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BSkyB wooed its audience with a formula of football and films.
A．Y
B．N
C．NG
答案
更多“BSkyB wooed its audience with a formula of football and films.A．YB．NC．NG”相关的问题
第1题
Football and Money
Why was it football, rather than the other great Victorian sports, that captured the world？ One reason may have been that it does not require expensive equipment or a well-manicured playing surface. Football is ideally adapted to kick-arounds in the favelas (巴西的贫民区) of Brazil or the shanty (简陋小屋，棚屋) towns of Africa, which continue to produce many of the world's leading players. Football's simplicity may also have contributed to its popularity as a spectator sport. It means not only that everybody can play, but also that any country or club can aspire to win. Even the most famous players from the richest nations or clubs can be defeated by 11 inspired opponents. Football's superpowers are Brazil, Argentina, Italy, France and Germany. Its rising powers are in Africa.
Any event that can attract the attention of billions of people would seem sure to be a big money-spinner. What would business or product not yearn for exposure on such a scale？ Certainly there is an ever-increasing amount of money washing around the game. The television rights for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups were sold for a minimum of $ 1.7
billion, an eightfold increase on the deal covering the previous three championships. Companies such as Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Toshiba, Hyundai and MasterCard queued up to sign World Cup sponsorship deals, said to cost up to $ 45m apiece. MasterCard's Deborah Hughes says the World Cup "delivers the most broad-based international TV audience possible," and points out that after the last tournament MasterCard issued 1.5m "World Cup Affinity" credit cards. Most of them were new accounts.
In Western Europe, the popularity of football has played a big part in the evolution of the media over the past decade. In Britain, the success of BSkyB, a subscription-based satellite-television service that has broken the monopoly of terrestrial broadcasters such as the BBC, was built on Sky's acquisition in 1992 of the rights to live Premier League football. In France, Canal Plus, a subscription-based channel, wooed its audience with a formula of football and films. The print media too have become devoted to football. In Spain, France and Italy, some of the countries' best-selling newspapers are given over to sport, and above all football. And even such publications as Le Monde and the Financial Times (as well as The Economist) now write about the game.
Footballers and football clubs are also playing with ever bigger amounts of money. Mr Zidane recently attracted the biggest transfer fee in football history, when Real Madrid paid $ 64.5m to secure his services; his post-tax pay is thought to be over $ 150,000 a week. That is still less than a top American sports star such as basketball's Michael Jordan can command, but perhaps not for long. Calculations by Deloitte Touche Sport, a consultancy, show that Manchester United, the richest club in international football, now has larger revenues than any franchise in America's National Football League (the kind that is played with helmets and hands). Stefan Szymanski, an economist at Imperial College, London, suggests that the football industry worldwide is worth about 150 billion ($ 216 billion).
But large revenues do not necessarily mean profitability. The world of football seems beset by commercial disasters. The last two companies to own the rights to World Cup football--ISL of Switzerland and Kirch of Germany--have both gone bankrupt. Kirch made a profit out of selling on the World Cup rights, but suffered big losses on its pay-TV operations in Germany, mainly because it had overestimated the public's willingness to pay for watching televised German league football. Similar problems have sunk ITV Digital in Britain, which had paid 315m to get the rights to some low-grade English soccer games, only to find that viewers were not very interested. ITV Digital is now in administration and says it cannot pay
A．Y
B．N
C．NG
第3题
How does it feel to finally get the deal？
I'm very happy, of course, but it would have been better if it were a few years ago, otherwise cable wouldn't have made those investments and would have been more vulnerable.
How are you going to win customers away from cable？
To a certain extent, we're just going to give better service — cable and satellite both have had reputations for service — and if we want to get customers, we'd better have someone on the phone in 30 seconds rather than 20 minutes. And we will be investing a lot in research and development to get the most advanced technology for our set-top boxes and to get a lot of more interactivity.
Will you be giving set-top boxes for free？
Well, Jack Lonergan, Echo Star Communications Corp. Chairman, is already giving away some of the boxes. We will be matching him. But if we are manufacturing boxes with more features than he is giving, then we will charge something. But we will be subsidizing to the extent that he does.
Do you intend to undercut cable's prices to start a price war？
We are not going into a price war with anyone. But overall, digital satellite today is getting about $54 a month per customer, and cable is averaging about $66 at the moment. People want digital offerings, because cable is just too expensive.
What about broadband？ Cable offers it; satellite can't.
I am inclined to think that broadband will be a commodity. I am not sure about that, but it's certainly physically possible to get first-class broadband service by satellite.
People genuinely seem to fear you. Why is that？
Ah, "the crazy people who will change the world". This company has always been a stimulus for change — Fox News is a stimulus for change, BSKYB was. Someone told me that there Were two crazy people in the media business — Ted Turner and me — and now there is only one. And that's not a bad thing to keep people guessing.
Still, in Britain, you forced MTV to lower its rates for your BSKYB service. Will you force US programmers to lower their rates to get carried on Direct TV？
I hope to have a good relation and compromise. But they want give us more and more channels — and charge us for them. So if they want us to carry one of their channels, they have to promise it will get an audience.
You have said you would use sports as battering ram. Will Fox TV or the Fox Sports Network bid against ESPN for Sunday Night NEL football when it comes up in 2006？
It is too early to say. I would be happy to leave things as they are. but the NFL may try to do something with cable to expand their revenues. To try to take on ESPN would be too expensive. I am not committing myself, but at current prices we are to keep what we have.
Your sons, Lachlan and James. are both in top jobs, Who will succeed you？
They will both learn and develop. And my daughter may be coming back into the company. But the board will decide. I won't be around. I'll probably drop dead on the job.
•You will hear an interview with Peter Smith, CEO of Direct TV.
•For questions 23-30, mark one letter (A, B or C) for the correct answer.
•You will hear the recording twice.
Mr. Smith believed that his promotion came
A．too early.
B．a bit late.
C．just in time.
第4题
1：第二篇Reading Comprehension(子母填空): Answer questions 1 ～ 10 by referring to the comments on 3 different types of music in the following magazine article. Note :Answer each question by choosing A, B or C and mark it on ANSWER SHEET 1. Some choices may be required more than once. A = Audi A3 B = Honda Civic C = Rover 216 Audi A3 Most of our drivers said the A3 was their definite favourite in this group. They described it as refined and comfortable with good handing characteristics and light, precise steering. All the seats were comfortable and the front ones were easy to adjust. Most drivers liked the driving position, helped by a good range of steering wheel and seat height adjustments. The main instruments were clear and dashboard controls were well positioned. Mirror coverage was excellent but our drivers complained that the view out of the rear was badly hindered by the high rear window line and thick pillars. Getting into the back seats was easy, thanks to a clever seat mechanism, which moves the seat up and forward as well as tilting the backrest. Rear legroom was reasonable but the rear seat was only barely wide enough for three adults. Luggage space was average for this class of car but you have to remove the rear head estraints to fold the rear seat. There were plenty of useful interior storage spaces. All A3s come with an alarm and immobilizer as standard. Our ' thief' got in through the doors in 20 seconds, But the radio was a non-standard fit, which is probably to deter thieves. The hinges of the rear seats could release in an accident, allowing luggage to crash through into the passenger compartment. Also, the driver's knees could be damaged by stiff structures under the dash. Some parts of the fuel system and electrics would be vulnerable to damage in a frontal collision. Honda Civic Honda says its special VTEC engine has a winning combination of economy and performance, but our drivers found it a bit of a curate's egg. It was the most economical of the cars on test, but drivers found it sluggish at low revs, and its acceleration in the fifth gear was slow, so overtaking normally meant having to shift down to the fourth gear. The driving position was acceptable, but our panel criticized the restricted rear visibility—the rear window was quite small. Drivers found the back rest supportive but it was not available to make fine adjustments to the angle. The ride comfort was acceptable, but it wasn't as good as the Audi's or Rover's. The driver's seat didn't slide forward when it was tilted, making rear access awkwardly from this side. In the back, headroom and legroom was excellent but testers didn't find the seats particularly comfortable. The luggage space was small for this class of car, especially with the rear seats in place. However, folding the rear seat to increase luggage space was easy. Other points proved by our panel included well-placed minor controls, good mirror coverage, but fiddly radio controls. All Civics come with an immoblizer but no alarm. You may want to consider paying extra for an alarm, as our "thief" broke into through the doors in 13 seconds, and into the engine bay in just five seconds. There were stiff structures under the dash which could damage the driver's knees in an accident, though there was no problem on the passenger's side. The handbook (like the Audi's) provided suggestion on using child restraints. Rover 216 The 1.6-1itre engine had good power delivery at both high and low revs but some drivers complained that it was noisy at high revs. The brakes didn't have very good progression, but drivers like their positive feel. Ride comfort and the handling were recommended. But drivers found it difficult to achieve a comfortable driving position. The driver's seat was not height-adjustable, and there was only limited space to rest your clutch foot. Some testers also found the seat backrest uncomfortable. Visibility was married by the small mirrors. The rear view was also restricted by thick pillars and the small rear window. Getting into the back was tricky because the front seats did not slide forward when tilted. Once in the back, legroom and headroom were poor, and testers complained that their rear seat base was unsupportive. Luggage space was smaller than average for this class of car—this was compounded by a high boot sill and difficulties in folding the rear seat. But there were large pockets in the doors and rear side panels. The main radio controls were more convenient; they were mounted on the steering wheel so drivers didn't have to take their hands off the wheel to use them. Our Rover 200s came with an alarm, though this isn't standard on all versions. Our thief' broke in through the doors in 15 seconds. Some of the electrics would be vulnerable in a frontal impact. The rear seat hinges could release in an accident, allowing luggage to crash through into the passenger compartment. Also, information in the handbook on using child restrains was not adequate. 1.has a driver seat that can be adjusted to fit most people？
第5题
Mercedes experienced one of its worst years ever in 1992. The auto maker's worldwide car sales fell by 5 percent from the previous year, to a low of 527,500. Before the decline, in 1988, the company could sell close to 600,000 cars per year. In Germany alone, there were 30,000 fewer new Mercedes registrations last year than in 1991. As a result, production has plunged by almost 50,000 cars to 529, 400 last year, a level well beneath the company's potential capacity of 650,000. Mercedes's competitors have been catching up in the U.S., the world's largest car market. In 1986, Mercedes sold 100,000 vehicles in America; by 1991, the number had declined to 39,000. Over the last two years, the struggling company has lost a slice of its U.S. market share to BMW, Toyota and Nissan. And BMW outsold Mercedes in America last year for the first time in its history. Meanwhile, just as Mercedes began making some headway in Japan, a notoriously difficult market, the Japanese economy fell on hard times and the company saw its sales decline by 13 percent in that country.
Revenues(收益) will hardly improve this year, and the time has come for getting down to business. At Mercedes, that means cutting payrolls, streamlining production and opening up to consumer needs. Revolutionary steps for a company that once considered itself beyond improvement.
The author's intention in citing various nationalities' interests in Mercedes is to illustrate Mercedes' ______.
A．sale strategies
B．market monopoly
C．superior quality
D．past record
第6题
听力原文： Rupert Murdoch had just received the phone call that would promote him to the top position. Regulators had approved his purchase of a controlling share in Direct TV's satellite service. Our reporter Grace Graham interviewed the News Corp. chairman in his Los Angeles office on Dec. 19, just hours before the official announcement.
How does it feel to finally get the deal？
I'm very happy, of course, but it would have been better if it were a few years ago, otherwise cable wouldn't have made those investments and would have been more vulnerable.
How are you going to win customers away from cable？
To a certain extent, we're just going to give better service — cable and satellite both have had reputations for service — and if we want to get customers, we'd better have someone on the phone in 30 seconds rather than 20 minutes. And we will be investing a lot in research and development to get the most advanced technology for our set-top boxes and to get a lot of more interactivity.
Will you be giving set-top boxes for free？
Well, Charlie Ergen, Echo Star Communications Corp. Chairman, is already giving away some of the boxes. We will be matching him. But if we are manufacturing boxes with more features than he is giving, then we will charge something. But we will be subsidizing to the extent that he does.
Do you intend to undercut cable's prices to start a price war？
We are not going into a price war with anyone. But overall, digital satellite today is getting about $54 a month per customer, and cable is averaging about $66 at the moment. People want digital offerings, because cable is just too expensive.
What about broadband？ Cable offers it; satellite can't.
I am inclined to think that broadband will be a commodity. I am not sure about that, but it's certainly physically possible to get first-class broadband service by satellite.
People genuinely seem to fear you. Why is that？
Ah, "the crazy people who will change the world." This company has always been a stimulus for change — Fox News is a stimulus for change, BSkyB was. Someone once told me that there were two crazy people in the media business — Ted Turner and me — and now there is only one. And that's not a bad thing to keep people guessing.
Still, in Britain, you forced MTV to lower its rates for your BskyB service. Will you force US programmers to lower their rates to get carried on Direct, TV？
I hope to have a good relation and compromise. But they want to give us more and more channels — and charge us for them. So if they want us to carry one of their channels, they have to promise it will get an audience.
You have said you would use sports as a battering ram. Will Fox TV or the Fox Sports Network bid against ESPN for Sunday Night NFL football when it comes up in 2005？
It is too early to say. I would be happy to leave things as they are, but the NFL may try to do something with cable to expand their revenues. To try to take on ESPN would be too expensive. I am not committing myself, but at current prices we are to keep what we have.
Your sons, Lachlan and James, are both in top jobs. Who will succeed you？
They will both learn and develop. And my daughter may be coming back into the company. But the board will decide. I won't be around. I'll probably drop dead on the job.
？ You will hear an interview with Rupert Murdoch, CEO of Direct TV.
？ For each question 23-30, mark one letter (A, B or C) for the correct answer.
？ You will hear the interview twice.
Mr Murdoch believed that his promotion came
A．too early.
B．a bit late.
C．just in time.
第7题
Can Business Be Cool？
Why a growing number of firms are taking global warming seriously.
Companies supporting environment protection
Rupert Murdoch is no green activist. But in Pebble Beach later this summer, the annual gathering of executives of Mr Murdoch's News Corporation--which last year led to a dramatic shift in the media conglomerate's attitude to the Internet--will be addressed by several leading environmentalists, including a vice-president turned climate-change movie star. Last month BSkyB, a British satellitetelevision company chaired by Mr. Murdoch and run by his son, James, declared itself "carbon-neutral", having taken various steps to cut or offset its discharges of carbon into the atmosphere.
The army of corporate greens is growing fast. Late last year HSBC became the first big bank to announce that it was carbon-neutral, joining other financial institutions, including Swiss Re, a reinsurer, and Goldman Sachs, an investment bank, in waging war on climate-warming gases (of which carbon dioxide is the main culprit). Last year General Electric (GE), an industrial powerhouse, launched its "Ecomagination" strategy, aiming to cut its output of greenhouse gases and to invest heavily in clean (i.e., carbon-free) technologies. In October Wal-Mart announced a series of environmental schemes, including doubling the fuel-efficiency of its fleet of vehicles within a decade. Tesco and Sainsbury, two Of Britain's biggest retailers, are competing fiercely to be the greenest. And on June 7th some leading British bosses lobbied Tony Blair for a more ambitious policy on climate change, even if that involves harsher regulation.
The other side
The greening of business is by no means universal, however. Money from Exxon Mobil, Ford and General Motors helped pay for television advertisements aired recently in America by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, with the daft slogan "Carbon dioxide: they call it pollution; we call it life". Besides, environmentalist critics say, some firms are engaged in superficial "greenwash to boost the image of essentially climate-hurting businesses. Take BP, the most prominent corporate advocate of action on climate change, with its "Beyond Petroleum" ad campaign, high-profile investments in green energy, and even a "carbon calculator" on its websites helps consumers measure their personal "carbon footprint", or overall emissions of carbon. Yet, critics complain, BP's recent record profits are largely thanks to sales of huge amounts of carbon-packed oil and gas.
On the other hand, some free-market thinkers see the support of firms for regulation of carbon as the latest attempt at "regulatory capture", by those who stand to profit from new rules. Max Schulz of the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank, notes darkly that "Enron was into pushing the idea of climate change, because it was good for its business".
Others argue that climate change has no more place in corporate boardrooms than do discussions of other partisan political issues, such as Darfur or gay marriage. That criticism, at least, is surely wrong. Most of the corporate converts say they are acting not out of some vague sense of social responsibility, or even personal angst, but because climate change creates real business risks and opportunities—from regulatory compliance to insuring clients on flood plains. And although these concerns vary hugely from one company to the next, few firms can be sure of remaining unaffected.
The climate of opinion
The most obvious risk is of rising energy costs. Indeed, the recent high price of oil and natural gas, allied to fears over the security of energy supplies from the Middle East and Russia—neither of which have anything to de with climate change—may be the main reason why many firms have recently become interested in alternative energy sources. But at the same tim
A．Y
B．N
C．NG
第10题
What will happen next？
A．The audience will watch a show.
B．A celebrity will address the audience.
C．The festival will be inaugurated.
D．The actors will sign autographs.
