Businessweek: It's A Cash Cow Charlie Brown

THE BUSINESS WEEK

BTW EDITED BY DEBORAH STEAD

CHINA: IMPORTERS DON'T ROCK THE BOAT Given the year's much publicized problems with tainted toys, toxic toothpaste, and faulty tires from China, you might expect companies importing Chinese goods to be eyeballing their suppliers. Not so. In a recent survey of some big consumer product manufacturers conducted by Smart Cube, a Chicago business intelligence firm, 80% of supply chain managers—including those in the electronics, auto, and toy industries—said they feel no need to review their vendor selection and other procedures. Only 12% of the executives said on-site inspectors are called for. While some managers did say they planned to "be more cautious," most

IT'S A CASH COW, CHARLIE BROWN A Charlie Brown Christmas, airing on Dec. 3, continues to take its anticommercial message to the bank. The animated special, first shown by CBS in 1965, has been aired twice a year on ABC since 2004. Last year the shows pulled 21 million viewers and $8.7 million in ad sales, reports TNS Media Intelligence. That's $218,000 for a 30-second spot, about what prime time's pricier programs get. And the jazz piano soundtrack? Still wailing. Recorded by the late Vince Guaraldi on Fantasy Records, it went multiplatinum last year, having sold 2 million-plus copies in its lifetime. "It's more than 40 years old, but new generations who know the TV special find the CD and love it," says Joel Amsterdam, spokesman for Concord Music Group, which owns Fantasy. That's staying power, Charlie Brown. -Arik Hesseldahl

said the worst thing about doing business with China isn't the risk of poorly made or dangerous goods. It's the fear that Chinese companies will knock off their products. -David Welch

WELCOME TO ABU DHABI. YOU'RE FIRED Add a touch of The Donald to the booming Abu Dhabi real estate market, and what do you get? Plans for a reality TV show. The Hydra Executives is the brainchild of Sulaiman Al Fahim, CEO of Abu Dhabi-based Hydra Properties. Al Fahim is putting millions into the program, to be produced by Showtime International, jointly owned by Viacom and Dubai Infinity TV. Executive producer Ziad Batal also wants The Hydra Executives to be shown in the U.S. First up as contestants on the show,

to be launched in March, 2008: Teams of American and British entrepreneurs who will be set loose on local projects to impress Al Fahim, known for building residential high-rises. In 2005 a Mideast version of The Ap prentice failed to make it to the air. But that doesn't faze Batal, who says The Hydra Exec utives will be "a cut above"the Trump show. -Ronald Grover Like Trump, Hydra's Al Fahim will judge the contestants in the reality show

DECEMBER 10, 2007 1 BUSINESSWEEK

019