been preparing to roll out
packages of TV channels that would be
streamed to consumers via the
Internet.
Click For More
tviStory
106-s90- FCC
proposes pay-TV distributors to include
Tech
companies
///
CANNES--
"Mongolia's
Got
Talent"- quipped
Simon Cowell recently at his
keynote accepting the honors of
Mipcom's Personality of the
Year,
as interviewer Piers Morgan joked
about the fact that the only two
regions where the format hasn't
been picked up were Mongolia and
half of Papua New
Guinea. He
plans to bring 'X Factor' back to
America. Click For More
tviStory
101-s90- Simon Cowell's keynote
speech
///
108-
AT&T fined $105 million for
cramming charges in customer
bills
As part of
a $105 million settlement with
federal and state law enforcement
officials, AT&T Mobility LLC
will pay $80 million to the
Federal Trade Commission to
provide refunds to consumers the
company unlawfully billed for
unauthorized third-party charges,
a practice known as mobile
cramming. The refunds are part of
a multi-agency settlement that
also includes $20 million in
penalties and fees paid to 50
states
AT&T billed its customers
for hundreds of millions of
dollars in charges
originated by other companies,
usually in amounts of $9.99 per
month, for subscriptions for
ringtones and text messages
containing love tips, horoscopes,
and "fun facts," as alleged in
the FTC complaint against
AT&T.
108-MGM
Studio buys 55% in Popular
Production
Companies
The
Webusersguild, wwwWUG4.com,
reported that the Culver City
Studio, MGM, announced it had
acquired a majority stake in Mark
Burnett's production company, One
Three Media, which holds rights
to reality hits like "The Voice,"
"Survivor," "The Apprentice" and
"Shark Tank." Mr. Burnett will
run the operation as CEO of a new
MGM unit called United Artists
Media Group. United Artists has a
storied history.
Click
For More
tviStory
108-s90-MGM
buys 55% in Popular Production
Companies ///
108-
Using Stock-Bonds As Collateral
- Larry
Ellison Upgrades Oracle Credit
Line to $9.9
Billion
Like most Wall
Street financial firms . . .
billionaire Larry Ellision, has
increased the amount of Oracle
Corp. stock he's pledged against
personal indebtedness and lines
of credit to $9.9 billion.
Billionaires including Sumner
Redstone, the chairman of Viacom
Inc., and Tesla Motors Inc.
co-founder Elon Musk also use
shares to secure personal debt.
Musk has pledged at least 10
million Tesla shares as
collateral, valued at $2.53
billion as of yesterday's closing
price, according to the company's
proxy statement. -- Ellison
"isn't doing anything
unusual-
Click
For More
tviStory
108-s90- Using Stock-Bonds As
Collateral . . . Larry Ellison
///
101-
George Clooney Honored with Cecil
B. DeMille
Award
The
Hollywood Foreign Press
Association announced that actor,
director, writer, and producer,
George Clooney will be honored
with the Cecil B. DeMille Award
at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards
next year, for his impact on the
entertainment industry.
Recent recipients include Woody
Allen (2014), Jodie Foster
(2013), Morgan Freeman, (2012),
Robert De Niro (2011), Martin
Scorsese (2010), Steven Spielberg
(2009), Warren Beatty (2007),
Anthony Hopkins (2006), Robin
Williams (2005), Michael Douglas
(2004), Gene Hackman (2003),
Harrison Ford (2002), Al Pacino
(2001), and Barbra Streisand
(2000).
Click
For More
tviStory
101-s90- George Clooney Honored
with Cecil B. DeMille Award
///
108-
Buffett + $Bill = Burger King-
"INVERSION"
Deal
TVI's
Person of theWeek, Warren Buffett
greases $3 Billion to make the
Burger King Inversion deal
happen
The
$11.4 billion dollar transaction
for Canadian coffee-and-doughnut
chain Tim Hortons Inc., with
headquarter in Canada is the
latest company to undergo an
inversion, which happens when an
American company uses a merger to
reincorporate as a foreign
one.
In such a maneuver, which is
legal, a U.S. company buys a
foreign competitor in a nation
with a lower corporate tax rate
and shifts its headquarters to
that country.
Buffett is famous for
arguing- that our tax code should be
fairer and that the rich and
powerful should not get more
breaks than middle-income
Americans.
He has been a staunch advocate of
companies and citizens paying
their fair share of taxes
&emdash; so much so that the
administration's proposal to
force millionaires to pay the
same share of their income in
taxes as middle-class families is
known as the Buffett Rule.
Click
More
tviStory
108-s90- Buffett greases Burger
King inversion
deal ///
101-CELEBRITY
SCENE - PETE ALLMAN HONORS MOTHER
ON HER 93rd
BIRTHDAY
WITH MUSICIAL
CELEBRATION
Celebrity
Scene's Pete Allman, known as
''the man on the scene,'' has
been involved in the
entertainment business for years,
in helping escalate the careers
of Lyn Ashley, The Oscar Martinez
Dancers and Kirby Van Burch,
known as The Prince of
Magic.''
Allman first arrived in Las Vegas
in 1978 where he opened his own
review, ''The Pete Allman
Revue,'' which opened at The
Fremont Hotel, later moving up
the strip to The Marina Hotel,
now The MGM.
Click
for
More
tviNews stories Pete
Allman
///
101-
Emmy Nominees - Award
Winners Actor
in a drama: Bryan Cranston
("Breaking Bad") Actress in a drama:
Julianna Margulies ("The Good
Wife") Drama series: "Breaking
Bad" (AMC) Comedy series: "Modern
Family" (ABC) Mini series: "Fargo"
(FX) TV Movie: "The
Normal Heart" (HBO) Variety
Series: "The Colbert
Report"
Click
For
Complete
List of Emmy Nominees-
101-s90
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