Randomly Noted

Here’s yet another sign that the economy is showing some strength: In it’s first quarter earnings report released a short while ago, Walt Disney Co. showed a couple of examples of being able to raise prices, something that has been nearly unheard of for the past couple of years in just about any business.

In its cable networks division, sales were higher in part on stronger advertising growth. The drivers? More ads but also, higher rates. Again, in the ad-challenged media business, the idea of raising rates over the past few years was certainly unheard of.

And in the parks and resorts division, sales were higher because attendance levels were up. But also because the company raised ticket prices.

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Comcast doesn’t want to be a just a utility anymore.

That’s one way of looking at reports that the nation’s biggest cable operator is in talks with General Electric about some sort of hook up with GE’s NBC Universal business.

The majority of Comcast’s business today is distribution. It’s like being in the power business – these companies own the lines to your house and create the electricity that gets pushed through those lines. Except with Comcast, they don’t create the electricity.

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