Article Abstract:
Bridgestone/Firestone Inc announced on Jun 27, 2001 that it will shutdown its Decatur, IL, tire plant, which is the core of its recall in the previous year. Saying that the plant closing will help ensure the Firestone brand financial viability, officials with parent company Bridgestone Corp of Japan have maintained that they will not discontinue the brand. However, some experts cite a number of factors that could convinced Bridgestone to discontinue the Firestone brand. These include deaths and injuries linked to the Firestone tires, financial drain, declining sales, the dispute with Ford Motor Co, and federal investigations.
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Article Abstract:
Government data reveal two tires that Ford Motor Co is using to replace Bridgestone/Firestone Inc's tires have failure rates worse than the automaker's own limit, according to Rep Billy Tauzin at a hearing on Jun 19, 2001. However, Tauzin, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, declined to name the tires his staff say are suspect until the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reviews the analysis. Ford is replacing 13 million Firestone Wilderness AT tires because they have too high a risk of tread separation.
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Article Abstract:
The Big Four networks are facing declining viewership and escalating programming costs. They have also been unable to significantly increase ad rates for the 1998-99 season because of lackluster fall schedules and cautious advertisers. At $153,000 per 30-second commercial the figure is down 3% from 1997. Seinfeld's record $575,000 will not be broken on any CBS, NBC, ABC or Fox show. This year's drop in ad rate appears to be the first since the early 1990s.
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