Surveys Say: Hartford Great for Working Moms, Retirement Readiness, Sweatpants & Manufacturing Jobs

If you sometimes wonder how the Hartford region stacks up against metropolitan regions around the country, the answers have been pouring in lately.  A variety of surveys – ranking retirement readiness, comfy apparel, manufacturing jobs and best places for working moms – have landed metro Hartford among the leaders. Forbes Magazine looked at the top 50 metropolitan areas in America to come up with their list of the best places for working mothers.  Columbus, Ohio, placed first followed by New Orleans, with Hartford at number three.  Providence, R.I. - the only other New England city in the top 20 - was at number five.  Criteria included average salaries, average commute time, education spending, violent crime rate and the cost of  daycare.  The region included Hartford, Tolland and Middlesex counties.

What could be more comfortable than sweats?  Experian Simmons asked survey respondents if they bought any sweats in the last 12 months, as well as the number of individual items they purchased, and for the second year in a row, the nation’s top per capita consumer of sweats is Philadelphia, PA.  Number two?  That would be Hartford, followed by Pittsburgh.  Boston is number six, just one slot ahead of New York City.

On Forbes magazine’s list of “Best Cities for Manufacturing Jobs,” Hartford landed in the top ten, at number eight, between Kansas City and Sacremento.  Topping that list was Houston.

The number of Americans who report making financial preparations for retirement dropped to 70% in 2012, the lowest level in three years, according to Ameriprise Financial's 2012 City Pulse Index. While 63% of respondents report having set money aside for retirement, only 37% feel “on track” for retirement.  The study, which examined consumer retirement planning in the 30 largest U.S. metropolitan areas, found that the country's most prepared and retirement-confident residents reside in Hartford-New Haven.  Following were San Diego and Minneapolis-St. Paul. The least prepared people, according to the survey, live in Indianapolis, Charlotte and Washington, D.C.

Taken together, that would suggest that for a working mom seeking employment in a manufacturing job, who enjoys wearing sweats in her off hours while planning for retirement, Greater Hartford is the place to be.

Holistic Chamber of Commerce to Launch in Connecticut

The Connecticut chapter of the Holistic Chamber of Commerce (HCC) will have its first meeting later this month, one of three new chapters around the country that are being launched.  (The others are in Houston and Washington State.)  The HCC – which began in California - is a growing national network of holistic professionals and businesses, and the organizations that encourage and promote a holistic lifestyle. The Connecticut chapter - led by local business owners - will kick-off at an inaugural meeting on Tuesday, October 23 at 6 PM at Sacred Rivers Yoga, 2934 Main Street in Glastonbury.  The newly forming Connecticut chapter becomes part of a member-based organization representing and promoting holistic and eco-friendly products, services and solutions for health, lifestyle and business, and supporting the professionals and practitioners who make holistic/eco-friendly choices available.

The organization promotes community outreach and social awareness of holistic and eco-friendly alternatives. Members also take part in networking opportunities, educational forums and learn business development skills designed to enhance business, life and community.  Individuals or business owners interested in learning more may contact Chapter President Kimberly Gedney at 860-965-1559 or CT@HolisticChamberOfCommerce.com.

How one man's idea became the world-wide leader in sports broadcasting

ESPN Founder Bill Rasmussen addressed students at the University of Connecticut last week, and  in a Forbes magazine article recalls how it all began, highlighting a series of marvelous, insightful and often-ironic anecdotes, as well as some sit-up-and-take-notice numbers:

• “A salesman once told me that every sale starts with a ‘no.’ We knew we were going to be really be big because we got lots of ‘no’s’ in the beginning. Now there are over six U.S. networks and 46 international networks that have grown from the original ESPN.”
• “I met with the man from RCA along with my son, Scott. He told us all about what satellite packages were available, including a 24-hour package that no one had ever bought. When Scott went over the pricing structure, he realized the 24-hour package was the best option. Of course, we didn’t have any money, but I called the man from RCA the next day and said, ‘We’ll take one of those things.’ ‘One of what things,’ he asked. ‘One of those 24 hour things.’”
• “When we first went out to meet with the cable systems around the country, we asked them to pay the ridiculously exorbitant $.01 (cents) per day per subscriber -– a cost of $.30 (cents) per month -– triple that of Ted Turner‘s already established SuperStation WTBS. They practically laughed us out of the meetings.”
• “We ended up costing cable systems 2.4 cents per subscriber per month – and when the word started to get out, especially during the 1980 NCAA Basketball tournament, we had cable systems calling us trying to get on board. Now ESPN charges $5.13 per subscriber per month and has over 100 million households in the U.S. alone.”
• “NBC had the national TV contract back then, but only aired the Final Four and some regional tournament games, a handful of contests in all. I told Mr. Byers (NCAA President), ‘We want to do every single game you haven’t committed to the (major) networks.’ He said, ‘Every single one?’ I said yes.”
• “We (Bill and Scott Rasmussen) were in traffic on I-84 in Connecticut, it was sweltering hot, and we had all the windows rolled down. And we were trying to come up with ideas to fill 8,760 hours a year of television programming. We had been talking back and forth for a while, until Scott finally said something like, ‘Play football all day, for all I care.’ And suddenly, the ideas started coming fast and furious during that car ride, we came up with the idea for ‘Sports Center.’”

And how did it all begin?  “In 1978, I was working as the Communications Director of the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association, and when the Whalers didn’t make the 1978 WHA playoffs, most of the front office staff – including me – were fired.”  So, Rasmussen began working on an idea he had to telecast Connecticut college sports – somehow- and provide more than the traditional three-minutes on the evening local news that were traditionally devoted to sports.  Needless to say, one thing led to another, and the quickly incorporated E.S.P. Network soon evolved into ESPN, among the most recognizable sports broadcasting brands in the world.

Five CT Fortune 500's highly ranked for Board governance

Connecticut headquartered Xerox, Stanley Black & Decker, and General Electric are among the highest ranked U.S. publicly traded companies for the capacity of their boards of directors to govern well, according to a new report. Xerox, the document-processing and data services outfit based in Norwalk, was No. 12 on JamesDruryPartners' second annual report measuring the governance capacity of America's Fortune 550 companies.  New Britain toolmaker Stanley Black & Decker was No. 29 and Fairfield industrial conglomerate GE was No. 33.  Also highly ranked was Stamford's Pitney Bowes, No. 35, and Hartford-based health insurer Aetna Inc. was No. 39.

The study is based on a new methodology by which each director's business acumen, and the board's total business acumen, can be valued as a predictive indicator of a board's governance capacity.  JDP, based in Chicago, said its research measures governance capacity -- the board's "capacity to govern well", not governance effectiveness.  "Whether the board uses that capacity effectively is a separate question," said JDP Chairman and CEO James Drury.

Build It and They Will Come (or Stay); Sports Broadcasting Grows in CT

Fiscal incentives offered by the State of Connecticut are propelling the sports broadcasting to a critical mass in Connecticut. led by veteran ESPN in Bristol but increasingly joined by fledgling and long-established companies taking advantage of the tax breaks and taking root across the state.  The Connecticut Post is reporting:

• Back9Network received an aid package that includes a 10-year, $750,000 loan at 1 percent interest, a five-year, $250,000 job-creation loan at 2 percent interest, and a $100,000 matching grant.  Facilities will be built in downtown Hartford.  (It also can take advantage of state laws set up to help bring media and film companies here that include a 30 percent tax credit for expenditures made in Connecticut.)
• ESPN and NBC Sports last year were given deals as part of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's "First Five" program, set up for the first businesses to agree to create 200 jobs over two years or invest $25 million in Connecticut and create 200 jobs over five years.  NBC Sports' package includes tax incentives and a $20 million low-interest loan.
• ESPN, which last year announced plans to build a second digital center in Bristol, received at 10-year, $17.5 million loan, up to $1.2 million in job-training grants, and up to $6 million in tax exemptions on capital equipment and construction materials for that expansion.

The YES Network, the #1 Regional Sports Network in the country, has had production facilities based in Stamford for a decade, and ESPN took root in Bristol in 1979.

EnvisionFest Hartford on September 29 Set to be Record-Setting Celebration

On one day in Hartford later this month, people can participate in setting a Zumba world record, climb 96 historic steps saluting soldiers and sailors lost generations ago, and be among an anticipated 1,000 bicycle-riders and walkers in the Capital City.  The event?  The iQuilt Partnership and supporting arts, businesses and community organizations are coordinating EnvisionFest Hartford on September 29.  It is a city-wide event filled with hundreds of free activities and countless opportunities to experience the vibrant arts community and get a sneak preview of the planned transformation along the proposed GreenWalk.

Among the scores of events:

• A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break the current world record for the largest Zumba class, previously set by 3,105 participants in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The challenge is set for 1 p.m. and is perfect for children of all ages, especially those with a competitive spirit! Parents and grandparents will also love the cardiovascular benefits Zumba has to offer.
• Learn the living history, connection to the Civil War and current efforts for restoration of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch just across from the State Capitol near the Bushnell Park Carousel. Climb 96 steps for amazing views of Hartford. Free tours conducted 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• The EnvisionFest celebration starts with Bike/Walk Connecticut’s Hartford Parks Tour, where an estimated 1,000 riders will begin their tours on Elm Street at 9 a.m.

Honey, I Shrunk the TV Market

The Hartford/New Haven market remains the 30th largest television market in the country in the latest A.C. Nielsen television viewership ratings, but as reported on WFSB-TV news anchor Dennis House’s blog, the market lost nearly 10,000 TV households in the past year. For the 2011-12 season Nielsen listed 1,006,280 households, and 996,550 for the 2012-13 season for the Hartford/New Haven market.    The rankings of the top 38 markets by size remained unchanged from a year ago, even as some gained and others lost household viewership.  The markets just behind Hartford/New Haven - Kansas City, Columbus,  Salt Lake City and Milwaukee - also lost viewers.

The local broadcast market, which does not include Fairfield County (Nielsen includes it with New York) was not alone in the Northeast in diminishing viewer numbers:  #1 New York,  #7 Boston, #53 Providence,  # 113 Springfield, # 80 Portland,  and # 95 Burlington, VT also suffered losses, but not as dramatic as the drop in Hartford/New Haven.

House reports that in 1986 the Hartford/New Haven market was #21 in the nation by viewing households.   By 1992 it had slipped to #23, and #27 a few years later, then #30.

Moving in the opposite direction, markets including  #2 Los Angeles (gained 50,000 homes,)  #9 Atlanta, # 10 Houston,  #71 Honolulu, even #11 Detroit.    In addition, markets 12-17 all grew:  Seattle, Phoenix, Tampa, Minneapolis, Miami and Denver.

Anti-trust settlement means restitution for CT e-book purchasers

If you are a Connecticut resident and purchased an e-book published by Hachette Book Group, Inc., HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C. and Simon & Schuster Inc. between April 1, 2010, and May 21, 2012 you’re about to be eligible to receive a share of $1,264,658. That’s the total headed to Connecticut consumers as part of an agreement announced by Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen and with 54 attorneys general in other states, districts and U.S. territories, in an antitrust settlement to resolve antitrust claims of an alleged unlawful conspiracy to fix the prices of electronic books.

The three book publishers – among the largest in the United States - have agreed to pay a total of more than $69 million to consumers and to change the way they price eBooks going forward.   Jepsen said the settlement “will provide restitution to those customers who were harmed by this price-fixing scheme, but it also will restore competition in the eBook market for consumers’ long-term benefit.”

Under the proposed settlement agreement, which the court must approve, Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster will begin making restitution payments to consumers 30 days after the court approval of the settlement becomes final.   Another case against non-settling publishers – Penguin and MacMillan and Apple, Inc. – remains pending in the Southern District of New York.

Local News Buffeted by Technology, Ownership, Regulators & Courts

The way in which people get their news information continues to evolve rapidly, as reflected in data highlighted by the National Conference on Citizenship, reporting that 23% of adults nationwide get the latest news on at least two mobile devices – and noting that 44% have smart phones and 18% own a tablet – numbers that will surely continue to grow. Of those with digital devices, 70% get their news from a desktop or laptop, 51% from a smartphone and 56% from a tablet device.  The increasing impact of mobile devices and social media in the dissemination of news is outlined at the organization’s – you guessed it – website.

Among those tuning to local television in the region recently, Hartford’s WFSB Channel 3 had a strong Nielsen ratings period for the month of July, according to The Laurel.  Eyewitness News was ranked #1 in the market for each of the station’s newscasts beginning at 4:30 AM and holding top stops from 5-6 AM and 6-7 AM and then at 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 PM.

Over at FOX Connecticut, which physically relocated to a joint operation with The Hartford Courant on Broad Street in Hartford when CT1 Media was formed by Tribune Co., owner of both media outlets, the future continues to unfold more outside than in Connecticut.  News reports regarding the long-running Tribune Co. bankruptcy case reached a key milestone last month when U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Carey in Delaware said he would approve a plan that will transfer ownership of the media company to a group of hedge funds and banks.

If and when that occurs, new owners would like move to get the company out of Chapter 11, and seek approval from the Federal Communications Commission in Washington to transfer Tribune's TV licenses to them. Because Tribune Co. owns newspapers and broadcast stations in several markets, including Hartford, the FCC must grant waivers from its restrictions on ownership of multiple media outlets in the same city.

Before Tribune Co., which owns 23 TV stations, went private in 2007, the FCC granted a permanent waiver to the company for its Chicago media holdings. The FCC also granted temporary waivers in Los Angeles, New York, South Florida and Hartford.  But new waivers are required with a change in ownership, and some are urging filed the FCC to deny Tribune Co.'s waiver requests, according to media reports.

"Connecticut Creates" Invites Conversation in Hartford, Bridgeport, Danbury

The grassroots initiative Connecticut Creates continues to extend the conversation, and is looking for people to give voice to what’s happening in Hartford, Bridgeport and Danbury during informal gatherings on Thursday, August 23. Connecticut Creates is a conversation about people who are actively creating a new future for themselves and those around them. The group behind Connecticut Creates sees a future for the state that is designed by the people, for the people. By finding and supporting Connecticut residents who are actively taking charge of their own destiny, the initiative seeks to generate “more hope and possibility in our state and in each other.”

Up next: Thursday, August 23, from 6 to 8 PM there will be talk about plans for the fall and sharing of stories of people who inspire, like Kristin Brooks of Clinton. Those who attend will help us shape Connecticut Creates. Locations are:

• Downtown Yoga: 57 Pratt Street, Hartford, CT 06103
• Melt: 7 Lafayette Circle, Bridgeport, CT 06604
• Two Step Grille: 5 Ives Street, Danbury, CT 06810

Individuals can RSVP on Eventbrite and share the event with friends on Facebook and beyond.

The first open forums took place on Thur., June 7 at: Javapalooza, Middletown, The Grove in New Haven, Bean & Leaf in New London and Fat Cat Pie Co., in Norwalk. For post-event recaps, read the blog post.

Connecticut Creates is in the process of identifying and profiling people (through video and on our blog) in business, government, education, nonprofit and arts/culture/tourism who are designing a new destiny for themselves and, in the process, having a positive impact on those around them. In the works are David Murphy of One Little Boat and Oil Drum Art, and Bun Lai of Miya's Sushi.

Organizers says there’s much more out there, and they’d like to hear about ‘em.   The goal this week:  widen the circle and broaden the conversation.