The Sacramento Bee from Sacramento, California • 40

E4 Thursday July 25 1 996 The Sacramento Bee SACRAMENTO BUSINESS lintel: Aims to inspire software firms Those programs would in turn inspire consumers to upgrade their computers fueling sales for Intel and its allies in high-tech The strategy which included demonstrations of programs by some high-profile industry figures like Trip Hawkins of 3D0 the game company seemed to be paying off with many of those at the conference lot of the stuff talking about will be available to us in the next six months: not pie in the sky said Brianne Miller of Sunset Publishing which has developed CD-ROMs and on-line sites based on its long-established lifestyle magazine have web sites cable TV programs and CD-ROM programs and looking for things that can combine said Iaian Hackett vice president of IVI Publishing which does electronic publishing on health issues er users to do things like edit home videos make video phone calls or play arcade-quality electronic games 1998 we expect to have at $2000 what you today have only on advanced workstations" said Intel vice president Michael Aymar The advances being talked up by Grove and his colleagues are based on a microchip technology called which adds 54 extra instructions to the microprocessors that are the brains of personal computers Intel unveil either MMX or the idea of for the first time on Wednesday But by promoting the developments at a conference for more than 1000 software developer on-line publishers and entertainment executives on Wednesday the company aimed to inspire creation of dynamic new kinds of computer programs Continued from page El quickly And he gave a demonstration of how these new hybrid applications will work by logging onto a pilot web site run by a music company The web site included some pre-recorded elements such as a video clip of a blues singer that were downloaded and stored in advance on personal computer But it also included some elements such as a live electronic with the singer that were being transmitted while he was visiting the site From the point of view the two parts were indistinguishable giving the impression of a much more powerful Internet connection than computer actually had Grove and other Intel executives predicted that these features would be commonly available in $2000 Pentium or Pentium Pro home computers by 1998 allowing typical comput lysts surveyed by IBES International Inc Money Store profits come from interest payments customers make on home equity small business student and auto loans The company which has its West Coast headquarters in Sacramento made $133 billion in loans in the second quarter 56 percent more than the $853 million it made in the same period a year ago Revenues for the second quarter were $178 million an increase of 58 percent over the same period last year Boston firm adds 3 capital stations American Radio Systems Corp of Boston increased its radio ownings in Sacramento to eight stations with purchase of three Brown Broadcasting properties The Zone (KQPT 1005 FM) Arrow 108 (KXOA 1079 FM) and 1470 (KXOA AM) -for $50 million Brown Broadcasting is headquartered in Los Angeles Since last March ARS has purchased nine Sacramento radio stations but sold Talk 650 (KSTE AM) to Chancellor Broadcasting last month ARS which also owns KSFM (1025 FM) 1019 The City (KSSJ FM)Mix 96 (KYMX 961 FM) KCTC (1320 AM) and The Score 1380 (KMJI AM) has spent about $125 million for its Sacramento radio stations Under new Federal Communications Commission ownership regulations a company may own as many as eight stations in a single market but no more than five FM stations ARS which will begin managing its three newest acquisitions Aug 1 now owns five FMs and three AMs in Sacramento Nationally ARS owns more than 60 radio stations and ranks No 7 among all radio groups in the country Autos: Ford GM break with industry tradition Minding: Define goals before considering fees Good year for ARC Inc American Recreation Centers Inc on Wednesday reported higher earnings and revenues for its fiscal year that ended May 29 Profits were $32 million or 64 cents per share compared to $16 million or 32 cents per share a year ago Revenue was up slightly to $461 million While income from continuing operations declined during the year the company said it benefited from the sales of its one-time subsidiary The Right Start Inc and from gains on property transactions For the fourth quarter the company earned $454000 or 9 cents per share against $656000 or 13 cents per share in the same period last year Revenue for fiscal fourth quarter was $124 million down from $131 million Determine if the extra amount you pay in fees is worth the potential benefits and hassle avoided I can save money by changing the oil in my car but I prefer not to make a mess the same with investing I once met with a local tavern owner who wanted to buy only no-load mutual funds As I left I noticed that the price of a liter of stout cost three times what I would have paid at a grocery store The patrons could have purchased beer to drink alone in their living room but they obviously felt the benefits the tavern provided were worth the extra costs Remember that the low fees will not necessarily correlate with better performance and paying an adviser (either by commission asset management fees or by the hour) will not assure you a better return So keep analyzing your options focus on your long-term goals and continue to invest regularly MINDING YOUR MONEY is a weekly column in which we ask members of the financial community to answer questions on investments If you have a question you would like to see answered in this column please call BeeLme at 552-5252 category 4501 and leave your question along with your name and phone as a competitive Practices vary at foreign automakers as well Among largest automakers Toyota and Nissan say they announce all price increases while Honda decides on a case-by-case basis While federal law requires the suggested retail price to be posted on a sticker automakers are not required to disclose plans to raise those prices But they have a long tradition of doing so The annual announcement of new model-year prices began in part as a marketing ploy to clear the inventory of old models the past the threat of a price increase often stimulated Keller said would say you wait three weeks have to sell you next model and that will cost you Critics say that in market automakers sometimes raise prices late in the model year to make the next model-year increases appear smaller a particularly nasty said Gabriel Shenhar senior auto test engineer at Consumer Reports magazine raise prices late in the model year without anybody knowing about it Then when the model year changes they brag about only raising prices 1 Continued from page El shares have no front or back end load but they have an annual asset-based sales charge (05 percent to 1 percent) called a fee New types of shares continue to appear as fund companies try to balance the dual goals of 1) satisfying consumers who have an aversion to paying loads and 2) compensating investment advisers who sell and service their funds Fund expenses are only one of several factors you should examine Mutual funds with a higher potential return and a higher risk level often have higher fees because they are trading stocks more often Index and bond funds generally have lower than average fees Define your investment objectives first then consider expenses along with other factors such as performance management and reputation Your choice of whether to pay a sales charge may depend on your financial interest and sophistication If you are new to investing or feel you have time to manage your investments it might be prudent to use an adviser who receives compensation But if you tear open The business section before your first cup of morning coffee you probably can go it alone Continued from page El have become a sensitive subject in Detroit as some automakers post record quarterly profits public perception is just said Art Spinella of CNW Marketing Research in Ban-don Ore debatable but the Ford spokesman Jon Ochs said the No 2 automaker announces midyear price increases only when significant of models are affected rather than just one or two But the F-150 is the biggest-selling vehicle in the United States the Explorer ranks third Together those two models accounted for about a quarter of sales volume in the first six months of this year No 1 General Motors Corp raised prices of its top-selling Chevrolet Cavalier and its structural twin the Pontiac Sunfire by $200 to $215 in April without public announcement In light of the recent silence at Ford and GM No 3 Chrysler Corp might change its longtime practice says spokesman Jim Crawford policy has been to announce every price increase be it new model year or Crawford said changes noted in the industry reviewing our policy We view it Business Calendar Money Store profits up The Money Store Inc said second-quarter earnings rose 76 percent on strong growth in home equity loans The consumer lending company said net income rose to $189 million or 32 cents a share from $108 million or 21 cents in the same period a year ago The earnings beat expectations of 29 cents a share according to 11 ana July 31 6:30 pm A seminar entitled The Edge On Your will be instructed by James Bailey at 650 Howe Ave Fee is $43 For information or reservations call the Learning Exchange at 929-9200 Romantic Summer Dreams Come True amazing where your fingers can take you these days sit iSl A I AT4 Tour the Sierras Peek into local nightclubs and swanky restaurants Check out movie reviews Catch up on the local news Buy a car from the Classifieds 4 always been ike curious type You know sort of a dreamer Wondering around tke kend Curious about over tke next kill Dreaming about wkat tke future kolds And now so muck more to explore now tkat met someone just like me si aV Find just about anything you want and go 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