Liberty Media Splits From Starz; Analysts Generally Bullish

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Premium TV company Starz is set to start trading as a separate company on Monday, and investors seemed pleased at the prospect, bidding shares of parent company Liberty Media 1 percent higher Friday to a 52-week high of $124.03.

Meanwhile, Wall Street is wondering what the firm will focus its content spending on, and it's debating if and when Starz might seek a buyer.

John Malone's Liberty Media made it official late Friday, saying it has formally split Starz from the rest of its operations. Technically speaking, Liberty spun itself out to leave Starz behind as a standalone entity. And Monday, shares of Starzwill begin trading on Nasdaq under the ticker symbols STRZA and STRZB.

Maxim Group analyst John Tinker initiated coverage of Starz shares with a "buy" rating and $21 price target this week. "Looking for the Al Jazeera of pay cable?" he said in the headline of his research report, a reference to the $500 million that Al Jazeera will pay to acquire Current TV.

"Starz could be underpriced, in our opinion, as many investors may not be interested in a low-growth asset competing in a Netflix-type of world," Tinker wrote. "With this spinout, Liberty is positioning Starz in order to sell it."

But the analyst also highlighted some of his concerns.

"Disney has sold its theatrical movies to Netflix starting in 2016 rather than extend its Starz contract, Comcast Universal just re-signed with Time Warner's HBO, News Corp.'s Fox re-upped with HBO last year, CBS' Showtime has the hot product with Homeland, and Starz needs to produce a hit other than Spartacus," Tinker said.

Analysts also have wondered if Starz will pay enough to keep its other film output deal with Sony after losing Disney, or if it will redirect the saved cash into original programming.

"The primary risk to our price target is that Starz may need to invest more in risky and expensive original programming to make itself more attractive to a potential buyer," Tinker said.

"On the positive side, Starz has 17 channels with 55 million subscribers and generates $443 million operating cash flow," Tinker said. "It has long-term cable carriage contracts, has theatrical pay TV rights from Disney until 2016 and Sony Columbia until 2017, and it has a solid management team with CEO Chris Albrecht at the helm, as well as some successful original shows, such as Magic City."

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Liberty Media Splits From Starz; Analysts Generally Bullish

Glenn Beck Hijacking "libertarians", AA Episode 1-1 – Video

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Glenn Beck Hijacking "libertarians", AA Episode 1-1
Anthony Antonellos #39; first recorded podcast, talks about activism, journalism, why he does what he does, why the independent media is on the rise and why it must become main stream. Also covers some stories, including Glenn Beck co-opting the name and brand of the word "libertarian".

By: Anthony Antonello

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Glenn Beck Hijacking "libertarians", AA Episode 1-1 - Video

How to relate to the asleep as a libertarian – Video

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How to relate to the asleep as a libertarian
#169 How to talk down a shooter - Drew Demeter, John Bush, Nick Moyes Rebekah White To hear the full podcast: adamvstheman.com Please address hate mail to adam@adamvstheman.com Donate Bitcoin: 1BWeuWdgjrP8PFAwBwgwU9BUqJNewScouy Invest here to support ADAM VS THE MAN! adamvstheman.com

By: AdamKokesh

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How to relate to the asleep as a libertarian - Video

China to launch surveys on disputed islands; Japan backs PH in sea row

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By: Lilybeth Ison, PNA, Xinhua, and Pots de Leon, InterAksyon.com January 10, 2013 8:27 PM

InterAksyon.com The online news portal of TV5

MANILA, Philippines - As the Philippines on Thursday got Japan's backing in peacefully addressing territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea, China on the same day announced that it would launch this year a national survey on its territorial islands that include areas being claimed by the Philippines.

According to Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Albert del Rosario, Japan, which also has a dispute with China over Senkakus Islands, was "aware of the magnitude of the challenge" of resolving the conflict.

He said that both the Philippines and Japan "understand that the assertions being made by China in terms of their nine-dash line claim... do pose threats to the stability of the region."

Del Rosario made the statement during a news briefing in Malacanang on Thursday after the courtesy call of visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida on President Benigno Aquino III.

Japan has committed to empower the Philippine Maritime Security in terms of its multi-role response vessels, which will be funded by the Japanese government, according to Del Rosario.

"We also discussed this communication system for maritime safety which also would be for the benefit of the (Philippine) Coast Guard," he said.

Del Rosario also said that both countries had agreed on the need to ensure the "freedom of navigation" in the region.

According to the DFA chief, this freedom is being threatened by China's claim to practically all territories in the West Philippine Sea.

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China to launch surveys on disputed islands; Japan backs PH in sea row

Islands in the sun

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Manote Tripathi

The Nation

Publication Date : 07-01-2013

An author tells foreigners how to enjoy the best 100 islands in Thailand

ML Kalyakorn "Khem" Kasemsri feels very unhappy if she is away from the sea for too long. Devoted to the deep, the waters have a calming effect on her spirit while the islands in the Andaman and Gulf of Thailand offer a haven for her soul.

Out of this lifelong love affair with our world-renowned but fast-changing marine resources has come Khem's first book "Ultimate Islands: Thailand's Best Tropical Islands". In the coffee-table tome, which runs to more than 300 pages, she tells foreigners how to enjoy the best 100 islands out of the 300 islands in Thai waters in the right way.

"My main goal is to promote Thai tourism," she says, adding: "Most books on our islands are written by foreign authors. These books are either positive about our islands or very critical of them. But I am Thai. I know my subject well, and have some accurate information and objectivity that allows for a better understanding of our country. It's not all praise nor is it negative. I just present the right information, and through this, readers will form their own judgement."

Kalyakorn chose to launch her book on the relatively unknown Coral Island, a 30-minute speedboat ride from Phuket. The launch also included island hopping on a yacht from Wahoo Big Game Fishing (Thailand) and first-class accommodation at Vijitt Resort.

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Islands in the sun

Health Care Industry Veteran Tracy Bahl Joins Castlight Health as a Special Advisor

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Accomplished Health Care Executive to Help Further Castlights Engagement with Leading Employers and Health Plans.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) January 10, 2013

With a wealth of experience in the health care industry, Tracy brings a strong vision and key relationships to Castlight, said John Driscoll, Castlight Health president. As a special advisor, Tracy will help us evolve how we engage and partner with health plans and employers, making access to critical health care cost and quality information a reality for more Americans.

Bahl has a proven track record of success advising and leading health care companies. Bahl currently serves as a special advisor to global growth equity firm General Atlantic where he focuses on health care-related activities. Previously, Bahl served as CEO for Uniprise, a UnitedHealth Group Company, where he advanced the companys position as the leading provider of health care solutions to large employers and led the companys technology, service and consumer health care operations. He also has served as Executive Chairman of Emdeon and held senior executive positions at CIGNA HealthCare.

Health Care Transparency is changing the way we experience and consume health care for the better, said Bahl. Castlight has already made an indelible impact on the industry, and Im excited to be working with the Castlight team to further expand its business and partnerships.

Based on increasing demand for Health Care Transparency solutions, Castlight continues to experience incredible growth. In 2012, Castlight added significant new leaders to its management team. Over the past year, Castlight also secured $100 million in funding and was named one of the top emerging health care companies by the Wall Street Journal.

About Castlight Health

Castlight Health enables employers, their employees, and health plans to take control of health care costs and improve care. Named #1 on The Wall Street Journals list of The Top 50 Venture-Backed Companies for 2011 and one of Dow Jones 50 Most Investment-Worthy Technology Start-Ups, Castlight Health helps the countrys self-insured employers and health plans empower consumers to shop for health care. Castlight Health is headquartered in San Francisco and backed by prominent investors including Allen & Company, Cleveland Clinic, Maverick Capital, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Oak Investment Partners, Redmile Group, T. Rowe Price, U.S. Venture Partners, Venrock, Wellcome Trust and two unnamed mutual funds. For more information, please visit our web site at http://www.castlighthealth.com or call (415) 829-1400.

Drew Smith Blanc & Otus 415-856-5127 Email Information

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Health Care Industry Veteran Tracy Bahl Joins Castlight Health as a Special Advisor

MVP Health Care and Employees Raise $21,531 for Hurricane Sandy Relief

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MVP and employees partner with American Red Cross to help families recover from Hurricane Sandy.

Schenectady, NY (PRWEB) January 10, 2013

I am so proud of how Team MVP came together to help with this effort, said Denise V. Gonick, MVPs President and CEO. Seeing so much devastation on the news and knowing our members, friends and neighbors were affected by the storm inspired our coworkers to give generously.

MVP partnered with the American Red Cross in November on an online donation program for MVP coworkers and pledged to match employee donations up to $10,000. In the first two weeks, MVP employees donated $6,781.

By early December, it was clear the situation in the hurricane zone was far from resolved. Denise Landi, a MVP Clinical Review Coordinator who lives on Long Island, shared her experience of the storm with her coworkers.

This wasnt just a power outage, this was brutal. It was a nightmare, Landi said. Trees lifted up entire front lawns and crashed into houses. I have friends who watched their oil heater go floating down the street. Though Landis home was spared from flooding, she knew many people who lost everything to the powerful storm.

Employee donations continued to come in during December, totaling $11,531. With MVPs match, the grand total donated to the American Red Cross was $21,531.

###

About MVP Health Care

Founded in 1983, MVP Health Care is a community-focused, not-for-profit health insurer serving members in the states of New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. Through its operating subsidiaries, MVP Health Care provides fully-insured and self-funded employer health benefits plans, dental insurance, and ancillary products, such as flexible-spending accounts, to more than 650,000 members. For more information, visit http://www.mvphealthcare.com.

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MVP Health Care and Employees Raise $21,531 for Hurricane Sandy Relief

The Most Interesting Thing at JPMorgan's Health Care Conference

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By Brian Orelli | More Articles January 11, 2013 |

JPMorgan's health care conference is a treasure-trove of information about health care companies. From basic information to fourth quarter sales, even a few deals are signed, sealed, and announced at JPMorgan.

But the most interesting -- both entertaining and educational -- part of the meeting happened virtually when attendees and remote observers of the conference piled onto a Twitter hashtag, #jpmpickuplines, scientifically mocking what an attendee might say to pick up someone at the hotel bar.

"Best set of data points I've seen all year," tweeted San Francisco Business Times reporter Ron Leuty who started the meme.

The top one -- as measured by retweets -- came from Roche's official Genentech Twitter account that tweeted, "Nice antibody. Wanna conjugate?"

Educational? The meme is clearly entertaining -- well at least most of them, some got a little raunchy -- and it highlights that investors and companies can have a little fun. Investing may be serious, but it doesn't have to be stuffy.

But the list of pickup lines also serves as a nice glossary of terms that every biotech investor should know. Genentech's tweet, for example, refers to the process of adding drugs to antibodies so the drug can be targeted to specific cells. Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: SGEN) and ImmunoGen (NASDAQ: IMGN) have both developed technologies to produce antibody-drug candidates; Roche's T-DM1 was developed using ImmunoGen's technology.

Here are a few more that contain terms you should know:

There are plenty more, have a look and if you find any that you just don't get, it might be time for a little education to make you a better biotech investor. Just don't try using them at the bar.

Your date withdestinyIf you're an investor looking for big long-term winners, Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner's picks have frequently trounced the market. How? Because he's always onthe lookout for revolutionary stocksand recommends them before Wall Street catches on to their disruptive potential. If you're interested in how David discovers his winners,click here to get instant accessto a personal tour behind David'sSupernovaservice.

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The Most Interesting Thing at JPMorgan's Health Care Conference

Massachusetts to revamp retiree health care

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BOSTON (AP) -- Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick plans to propose legislation calling for sweeping changes in future retiree health care benefits for state and municipal employees that officials estimate will save up to $20 billion over the next 30 years.

The changes would include raising the number of years an employee needs to be vested in the retiree health care system, cut the state's contribution to health care premiums for many workers, and raise the eligibility age for health benefits from 55 to 60 for most employees, according to an administration official knowledgeable about the report. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the report had not yet been made public.

The recommendations are to be included in a report due for release Friday by a special commission studying what many in government view as unsustainable costs for retiree health care.

The proposed changes would not affect any of the current 75,000 retired state employees, spouses or survivors who receive health care benefits, or about twice that number of retired municipal workers.

But current state and municipal employees would be affected with some exceptions, such as a worker who currently has completed at least 20 years of service and is within five years of retirement.

According to the commission, Massachusetts faces an unfunded liability for retiree health care and other non-pension benefits totaling more than $46 billion approximately $16.7 billion for the state and $30 billion for cities and towns. The liability exceeds the state's unfunded pension obligations, and according to the report the state and most cities and towns have not set aside adequate resources to cover health care liabilities.

Among the key recommendations that will be included in the legislation, according to the administration official, is raising the minimum years of service an employee must have before being vested in the retiree health care system from the current 10 years to 20 years.

The state currently contributes 80 percent of the health care premium for all vested retirees, but that too would change for many workers in the future. Retirees with 20 years of service would be eligible for a 50 percent premium contribution from the state, rising on a prorated basis for each year of service up to 30 years, when a retiree would become eligible for the full state contribution.

The same proposed changes would apply for municipalities, though some currently pay a lower share of the premiums for retirees.

The minimum age for eligibility to receive retiree health care benefits would also rise from 55 to 60, though it would be lower for some workers, such as police and firefighters, who can retire at younger ages.

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Massachusetts to revamp retiree health care

Area health care providers propose projects to improve care, cut costs with new federal financing system

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CORPUS CHRISTI Coastal Bend residents could get better access to primary care doctors, specialty care doctors and mental health services, as well as more comprehensive care for the chronically ill, under a new federal financing system the state is implementing.

Area health care providers have submitted proposals for $312 million worth of projects aimed at transforming the way they care for uninsured and other uncompensated patients.

The projects were submitted as part of the Medicaid waiver the state received, which could draw $29 billion for statewide health care providers during the next five years.

The waiver replaces the old financing system in which health care providers received reimbursements for the amount of uncompensated care they provided. Under the new system, some federal dollars will continue to reimburse for uncompensated care but other dollars will go toward projects that cut the cost of health care and improve the quality.

Driscoll Children's Hospital, for example, has proposed expanding some already successful programs, including the Oral Health Project, which provides low-income children with preventive dental care.

"For some of these young kids, it helps reduce incidents of oral health disease that, if you didn't take care of, would have to be treated with surgery," said Eric Hamon, the hospital's vice president and chief financial officer.

Hamon said the new financing system, which will tie money to good patient outcomes and cost efficiency, give health care providers more flexibility in how they treat their patients.

"You tailor the care to the population you serve," he said. "This allows us to specifically carve out, not only what's best for our region, but for the children of South Texas."

Local health care providers picked their projects based on the community's health needs.

The Coastal Bend has an inadequate number of primary and specialty care providers, high numbers of uninsured, inadequate access to behavioral health services and high prevalence of chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, according to the region's plan.

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Area health care providers propose projects to improve care, cut costs with new federal financing system

Digital Media Strategist Carlo Donzella and Futurist Gerd Leonhard talk about Smart Cities (MotM3) – Video

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Digital Media Strategist Carlo Donzella and Futurist Gerd Leonhard talk about Smart Cities (MotM3)
This is the 3rd pilot for my new web-tv show called Meetings of the Mind (MotM), soon to be available at http://www.meetingsofthemind.tv). In this episode I talk to Carlo Donzella, in Rome / Italy see twitter.com As an advisor to the Lazio Region of Rome, Carlo has recently been involved in the Futouring.it project which has created 6 world-class digital media experiences for 6 world-heritage sites within the Lazio region. Carlo also teaches the "Brave New Media World" course at the Master in Development, Innovation and Change (MiDIC) of the University of Bologna (Italy) and at the PopAkademie of the University of Mannheim (Germany). A reviewer for dozens of international projects, he has covered various executive and consulting roles with many public agencies and private enterprises. We discuss Carlo #39;s work in digital, smart cities, and ponder what the future may hold for cities that use social local mobile video and cloud applications to engage with their visitors, citizens and fans. This is a wide-ranging discussion that covers a ton of stuff - hope you like it. Audio track will go up on http://www.futuretalks.com soon, as well! Please note: You can now download most of my videos by simply subscribing to this iTunes video feed (via Blip.tv) gerd.fm *** audio-only versions are now available here: gerd.fm or on the web at http://www.futuretalks.com My vimeo channel is here vimeo.com Enjoy! Gerd Leonhard Futurist, Author and Keynote Speaker Basel / Switzerland http://www.gerdfuturist.com CEO www ...

By: Gerd Leonhard

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Digital Media Strategist Carlo Donzella and Futurist Gerd Leonhard talk about Smart Cities (MotM3) - Video

Futurist Speaker Scott Steinberg: Designing for Connected Devices – Video

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Futurist Speaker Scott Steinberg: Designing for Connected Devices
Futurist speaker Scott Steinberg (www.AKeynoteSpeaker.com) speaks to Billboard magazine readers at CES 2013 about how to design Internet connected (aka "smart") apps, entertainment and high-tech devices or gadgets to meet changing consumer needs and consumption habits.

By: Dan Dwight

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Futurist Speaker Scott Steinberg: Designing for Connected Devices - Video

Freedom To Glide The Wait OUT NOW – Video

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Freedom To Glide The Wait OUT NOW
Freedom To Glide - The Wait 6 track mini album OUT NOW Available as CD and Download at: freedomtoglide.bandcamp.com Join f2g on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com Hear The Wait in full at: http://www.progstreaming.com http://www.freedomtoglide.com Music Zero - Wind Gales by Freedom To Glide Video by Spooky Nook Creative: http://www.spookynook.co.uk

By: FreedomToGlide

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Freedom To Glide The Wait OUT NOW - Video