November 17, 2009 at 3:20 pm
The YouTube Direct channel has been launched to let “citizen journalists” conveniently feed content to TV and online news editors. Broadcast journalism Professor Susan Walker, a veteran TV producer, says if these videos aren’t vetted by news professionals it could unleash a wave of ambush videos from vigilante “reporters.” “I’m with newspaper editor Ben Bradlee who […]
November 17, 2009 at 12:11 pm
The four Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the death of Ted Kennedy meet at Boston University today at noon for a forum on the environment and a new green economy. For a live Web feed of candidates Michael Capuano, Martha Coakley, Alan Khazei and Stephen Pagliuca, go to http://www.bu.edu/com/live/senate/.
November 16, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Trading on 3Com stock options soared just hours before a Hewlett-Packard takeover bid and now the Securities and Exchange Commission is looking to see if it was a case of insider trading. Law Professor Elizabeth Nowicki, a former SEC attorney, says the best way to catch SEC suspicion is to place trades for calls immediately before a major announcement. “In […]
November 16, 2009 at 5:11 pm
To raise cash and pay down debt, Motorola reportedly is considering splitting into three companies and sell off its division which makes TV set-top boxes and networking gear. School of Management Professor N. Venkat Venkatraman, chairman of the Information Systems Department, says all three divisions need investments to regain traction, and a split-up will help them […]
November 16, 2009 at 3:55 pm
While drug makers promise to back healthcare reform by cutting drug costs after legislation passes, the industry has been raising drug prices at a 9-percent clip. Law Professor Kevin Outterson, an authority on pharmaceutical law and marketing, says this means big pharma will make more money from health reform. “This is apparently the price for […]
November 13, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Two computer programmers who worked for Bernie Madoff were arrested by the FBI for aiding in Madoff’s multi-billion dollar Ponzi fraud. Law Professor Tamar Frankel, an authority in securities law, says the burden of proof is heavy, but the two should be brought to court anyway. “Aiding and abetting in a fraud requires the knowing […]
November 13, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Despite President Obama’s call for Hamid Kazai to crack down on corrupution in Afghanistan, the U.S. apparently has little leverage over the Afghan president. Journalism Professor Nick Mills, author of “Karzai: The failing American Intervention and the Struggle for Afghanistan,” says without a credible “or else” threat, any demands on Karzai are just “dust in […]
November 12, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Intel, the world’s largest maker of computer processors, will pay $1.25 billion to its biggest competitor, Advanced Micro Devices, to settle all antitrust and patent suits. School of Management Professor Michael Salinger, a former director of the Federal Trade Commission (which also is investigating Intel), applauds the settlement. “It’s a substantial settlement, which represents an […]
November 12, 2009 at 6:02 pm
With both newspapers and local broadcasters in deep financial trouble, the FCC reportedly may be looking to loosen media-ownership rules in 2010. Mass communication Professor T. Barton Carter, an expert on the FCC and communication law, says the difficulty is identifying what changes are needed and finding enough evidence to satisfy any court challenges. “Making […]
November 12, 2009 at 4:58 pm
The court acquittals of two ex-Bear Stearns hedge-fund managers on securities fraud charges is forcing prosecutors to re-examine other potential cases stemming from the Wall Street financial meltdown. Law Professor Tamar Frankel, an authority on securities law and author of “Trust and Honesty: America’s Business Culture at a Crossroad,” says the problem is larger than […]
