Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York • Page 46

DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Business Stocks rally again Wall Street was up for the sixth out of seven weeks as investors bet on good economic news, Page 9D. 10D 9D 9D 9D DIVIDENDS FUTURES MARKET SUMMARY ROCHESTER, NEW YORK DemocratandChronicle.com TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2006 iD lh)S)uiifi THE MARKET At a glance DOW NASDAQ 12,131.88 2,406.38 23.45 16.66 CW affiliate WRWB to change to CW-WHAM, Channel 13 says. Bids for parent At least two purchase offers are expected for Clear Channel Communications the Texas-based parent of WHAM-TV (Channel 13), WHAM-AM (1180) and other Rochester radio stations. A joint bid is likely from Providence Equity Partners, the Blackstone Group and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts Co. Another consortium includes Bain Capital, Thomas H.

Lee Partners and the Texas Pacific Group. channels," Klinsky said. Chuck Samuels "The CW has a very different target audience," he says. will complement Channel 13. "The CW has a very different target audience," he said.

"While most networks such as ABC target (ages) 18 to 49, the CW targets 18 to 34, even 12 to 34." The CW will help WHAM's already established news brand by reaching out to younger audiences, Samuels said. WRWB's operations in downtown Rochester will be consolidated into WHAM's facilities in Henrietta. Four staffers from the CW station will join WHAM and the station' plans to hire three more people. More stations are pursuing such multi-casting opportunities, said Scott Fy-bush, editor of industry newsletter NorthEast Radio Watch. "This is not an uncommon thing around the country.

Everyone is keeping an eye out." New channels mean more marketing opportunities and potential addi Chuck Samuels, vice president and general manager of Channel 13, who will head both stations. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The CW was created when Warner Brothers merged with UPN, taking the from CBS, which owned UPN, and the from Warner. The Rochester station will remain on cable Channel 16 and will also be available as WHAM-DT on digital channel 13.2. Samuels said the station MARY CHA0 STAFF WRITER The parent company of WHAM-TV (Channel 13) has acquired the local CW affiliate, which airs shows such as Girlfriends, Everybody Hates Chris, Small-ville and Gilmore Girls.

The CW affiliate, WRWB (cable Channel 16), had been a joint venture of Time Warner Cable and Warner Brothers. Now it will be operated by Clear Channel Television's WHAM and will be renamed CW-WHAM, said Microsoft enters music war tional revenue streams, Fy-bush said, noting that WROC-TV (Channel 8), the local CBS affiliate, has teamed up with WUHF-TV (Channel 31), the local Fox affiliate. "It works out well for everybody," he said. At WHEC-TV (Channel 10), the local NBC affiliate, a 24-hour weather channel was established at the beginning of the year to take advantage of the digital multi-casting capabilities, said Arnold Klinsky, vice president and general manager. "We're in discussion all the time with ideas with what to do with those other ices.

But he said the company decided to also launch its own Zune product, which isn't compatible with PlaysForSure, after seeing that that effort wasn't doing much to temper Apple's momentum. Microsoft also is hoping to differentiate itself from Apple with Zune's built-in wireless connection, which allows users to share songs with other nearby Zune users. Ballmer said that idea grew out of the success Microsoft has had with Xbox Live, in which a technology became a forum for gamers all over the world to build a community. Bach concedes that things like Xbox and Zune will never enjoy the profit margins that Microsoft can boast from Windows and Office, but he sees promise. "We're not in this just because it's fun to do.

We think we can make good money doing this," he said. heavy travel days, and airlines hope to sell out those flights without lower fares. American, Continental Airlines United Airlines, Northwest Airlines US Airways Group Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp. said they matched the fare sale on Monday.

Two weeks ago, Southwest Airlines Co. launched a sale through March, but the Dallas-based carrier cut some fares again to match Delta, said spokeswoman Beth Harbin. Julie King, a spokeswoman for Houston-based Continental, said the sale applied to most markets in the United States and Canada. The sale fares require an overnight stay. Zune player is company's challenge to Apple's iPod.

ALLISON LINN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SEATTLE Few have accused Microsoft of being first to the market. But plenty have learned the hard way that the company can be very good at sneaking up from behind. That's the tack Microsoft Corp. is hoping to take with entertainment. The software maker has invested years of effort and billions of dollars in entertainment endeavors ranging from television technology to video game consoles.

What's more, it has said that it's willing to spend much more money, and take much more time, to see if those investments pay off. Its latest effort, the $249.99 Zune portable player and music service, debuts today and marks one of the most high-profile attempts to take on Apple Computer iPod and iTunes powerhouse. Analysts don't expect the early effort to make a serious dent in Apple's market share. "It's not even going to give the iPod a bad headache for the time being," said analyst Michael Gar-tenberg with Jupiter Research. Still, Gartenberg says Microsoft's competitors may have reason to be wary of what the company's deep pockets and dogged persistence could accomplish in the future.

For Redmond-based Microsoft, which rakes in billions from its highly profitable Office business software and Windows operating system franchises, it may seem strange to put so much emphasis on digital entertainment businesses where profitability can be much trickier. But analyst Toan Tran with Morningstar says the company could have little choice but to get into those TED S. WARREN The Associated Press file photo 2006 The ability of Microsoft's new Zune players to wirelessly share music is shown during a demonstration in October. The music player, which is the company's attempt to take on Apple's popular iPod and iTunes, debuts today. Stocks of local interest, 9D AT A GLANCE Finger Lakes winery praised For the third straight year, Dr.

Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars has been named the "greatest wine producer" in the Northeast by Wine Report 2007. The Hammondsport winery's Salmon Run Meritage was named No. 1 in the best bargains category. The winery also has been recognized recently in wine books, including Andrea Robinson's 2007 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone, which praised Dr. Frank's dry Riesling.

Oz Clarke's Pocfcer Wine Guide 2007 named Dr. Frank's as one of the best Riesling producers in the country. Ex-Simon dean to talk at event Charles Plosser, former dean of the Simon business school at the University of Rochester who now serves as president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, will be back in Rochester this month for an economic seminar. Plosser, who assumed the Philadelphia post in August, will speak at noon Nov. 28 at the Hyatt Regency.

Plosser will be joined by James E. Glass-man, senior economist and managing director with JPMorgan Chase Co. The seminar is open to the public. Advance registration is required and tickets are $40. For details, contact alumniRSVP simon.rochester.edu or call (585) 275-7563.

Magazine lauds Brighton firm American Fiber Systems Communications Inc. in Brighton has won the Capacity Magazine wholesale telecommunications award for being the best U.S. metropolitan provider. The company provides fiber-optic network infrastructure and wholesale transport services to carriers and large businesses. Get up early to network, eat CB Richard Ellis is hosting the Brighton Chamber of Commerce's "Business Before Hours" networking event from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.

Thursday at 120 Corporate Woods, Suite 210. Chamber members are invited to the networking reception and breakfast. The fee is $5. For details, call (585) 244-3533 or e-mail info brightonchamber.org. Staff reports METALS Spot nonferrous metal prices Monday.

Metal Price Exchg. Aluminum London Copper Y. Merc. Silver N.Y.Merc. Platinum N.Y.Merc.

KEY INDICATORS T-note, 10-year yield, 4.61, up .02. Dollar vs. yen, up .50 yen to 118.12. Gold, NY Merc, down $4.20 to $624.20. Oil, light, sweet crude, for -P" December delivery, down $1.01 to $58.58.

NEWS TIPS Call (585) 258-2320 or (800) 767-7539 from outside Monroe County. Xerox looking for new HQsite DAVID TYLER STAFF WRITER Xerox Corp. plans to move from its Stamford, headquarters but don't expect the Rochester region's fourth-largest employer to bring that operation back here. The company will look for a smaller home in the same general area, spokeswoman Christa Carone said Monday. Xerox, founded in Rochester, moved its headquarters to Stamford in 1969.

There, its four-story, building is located on a 25-acre campus. But that space simply became too big, Carone said. Xerox employs about 300 people in Stamford today, down from 600 six years ago. Xerox plans to lease or sell the building. No prospective tenants or buyers have come forward.

The company is not disclosing an asking price. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Anne Mulcahy made clear to Stamford employees that the company would search for a new home in the Stamford area, Carone said. Monroe County officials said they haven't had any discussions with Xerox about the possibility of returning the headquarters to Rochester. "We'd obviously be more than thrilled to welcome them back," said county spokeswoman Kris-ta Hamburg. The Rochester area remains the company's largest operation, with 8,070 employees, many of whom work at a large campus in Webster.

The 30-story Xerox tower in downtown Rochester reached full occupancy in 1968 but never served as the company headquarters before the move to Stamford. DTYLER.aDemocratandChronicle.com fare cuts 'I, U.L' The Associated Press file photo 2006 Delta Air Lines' decision to lower fares prompted other airlines to follow suit. The deals are expected to sell out quickly. WillllMI A. Delta III 'I ln Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates holds up a Zune on Monday at its launch party in Seattle.

Analysts don't expect the device to quickly take a bite out of Apple's iPod. JOHN FR0SCHAUER The Associated Press The Zune launch also follows on the heels of another Microsoft-backed digital music effort, called PlaysForSure. In an interview Monday, Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said Microsoft will continue to support the companies that make Plays ForSure devices and serv businesses. That's because entertainment devices, which are now used for everything from storing photos to playing video games and watching movies, are increasingly encroaching into the turf Microsoft has tried to hold onto with the Windows operating system that powers most PCs today. "Microsoft wants to get into the space because it's a very big market and the PC is not the center of the world anymore," Tran said.

Microsoft says it's grown interested in entertainment because technology now plays a bigger role in the way people do everything from watch television to listen to music. Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's entertainment and devices division, said that's a change that plays to Microsoft's strengths. Still, Microsoft has yet to figure out how to make a lot of money at this new game. While it has earned a lion annually. "Demand for the types of products produced at the Niagara Falls facility has diminished greatly over the last several years," said Barry Russell, Ferro's vice president of electronic materials.

Those products include devices used in iPods and cell phone to control energy flow. Ferro will still make the devices at other locations. The company also plans to cut 30 jobs in Germany. Ferro has 6,800 workers worldwide. offer temporary Ferro Corp.

to close Niagara Falls factory over drop in demand following with the Xbox console and its online gameplay service, Xbox Live, the effort is still losing money. It could also take four years or more before the Zune effort is profitable. Overall, Microsoft's entertainment and devices division lost $96 million in the quarter ended Sept. 30. Airlines DAVID K0ENIG THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DALLAS Led by Delta Air Lines most major carriers cut leisure fares on flights through Dec.

12, although the deals don't apply to the busiest days around Thanksgiving and may sell out quickly. The timing of the fare sale caught analysts off-guard, coming just over a week after Delta and American Airlines raised fares on most of their U.S. routes. "It is a good deal, and if you want to get away between now and Dec. 12, 1 recommend people check it out," said Terry Trippler, who tracks the fares for myvacationpassport.com.

Neil Bainton of fare compare.com said the sale prices, which Delta filed in ticketing systems Sunday, applied to seven-day advance-purchase tickets. Bainton calculated the average reduction at $281, which he said was a surprisingly deep cut. He said many represented new lows on specific routes. Among fares Delta listed were $158 for round trips between New York and West Palm Beach, and $238 between New York and Seattle and between Atlanta and Las Vegas. The sale does not include Nov.

22, 25 and 26 the Wednesday before and the weekend after Thanksgiving Day. Those are BLOOMBERG NEWS CLEVELAND Ferro the world's largest maker of porcelain enamel for cookware and appliances, plans to shut a 150-employee factory in Niagara Falls to cope with falling sales of ceramic products for home electronics. About 110 jobs will be eliminated in Niagara Falls by the end of 2007, Cleveland-based Ferro said. Some of the other jobs will be transferred to Penn Yan, Yates County. The plant closing will save $7 million to $8 mil.