News &Analysis

Daren Ulmer’swall projectionsare not as ’60sas you think.PAGE 5

UpFront

Profile

Adam Singer’sdoctors don’tmake housecalls. PAGE 7

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Honoring women ofoutstanding achievementin our business community.

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SAN FERNANDOVALLEY BUSINESS JOURNALVolume 19, Number 3 February 10 - 23, 2014 • $4.00

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T H E C O M M U N I T Y O F B U S I N E S S TM

By JOEL RUSSELL Staff Writer

When conservative pundit Michelle Malkinwanted to sell her website Twitchy.com, shefound a buyer in Salem Communications Corp.

The Camarillo media company is in the midstof an acquisitions spree and a stock run-up that hasmore than tripled its value in the last two years.

And the company has a model for prof-itably developing media properties that serveits dual audience of Christians and politicalconservatives, even at a time when religiousleaders are rethinking their political profile andthe media sector continues to fragment.

Last month, Salem also bought EaglePublishing, a conservative book publisher for

By MARK R. MADLER Staff Reporter

In the popular world of online and mobile socialgames, the stakes are about to get higher.

In fact, Eric Meyerhofer is betting on it.Meyerhofer is chief executive at Gamblit Gaming, a

Glendale company that has developed software to addreal-money wagering to casual games on laptops, tabletsand smart phones. The company also is offering to han-dle the complex administrative backend to comply withregulations covering the players and the transactions.

“You need to make sure moving currency in and out

is clean, the players are legal age and not performingfraud or money laundering activities,” Meyerhofer said.

Gamblit is getting in early on what could be a lucra-tive online gaming niche as more states legalize Internetwagering. In New Jersey, for instance, online gaminginvolving poker and other table games through AtlanticCity casinos went live in mid-November. An estimated$8.4 million was generated the first six weeks. Nevadaand Delaware also have made it legal, while inCalifornia, there are efforts to legalize online poker.

Indeed, online poker is the most readily known ver-sion of online gambling, but Gamblit’s proposition isgoing after the games on tablets and cell phones. Andit could be huge.

Project Roils City Residents

Glendale Startup Gambles on Casual Gaming Industry

How ‘Sharknado’spawned agraphic novel.PAGE 3

DEVELOPMENT: Critics say hoteldoesn’t rate for east Calabasas.

ENTERTAINMENT: Gamblit makes software for betting on mobile games.

By ELLIOT GOLAN Staff Reporter

An Aliso Viejo builder is taking a second stabat large-scale development in Calabasas. But thistime, the community appears not as gung-ho.

New Home Co. submitted an applicationlast month for its Canyon Oaks project, a gatedcommunity of 141 single-family homes, ninelow-income condos and a four-story hotel on77 acres near Las Virgenes and Agoura roads.

Between the land acquisition cost, gradingand other preparation work, and building thehomes, the developer estimates the total cost tobe near $100 million.

“It’s a very costly piece of dirt to develop,”said Rick Bianchi, vice president and regional

SalemTiltsRightWith Web Buys MEDIA: Religious broadcasterjudges conservative site good fit.

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By ELLIOT GOLAN Staff Reporter

If you happen to be in the market for a property thathas an Afghan village, blown-out buildings, heli-copters and tanks, Saugus has just the spot for you.

The Blue Cloud Movie Ranch, a nearly 100-acreproperty where such Hollywood blockbusters as“Zero Dark Thirty” and “Iron Man” were filmed, ison the market.

The property is listed at $7.5 million, whichappears to be quite the deal – and may reflect alesser demand for its location services due to the

continuing flight of production to other states.About a year ago, the property went on sale for

$15 million, according to real estate data firmCoStar Group Inc., which confirmed both figureswith the listing broker.

“It’s no secret that movies went out of town toother places around the country. But television was thebread-and-butter staple for these ranches and that’s off,too,” said Rob Gibson, a location manager currentlyworking with MTV on a show called “Awkward.”

ANYTAKERS?

Please see MEDIA Page 6Please see PRODUCTION Page 50

Please see ENTERTAINMENT Page 51

‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Movie Ranch Up For Sale

Desolate: This desert village street scene at the Blue Cloud Movie Ranch is one of severalsuch sets at the Santa Clarita Valley property, which is on the market for $7.5 million.

Good Odds?: Eric Meyerhofer in Glendale.PHOTO BY THOMAS WASPER

Please see DEVELOPMENT page 51

01_sfvbj_021014.qxp 2/5/2014 8:14 PM Page 1

Partners in San Francisco –the same agency responsiblefor the “Got Milk?” ads. Butthis campaign takes anentirely different tactic.

The TV ads, which runthrough the end of March,

show people contemplatingtheir lives and relationshipson ship.

Gordon Ho, senior vicepresident of marketing atPrincess, said research showsthe fastest-growing segment

4 SAN FERNANDO VALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL UP FRONT FEBRUARY 10, 2014

It’s been a miserable fewyears for the cruise industry,which is enduring a seem-ingly never-ending streak ofbad luck.

Last month, a RoyalCaribbean ship returned toport after nearly 700 peoplecame down with a virus. Lastyear, the Carnival Triumphwas stuck at sea for dayswithout power or functioningplumbing – what came to beknown as the poop cruise.

And of course, two yearsago, the Costa Concordia ranaground off the coast of Italywith the loss of 32 lives.

So what is a cruise lineto do?

Princess Cruises haslaunched its biggest adver-tising campaign ever toshow the better side ofocean tourism.

The Valencia company, aunit of Carnival Corp. &plc in London, launched thecampaign Jan. 15. It has abudget of $20 million andmarks the brand’s return toTV and radio advertising forthe first time in a decade. Italso includes magazine anddigital advertising.

The campaign was creat-ed by Goodby Silverstein &

Leaving BadPublicity At the PortPrincess launches $20 million campaignamid industry mishaps.

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If only airlines – constant-ly figuring out ways tosqueeze more travelers intoplanes – would get the hint.

Since taking over themultiplex at the FallbrookCenter, AMC Entertain-ment Inc. has quietly con-verted it to an upscale theateras part of the chain’s nationalupgrade program.

The theater at 6731 Fall-brook Ave. in West Hills for-merly belonged to LaemmleTheaters and showed foreignand art films before closing inFebruary of last year.

Now called the AMC Fall-brook 7, the theater boastshuge recliner seating with largearm rests. The chain saidcapacity at the multiplex had tobe reduced by 50 percent to 70percent per screen to make theseats fit.

“We’re appealing to asmany of our guests as possi-ble,” said Ryan Noonan,director of publicrelations forthe Leawood,Kan.-basedchain. “We areidentifyingsome of theolder theatersthat haven’t

been upgraded in a while. Wewant our movies to be a phe-nomenal experience.”

The 339-theater chain –which was acquired for $2.6billion in 2012 by Wang Jia-lin, China’s richest man –also upgraded the snack barwith healthier selections suchas pretzels with hummus. Asa courtesy, cashiers will evendeliver the fare to seats if ittakes a while to prepare.

Yet ticket prices run aboutthe same as a regular cinemaeven though all seats are re-served. Tickets are $8 before 4p.m. and $11 after 4 p.m. For3-D movies, add $4 a ticket.

AMC’s remodeling pro-gram is adding luxury seats,premium concessions anddigital box offices. Thirty ren-ovations have been completednationwide including 11 thatare even more upscale withfull meal delivery to seats.

Marty Shindler, anentertainment technologyconsultant at Shindler Per-spective in Encino, saidcompetition from high-techhome entertainment is com-pelling the upgrades.

“Theaters need to havemore arrangements becausethey are rivaled by the com-

forts of the home experi-ence and HD televi-

sion,” he said.– John

Saringo-Rodriguez

Movie ChainBroadensAppeal Filmgoers can spreadelbows, lean back andrelax in freedom.

of cruise passengers are whathe called “the meaningfultraveler.”

“They want to enrich theirlives, explore and visit newplaces, experience culture,and use vacations to recon-nect with family,” he said.“The spots reflect thosetransformative moments onPrincess Cruises.”

A Harris Interactive pollthat was released last sum-mer found that the publictrust of the industry had fall-en 12 percent with more thanhalf saying they were lesslikely to book a cruise than ayear earlier.

However, Stacy Lewis,senior vice president atMurphy O’Brien PublicRelations, a West LosAngeles firm specialized intourism clients, said despitethe negative publicity, thePrincess campaign targetsthe people who cruise.

She noted that otherresearch shows people withmoney, who are most likely tobuy cruise tickets, are lookingfor self-enrichment, includingquality time with loved ones,relaxed environments andrewards for hard work – alldepicted in the ads.

“This campaign is pitchperfect,” she said. “There hasbeen a lot of sensational cover-age, but people still continue tocruise. The industry has seenenormous growth in the last 10to 15 years. The growth is a re-sponse to consumer interest.”

– Joel Russell

‘They want to enrichtheir lives, explore and

visit new places, experience culture, and

use vacations toreconnect with family.’

GORDON HO, Princess Cruises

Idyllic: Images from ad campaign.

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