Topic: The DIRECTV Group Inc.

Who Cares About Customers?

These days, customers are less emotional but no less engaged. Mark Jarvis describes a recent call he fielded near dawn.READ»

Are You Listening?

The techniques Matrixx has perfected amount to a handbook for cutting-edge service -- the how-to practices every company needs to compete in a world where business is still about getting and keeping customers.READ»

How Can I Help You?

Your customers will tell you how to get better. Are you listening?READ»

How Do You Learn From Customers?

The most powerful computers in the world are no substitute for the power of an intelligent conversation with Lovemoney, Cathy from Simi Valley, or Connie Selleca.READ»

What is Great Service?

Great service is an art. But it's an art that lends itself to a certain kind of science.READ»

Are We Having Fun Yet?

Sharon, last night you mentioned that one of your executive coaching clients admitted to being a sour-puss. Those weren't your words, just my interpretation. You were coaching him about how to do some fun things with his team even ...READ»

In Business, Story Trumps Slogan

1. The Mouthworm Advertisers are particularly vulnerable to getting popular slogans stuck in their heads and riffing on them as opposed to creating a compelling story. That leads to DirecTV's "Fans don't let fans watch only 4 NFL ...READ»

Satellite Internet by HughesNet

HughesNet Satellite Internet Service Satellite Internet is 21st century technology that brings High Speed Internet access to anyone nationwide. Using satellites orbiting the Earth, Hughes is able to transmit and receive internet ...READ»

The Frenemy Relationship in Business

The friend-enemy relationship (aka friend-foe, or "froe") has become essential to business -- a thrillingly intricate dance that would impress even Bruno and Carrie Ann. Imagine Apple without the record labels, Google without Yahoo, and Harvey Weinstein without everyone else. The relationship can be so baffling, we humbly offer this field guide.READ»

Fast Talk: Good Sports

These five executives from the world of sports bring an array of clever approaches to finding, wooing, and retaining their fans as competition for their devotion--and their dollars--increases.READ»

To Live in Interesting Times

Advertising can't fix your brand's problems any longer. It's time to become part of the conversation.READ»

Talkin' About a TiVolution

Self-proclaimed "TiVotees" are the first to tell you that, at the very least, TiVo will permanently alter the way you watch television. At most, it will forever change TV. What will TiVo do for you?READ»

When Baseball Meets the Largest Cable Television Channel Launch in History

First, a bit of an introduction. As the president and founder of the Business of Sports Network, I have been working as a sports busness analyst for about a decade now. The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Basketball, The Biz of Hockey, ...READ»

Coming Soon from TiVo

Amid the mad dash for TV-to-computer-to-PDA, TiVo's move this week allowing users to transfer recorded television shows to iPods or Sony PlayStations may prove something of a false start. The new feature won't be open to some ...READ»

Business Bus?

In an effort to lure customers away from the expensive air shuttle and to out-cheap Amtrak's erratic Acela high-speed train, Fergus McCann wants travelers to take... the bus? Dubbed the LimoLiner, the 28-seat luxury bus service ...READ»

Did HBO's 'True Blood' Campaign Achieve Immortality or Just Plain Suck?

Sunday night played host to an anxiously-awaited television event on our newly all-digital TV signals (and we're not talking about the Lakers' victory). It was the premiere of the second season of True Blood, the vampiric HBO show ...READ»

More Ads, Fewer Interruptions

Remember when TiVo was all about skipping commercials? This week, the DVR pioneer began courting Madison Avenue ad firms with a new feature enabling users to search commercials by topic. That way, TiVo president Tom Rogers told the ...READ»

Sirius XM Delays Bankruptcy with New Loan

Last week I wrote that if Sirius XM [SIRI] died, no one would miss it. Some readers said they agreed that a better product would rise from XM's ashes, and others said they liked satellite radio just the way it is. Well, the latter ...READ»

Al Gore's $100 Million Makeover

Not long ago, he was the butt of jokes--lockbox, earth tones, a postelection beard. Then he dusted off an old slide show and jumped with both feet into the private sector. The untold story of how an epic loser engineered what may be the greatest brand makeover of our time.READ»

The Man Who Invented 1-800

Roy Weber, a wry 52-year-old ATT scientist, is the man responsible for 1-800 Nation.READ»

If Sirius XM Died, No One Would Miss It

Sirius XM [SIRI] is preparing to file for bankruptcy as early as Tuesday, due to a $175 million debt maturing this weekend that the company can't pay. If satellite radio as we knew it disappeared, would it really matter? Granted, ...READ»

Google Takes on TV Ads

Michael Steib Director, Google TV Ads Google> New York, New york Michael Steib, 32, joined Google from NBC Universal in early 2007. He oversees the new Google TV Ads program, which brings the auction system developed by ...READ»

• TiVo Brings Web Video to TV
• ComScore Sees the Bigger Picture
• Bringing Order to the World of Online Video

Written in the Stars

Sirius and XM are taking strategy and competition to the skies in an epic, multibillion-dollar struggle to dominate next-generation radio.READ»

Stacking Dollar Bills to the Moon

In the past month-and-a-half, since NASA's Spirit rover touched down on the red plant, the space program's rover Web site has logged 6.5 billion hits. As CNET News.com recently noted, that's more visits than there are people on ...READ»

Maverick Mogul

As he builds his own digital version of the vertically integrated movie studio, Broadcast.com founder Mark Cuban is questioning everything about the business--and naturally ticking a lot of people off.READ»