Tallahassee Democrat from Tallahassee, Florida • Page 17

hi i) ij i i i i i i i 11 Saturday February 9, 2002 0 Look for technology stories in Monday's Gizmo section T7T Business Editor Zannah Lyie Phone: (850) 599-2312 Fax: (850) 599-2295 E-mail: ziyletaldem.com Tauahassee Democrat 5B www.tallahassee.com mesa Rucker is gone from Channel 27 He left in 1993 to become a meteorologist with the state Division of Emergency Man agement, then joined WTWC in 1997. Rucker was with WTWC until the station ended its newscasts in late 2000. Rucker's departure is the 1 Digest WALL STREET Stock markets end the losing streak Stocks posted solid gain's Friday, lifting the Dow Jones industrials up more than 100 points. But analysts don't expect the gains to last, given investors' fears about corporate bookkeeping and profitability. The Dow closed up 118.80, or 1.2 percent, at 9,744.24 after recovering from an earlier drop of 45.12.

The Dow recouped about 40 percent of its 294.56-point loss from the previous five sessions. The Nasdaq composite index rose 36.77, or 2.1 percent, to 1,818.88. The tech-focused index had fallen Thursday to its lowest close of the year and recorded its first five-session losing streak since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The Standard Poor's 500 index Friday advanced 16.05, or 1.5 percent, to 1,096.22.

The advance was largely attributable to bargain hunting, because the market has fallen since last Friday amid growing skepticism about the way companies keep Rucker WTXL also has an agreement with Florida's News Channel for the two stations to share news content and equipment. The agreement has been in place since May. The WTXL-WTWC agreement has attracted attention throughout the broadcast industry. The two stations combined their operations "in a market where Federal Communications Commission regulations forbid common ownership of two stations," Doug Halonen wrote in Electronic Media Online in December. "If the deal survives challenge, it's expected to serve as the template for a new round of station mergers nationwide and, at least so far, federal regulators appear to be all but ignoring it." Contact reporter Rachel Sams at (850) 599-2176 or rsamstaldem.com eliminated at the stations since the merger, half through attrition and half through staff cuts, said Denis LeClair, general manager of WTWC, an NBC affiliate.

The reductions took place in several areas "wherever there were redundancies," LeClair said. LeClair, former general manager at WTXL, assumed the top spot at WTWC from Maria Moore, who is no longer with the station. Mike Plum-mer, a longtime WTXL employee, took over as station manager for WTXL and its WB affiliate WBXT (cable channel ID-All employees of WTXL, WBXT and WTWC will soon be housed in the WTWC offices on Deerlake Road South. The move has been in progress for some time. "This is a way for broadcasters in smaller markets to cut expenses," LeClair said.

By Rachel Sams DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER Longtime Tallahassee TV weatherman Mike Rucker has left WTXL. Rucker's last day with WTXL (Channel 27, Comcast Cable channel 7) was late last week. The station would not comment on the reason for Rucker's departure. Rucker also declined to comment Friday. Rucker had been with the ABC affiliate since January 2001, and he and Tom Siler handled weekday weather duties.

Siler will now do all weekday weather broadcasts except the 6 a.m. broadcast, which will be handled by Peter Kulevich, WTXL's weekend forecaster. Siler and Kulevich will switch off on weekend weather broadcasts. Rucker spent 18 years as chief meteorologist for CBS affiliate WCTV (Channel 6). latest in a series of changes since Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned WTWC (Channel 40, cable channel 12) and Media Venture Management-owned WTXL agreed to combine their sales and operations staffs in October.

The deal was not a sale or transfer of ownership, Sinclair officials said at the time of the merger, and each station's owner retained con trol of programming. been Eight positions have A new vision for an old name li 5 St ') 1 I i INVESTIGATION SEC investigates Global Crossing: Troubled fiber optic telecommunications firm Global Crossing Ltd. said Friday the Securities and Exchange Commission was investigating the company after its filing for bankruptcy protection last month. The investigation focuses on allegations made by a former financial executive for Global Crossing that the company misstated revenue and expenses. Global Crossing officials have repeatedly said the charges made by Roy Olofson, vice president of finance until, last November, are without merit.

TRADE U.S., Canada fight over softwood lumber: After months of sparring, Canada and the United States still can't agree on trade rules for a popular type of lumber. Canadian leaders are under pressure to get the issue resolved quickly to help the tens of thousands of mill employees who have been laid off since the United States imposed duties on Canadian softwood lumber last year. Softwood lumber, which comes from cone-bearing trees, is often used in home construction for frames, floors and siding, among other uses. 1 I -Jr I 4 11 BEBETO MATTHEWS The Associated Press CEO Mark A. Ernst, here preparing for a New York conference, says: "If we help people with their financial decisions, they will be more loyal." mh irawes tbeydDDDdll tax ON For more THE Jjci information on WEB this see: www.hrblock.com CITRUS State orange crop forecast lowered: Florida's orange crop forecast decreased by 3 million boxes, to 228 million boxes, agriculture officials said Friday.

Officials with the U2. Department of Agriculture said the idecline in the early-to-midseason varieties was caused by fruit dropping off the trees faster than usual. Each box of oranges weighs about 90 pounds. The grapefruit fcrpp estimate remained at 47 million boxes, and the yield for frozen concentrated orange juice remained at 1.58 gallons per 90-pound box of oranges. AVIATION Orlando airport expansion delayed: The Jong-anticipated addition of a new Orlando International Airport terminal will have to be anticipated a little longer.

The terminal's slated opening in June 2005 has fallen victim to the turmoil created by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The centerpiece of the airport's $1 billion expansion is being held up by two issues: uncertainty about when demand will justify a new terminal, and the need to accommodate new security systems. Tourist-reliant Orlando International has heen among the hardest hit in the country, with traffic off 21.8 percent in December, compared with an industry-wide decline of 114 percent. EARNINGS Anheuser-Busch profits rise: Cos.

profit rose 8.9 percent in the fourth quarter, matching Wall Street Expectations on a 1.7-percent sales Increase. The St. Louis-based maker of the world's best-selling regular and light beers, Budweiser and Bud Light, earned $228 million, or 26 cents per share, in the October-December period, compared with $209 million, or 23 cents per share, a year ago. Net isales increased to $2.89 billion from $2.84 Million. Analysts surveyed by First Call Thomson Financial anticipated earnings of 26 cents a share.

Democrat news services who watches Block stock, applauds the company's new directions. Block clients typically don't have access to sophisticated financial planning or any financial planning," Mill-man said. "Their clients look upon Block preparers as their only financial contacts during the year, and they've been telling Block that their greatest financial concern is the ability to save." The company benefits, he added, "by having clients return year after year and not be tempted to go elsewhere." Block's stock has been on the rise since the spring of 2000 and currently trades at about $47 a share on the New York Stock Exchange. Millman rates the stock a "buy." Ernst, 43, a native of accounting and tax services to mid-sized businesses, has begun financial planning services for business owners. Tax preparation accounted for about 70 percent of 2001 profits, Ernst said.

The goal in coming years is for taxes to produce about half of profits, with 25 percent coming from mortgage business and 25 percent from investment operations, he said. Regardless of the breakdown, tax preparation will remain central to bringing in customers. "The fundamental thing we are trying to do is fill in a gap for middle Americans," Ernst said. "People of moderate means people Merrill Lynch wouldn't consider working with need advice on saving, especially how to save for retirement. We're going to do that." Michael Millman, an analyst at Salomon Smith Barney By Eileen Art Powell THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK Block, the behemoth of tax preparation firms, is branching out.

The company aims to expand its relationship with its customers beyond the annual tax-filing season by offering financial planning, home mortgages, brokerage services and even private wealth management. With more services, it hopes to keep customers coming back. "If we help people with their financial decisions, they will be more loyal," president and chief executive Mark A Ernst said. "Plus, we will be doing more than just filling out tax forms." Block, founded by brothers Henry and Richard Bloch in Kansas City, nearly 50 years ago, now has more than 9,000 offices around the nation. Its online offerings include both do-it-yourself and professional-assisted tax preparation, and its TaxCut software is a big seller.

This year, many tax filers also will get financial planning tips focused mainly on saving for their children's educations and their retirement. Meanwhile, Block Financial Advisors, the brokerage launched with the company's 1999 acquisition of Olde Discount has attracted more than 3,000 customers since the rollout of new wealth management accounts last fall. The company's mortgage division originated $6.5 billion in loans last year. A lesser-known subsidiary, RSM McGladrey, which offers Please see BLOCK, 6B Founder of Dillard's stores dies at 87 Armchair sports fans called the chain "a quiet superstar family run, highly computerized, extremely com- rBWEliliigo Ul U.O. SfIHM loiia mini a "wJ watching these sports on television: Fnnthall Baseball petitive and great for investors." "He was quick to foresee the trend toward suburban shopping malls vs.

the old down Basketball store did $42,000 in business, and he made a $3,000 year, Dillard's had sales of $8.7 billion and was the nation's third-largest upscale department store chain, behind Federated and May. The family still runs the chain and holds four of the 12 seats on the company's board. Dillard had turned over the day-to-day management of the company to sons William II, Mike and Alex. Dillard served in the Navy during World War II. By 1948, he had made enough money to Dillard was born Sept.

2, 1914, in Mineral Springs, a small town 110 miles southwest of Little Rock. His father owned a country store, and by the time Dillard left home for college, "I knew what I wanted to do," he said in 1984. He graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in business administration and earned a master's degree in business administration from Columbia University in 1937. He went to work for Sears Roebuck and Co. in Tulsa, then returned to Arkansas nine months later and opened his first store in Nashville, Ark.

During the first year, the Hockey By Melissa Nelson THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LITTLE ROCK, Ark. William T. Dillard who built one the nation's largest retail chains out of a modest store he started at the end of the Depression, died Friday. He was 87. Dillard's said its founder died at his home in Little Rock.

Dillard was the chairman of Dillard's formerly known as Dillard Department Stores. The chain he started in 1938 with a store in southwestern Arkansas now has nearly 350 stores in 29 states. In 1989, Fortune magazine mm? Tennis Soccer town environ- Dillard ment," Ray Kemp, the company's retired vice chairman, said in March 1994 The chain has two stores locally, at the Tallahassee Mall and Governor's Square mall. Golf T3 hi O2002KRT Source: Variety 1 Graphic: Pal Can, Paul Trap FLlilj Please see DILLARD, 6B.