As podcasting shifts from free-form conversation to scripted narrative, pre-recorded ads are replacing “live” spots read by a host. What does it mean for revenues? The podcasting industry is reshaping its approach to advertising in ways that parallel changes at album-oriented FM rock music stations in the 1970s. Instead of hosts reading every ad “live” … Continued
Big names and big money are transforming what was once a do-it-yourself medium Podcast networks are selling for hundreds of millions of dollars, but nothing’s stopping anyone of modest means from starting a podcast. Celebrities want to make the podcast scene, but nobodies can appear anytime they choose. Fortune 500 companies are pouring cash into … Continued
Corporate Office Properties Trust specializes in defense-related tenants, inoculating the company against economic downturns Not even a worldwide pandemic can stand in the way of the master plan for Corporate Office Properties Trust (OFC), according to executives at the Columbia, Md.-based real estate investment trust, or REIT. The company’s leadership decided a decade ago to … Continued
What we are reading, and why The Last Taxi Driver By Lee Durkee Lee Durkee’s novels draw upon his own hip but hardscrabble life, combining the working-class realism of Charles Bukowski with the counter-cultural flamboyance of Hunter S. Thompson. But Durkee’s timing has been simply awful. Let’s look at some highlights that became low points. When … Continued
Real estate investment trusts that specialize in office space appear likely to emerge intact (but different) from the downturn When a newspaper mistakenly ran Mark Twain’s obituary while he was still alive, the cantankerous author supposedly responded that “reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” These days, people who rent out office space could be … Continued
The concerns of airport administrators don’t differ much from those of airline executives. They all want their passengers back. Airports were among the casualties when the commercial aviation industry crashed. To assess the injuries, Luckbox requested the aid of sector expert Stephen Van Beek. Here’s what he had to say. How long will airports and … Continued
An aviation veteran explains how every aspect of air travel— from the size of the plane to the number of possible destinations—could be smaller at the other end of the pandemic Luckbox sat down with aviation expert William S. Swelbar to get his take on how the industry is responding to the ravages of the … Continued
Luckbox looks at the coronavirus-induced challenges that lie ahead for airlines, gaming, the stock market and almighty Amazon. WINNERS & LOSERS IN THE POST-VIRUS ECONOMY Some businesses are struggling to regain their footing as the pandemic continues This special section of Luckbox examines The New Order that’s taking shape as the pandemic recedes in some … Continued
Will America’s air carriers ever regain their lost glory and profitability? Experts offer a resounding “Maybe Commercial air travel made the time-worn fantasy of a magic carpet ride seem lame by comparison. A packed airliner bound from Los Angeles to Honolulu might carry a business traveler heading for Taipei, a vacationer escaping to Molokai and … Continued
An aviation veteran explains how every aspect of air travel— from the size of the plane to the number of possible destinations—could be smaller at the other end of the pandemic Luckbox sat down with aviation expert William S. Swelbar to get his take on how the industry is responding to the ravages of the … Continued