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Orlando Sentinel: PRODUCT: OS DESK: BIZ DATE: 01-04-2006 EDITION: FLA ZONE: FLA PAGE: C3.0 DEADLINE: 20.45 OP: dswiderski COMPOSETIME: 22.27 CMYK Orlando Sentinel WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2006 C3 INSIDE MONEY Budget cruise line scouts ports EasyCruise, which targets younger travelers, may use Miami or Fort Lauderdale for its winter sailings. By TOM STIEGH0RST SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL The founder of easyCruise is scouting port locations in South Florida and may shift the budget cruise line's winter sailings here by November. With cabins as low as $45 a night easyCruise offers a bare bones cruise aimed at younger travelers. Unlike standard cruise ships, the orange and white easyCruiseOne spends each night in port and never moves more than 100 miles in a day. In Europe, where easyCruise was launched, the ship links nightlife hotspots like Cannes, Nice and St.

Tropez in France, and travelers can easyJet, has grown to serve 67 destinations with 109 jets since its founding in 1995. Haji-Ioannou created a slew of businesses under the "easy" brand, including a car-rental firm, a hotel chain, even an online pizza service. EasyCruise was added to the stable in May. It breaks the mold in a variety of ways. While most cruise lines try to sell themselves as "all-inclusive," most everything on easyCruise is a la carte.

Passengers pay extra for meals, and even a change of towels or a cabin cleaning costs extra. Reviews have been generally favorable. "This cabin is not for everyone," wrote a passenger who posted comments on a November cruise under the name "Sceptic" at "but for showering, changing and sleeping, it was fine." Tom Stieghorst is a reporter for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, a Tribune Publishing newspaper. hop on and off the ship at will. "This is about taking people to places," founder Stelios Haji-Ioan-nou said Tuesday.

"You have to find places that are interesting and close together." The line's one ship has sailed from Barbados this winter but Haji-Ioannou said he is looking for a base of operations where air costs are cheaper. Haji-Ioannou said that if he can find the proper dock space, he would link Miami or Fort Lauderdale with several stops in the Bahamas. Under U.S. laws, the cruise couldn't be sold in one-night segments, as it is in Europe. EasyCruise would have three-, four- and seven-night fixed itineraries, possibly to Freeport, Nassau and Bimini.

Nearly half the line's customers are 25 to 34 years old. Haji-Ioannou, 38, is best known as one of the pioneers of low-fare air service in Europe. His airline, called Company can sell auto without air bags Federal regulators gave a Miami auto dealer the go-ahead Tuesday to sell a bare-bones, Romanian off-road vehicle in the United States without air bags until May 2008. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration allowed the exemption for Cross Lander USA Inc. after finding the company could go out of business without it.

The company will be required to put a warning sticker in the vehicle alerting buyers that there are no air bags. Watchdog group Public Citizen had campaigned against the waiver because it argued the vehicles would be dangerous without the air bags. The Cross Lander 244X is made by Romanian automaker Aro S.A., which has struggled financially. Cross Lander USA said it lost more than $5 million in 2004. The boxy vehicle resembles a 1 980s-era Land Rover, and will sell for about $20,000 each.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Briefcase I News of note Independence Air to vacate 2 gates at OIA The shutdown of Independence Air on Thursday will leave two vacant gates at Orlando International Airport, bringing the total number of gates airlines have recently sought to abandon to 18. The 18-month-old airline operated by FLYi will proceed through bankruptcy court to determine how its lease for the two gates will be broken. Independence Air has two daily flights from Orlando to Washington D.C. It will shut down all flights after Thursday. The airline said ticket reservations can be transferred to US Airways for a fee.

It also said it would attempt to reimburse customers who have tickets for dates after Thursday. Delta Air Lines which filed for bankruptcy protection last year, recently made public plans to give up 16 of its 24 gates at OIA. Call center changes name Longwood call-center company Hancock Information Group, a subsidiary of Fort Lauderdale-based PRC, lost its name Tuesday. The company began doing business as PRC as part of a corporate realignment. PRC acquired Hancock in 2001.

The former Hancock operation has offices in Longwood and Maitland and employs about 300. WMFE promotes Fajardo Jose A. Fajardo this week was promoted to president of WMFE, the Orlando public television (Channel 24) and radio (90.7 FM)broadcaster. Fajardo, joined WMFE in 1996 and most recently was the company's executive vice president and general manager. He succeeds William McKenney Steck in the job.

Steck continues to serve as chief executive officer, a position Fajardo is expected to assume in 2007 as part of a management transition. Bussey, White joins N.Y. firm Orlando law firm Bussey, White, McDonough and Freeman has joined with a New York firm, Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman Dicker LLP, Wilson Elser announced Tuesday. Bussey White, which has eight lawyers, will join Miami as Wilson, Elser's second location in Florida. "Linking our two firms offers our clients in this market a strong national network of offices to serve their needs around the United States," said John W.

Bussey III, who will serve as managing partner of the Orlando office. Wilson Elser has more than 800 lawyers. It now has 20 U.S offices, as well as an office in London and a network of affiliate firms in France and Germany. STATE Sean Foye (from left), a specialist with brokerage LaBranche, CBS Corp. chief executive Les Moonves, Chairman Sumner Redstone and his wife, Paula Redstone, celebrate the first day of trading in CBS shares on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

Viacom, CBS go own ways on Wall St. BySETHSUTEL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. rang in 2006 as two separate companies, completing a breakup of a major media conglomerate in hopes of winning back friends on Wall Street. The breakup was officially completed this past weekend, and shares of the two companies began trading separately for the first time Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange.

CBS which is being led by former CBS chief Leslie Moonves, will include the television network, a group of affiliated stations, and a major radio broadcasting group that was recently renamed CBS Radio from Infiniry NATION Atlanta airport overtakes 0'Hare Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has topped Chicago O'Hare International Airport as the nation's busiest in terms of takeoffs and landings, the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday. Harts-field-Jackson finished 2005 with 980,197 takeoffs and landings, while O'Hare was second with 972,246. The Atlanta airport for the last several years has been the busiest airport in terms of passengers. The Atlanta airport also is considered the busiest in the world, although an FAA spokeswoman wasn't able Tuesday to provide statistics for airports outside the United States. Northwest requests extension Northwest Airlines Corp.

is asking for more time to file its plan to emerge from bankruptcy. The nation's fourth-largest airline said it hopes to have a plan by the end of 2006. Northwest had faced a Jan. 12 deadline for filing its own plan for emerging from bankruptcy. Without an extension, bankruptcy law allows Northwest's creditors to come up with their own plan.

Northwest made its request in papers filed late Friday in federal bankruptcy court in New York. Delta Air Lines Inc. filed for its own bankruptcy extension on Dec. 22, and Northwest said that day that it intended to seek an extension. Both airlines filed for bankruptcy protection on Sept.

14. Disney adjusts income reporting Walt Disney Co. will begin including income from minority stakes when reporting the performance of its operating units. The change takes effect for its fiscal first quarter ended Dec. 31, Disney said in a filing Tuesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Per-share earnings aren't affected, company spokesman David Caouette said. Disney said the adjustment conforms to the way it measures performance internally. The change may increase reported income growth at Disney's Media Networks unit, said Aryeh Bourkoff, an analyst with UBS Securities. EARNINGS Walgreen the biggest U.S. drugstore chain, said Tuesday that first-quarter profit rose 5.2 percent, driven by sales of generic drugs.

Net income climbed to $345.6 million, or 34 cents a share, from $328.6 million, or 32 cents, a year earlier. Sales increased 1 0 percent to 1 0.9 billion. Information from Bloomberg News and The Associated Press was used in this report. Beth Kassab, Christopher Boyd and Jerry W. Jackson of the Sentinel staff also contributed.

WE'RE OFF TO SEE THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF LANDFILL. HELL KNOW HOW TO GET YOU HOIAE. Retailers5 shares slip on Wal-Mart's slow sales RICHARD DREWTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS breakup of the empire he created was necessary to respond to a changing industry landscape. However, other large media conglomerates such as Time Warner the Walt Disney Co. and News Corp.

have given no indication that they plan similarly radical steps to reorganize their companies. Time Warner, however, did sell off its music division and intends to float shares in its cable TV subsidiary. Viacom's breakup did clear up questions over who would succeed Redstone, who is 82 years old, as the company's chief executive. Redstone will remain chairman as well as controlling shareholder of both the new Viacom and CBS. trading, and lost another 13 cents in after-hours trading to $46.10.

Wal-Mart's shares have traded in a 52-week range of $42.3 1 to $54.60. Target Corp. slipped 25 cents to $54.72 after trading in a 52-week range of $45.55 to $60. Kohl's Corp. shares fell 2.53 percent, or $1.23 to $47.37, having traded between $43.63 and $58.90 over the past 52 weeks.

Because of Wal-Mart's disappointing December sales, "the overall holiday picture doesn't seem as bright as it did last week," Niemira said. He now expects the International Council of Shopping Centers-UBS December same-store sales tally for the 70 stores it tracks to be up 3 percent, instead of 3.5 percent. that hurdle, how did you do it? For an upcoming story in the Sunday Your Money section, send us a letter or e-mail describing in 150 words or less how you are paying for college and whether your strategy includes the state plans. Send your e-mail to Or mail your answer to Reader to Reader, Orlando Sentinel, Business News, MP-218, P.O. Box 2833, Orlando, FL 32802.

Include your full name, address and phone number. Broadcasting. The other company, which will keep the Viacom name, is led by former MTV chief Tom Freston and will house a large array of cable networks including VH1 and Nickelodeon as well as the Paramount movie studio. On their first day of trading, shares of CBS Corp. rose 70 cents, or 2.8 percent, to $26.20, while shares in the "new" Viacom rose 44 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $41.59.

Shares of both companies had been trading on a preliminary basis on the NYSE since early December. Sumner Redstone, the founder and controlling shareholder of Viacom, has declared the age of the diversified media conglomerate over, saying the Shopping Centers, agreed. He said Wal-Mart is still "behind the curve," despite its efforts in improving its merchandise offerings. Nonetheless, given Wal-Mart's size and reach, the estimated December same-store sales increase of 2.2 percent the retailer announced Saturday will hurt the overall industry's sales for the month. Wal-Mart's forecast is based on stores open at least a year, considered the best gauge of a retailer's strength.

Merchants report their December results on Thursday. Wal-Mart's news sent many retail stocks sliding Tuesday. Wal-Mart was off 1.22 percent, or 57 cents, to close at $46.23 in regular What would you do? Every week, the Reader to Reader mailbag gets advice from readers on everyday financial matters. Annual enrollment for the Florida Prepaid College Plan is under way, with a Jan. 31 deadline to lock in current plan prices.

Is your family taking part in this state program to help control college costs? Or its companion program, the Florida College Investment Plan? If not, what is your strategy for paying for college? If you have already crossed Citrus Mutual is losing its chief Andy LaVigne, the top executive of Florida Citrus Mutual in Lakeland, said Tuesday that he will leave the state's leading citrus trade group on Feb. 1 to head the American Seed Trade Association. The seed group, founded in 1883, is based in Alexandria, and is one of the oldest trade organizations in the nation. Membership consists of about 850 companies in seed production, distribution, plant breeding and related industries. LaVigne has been the executive vice president and chief executive officer of Citrus Mutual for seven years.

Citrus Mutual has more than 10,000 grower members. The industry faces an unprecedented assault from diseases such as canker as well as urban growth pressure and foreign competition. Mutual President Marty McKenna praised LaVigne's hard work and dedication. He said the board will meet Jan. 1 1 to develop an interim operating plan while a search for a successor is launched.

DHbert I Scott Adams WILL THE YELLOW STICKY-NOTE ROAD LEAD fAE HOrAE? By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK Tepid December sales at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. made Wall Street uneasy Tuesday, but many analysts don't expect disappointing results from other retailers most merchants are expected to meet their modest holiday expectations. "Clearly, there are some overtones for the industry, but I think largely Wal-Mart has some of its own issues," said Bob Buchanan, an analyst at St. Louis-based A.G. Edwards.

"I think they are still very sloppy with store-level execution." Michael Niemira, chief economist at the International Council of HOLY I HOPE THIS ISN'T HirA. COFFEE. CUP. NEED. CAFFEINE.

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