Deconstructing Pop Culture

Historical financial information about companies primarily is derived from their annual reports and Form 10-Ks filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  As a shareholder in various entertainment firms, over time I have compiled a collection of these documents, which I have scanned and posted as downloadable files elsewhere on this site.  To my [...]

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An article in today’s Los Angeles Times states that Knott’s Berry Farm will be sold to the private equity firm Apollo Global Management for $2.4 billion. While several other amusement parks and hotels are included in the transaction, the article made it clear that Knott’s was the main attraction. Knott’s has undergone tumultuous upheaval since [...]

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The golfer Tiger Woods recently has been the subject of considerable controversy as a result of a peculiar car accident and subsequent revelations of marital indiscretions.  The media of course have lapped this up like thirsty hounds, see, for example, a recent article by Sam Tanenhaus in the New York Times.  This leads to a [...]

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Anyone can sell their used books and CDs on Amazon.  Prices strictly are what the market will bear.  There is no point in being anybody other than the lowest-price seller.  This market –clearing price frequently is as low as $.01.  Amazon also provides for a modest shipping allowance.  After deducting Amazon’s commission and the actual [...]

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Here is a selection of annual reports from CBS. I post these to support this article and as part of my on-going project to make accessible earlier reports from influential entertainment companies. The same caveats that pertain to the Warner Communications reports also apply here. CBS 1970 Annual Report CBS 1972 Annual Report CBS 1973 [...]

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Another recent pair of incidents illustrating the absurdity of objects and our relationships to them is the auction of Michael Jackson’s personal belongings and a legal action regarding the authenticity and attribution of Louis Vuitton handbags. Michael Jackson’s financial travails have been well-reported in both the mainstream and tabloid press. In an April 14, 2009 [...]

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Here are the Annual Reports for Warner Communications; Time Warner; AOL Time Warner; and the Warner Music Group.  In some cases I have substituted what the Securities and Exchange Commission calls “Form 10-K,” which is a different version of the annual report (typically with more information).  Some of the ones from the 1970s are copies [...]

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William F. Buckley, Jr. died on February 27, 2008. This made me recall that I had advised him regarding a matter involving the news media, over 20 years ago. The project we were working on was confidential, and remains so. This is unfortunate, because it was interesting. Anyway, here’s a copy of a letter he [...]

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I am hard pressed to say what I like the least about our home-town newspaper, the Los Angeles Times. “Like the least” being a polite way of saying, “detest the most.” I have been a dutiful subscriber for probably a quarter of a century, and seen various features and aspects of it come and ago. [...]

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This weekend’s coverage of Rupert Murdoch’s quest for the Wall Street Journal took a remarkable turn in tone. Some inbred New England clan called The Bancroft Family controls Dow Jones, mainly because the company has a bizarrely-antiquated two-tier stock structure, and they own a majority of the tier that votes. Initially, they “reacted coolly” to [...]

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