Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

• PC’s Limited – a company, which was started in 1984 by Michael Dell who had just one thousand dollars in his pocket. From his university dorm room Dell started building and selling personal computers from stock computer parts. In 1988 PC’s Limited had a name change to “Dell Computer Corporation”.

• Michael and Susan Dell Foundation – a foundation established by Michael and Susan Dell in 1999. The foundation initially focused on improving education and children’s health in Central Texas; but their mission soon expanded to reach children globally. To date, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has committed more than $530 million to assist non-profit organizations working in major urban communities in the United States and India. Their focus is to directly and measurably transform the lives of children living in urban poverty.

• the University of Texas [`teksəs] – The University of Texas at Austin is a major research university home to more than 50,000 students, 2,900 faculty and 21,000 staff members.

• Austin [`Ostın] – is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 15^th-largest in the United States. Residents of Austin are known as “Austinities” and include a diverse mix of university professors, students, politicians, musicians, state employees, high-tech workers, blue-collar workers, and white-collar workers. The main campus of the University of Texas is located in Austin.

Barry Diller [`bæri `dılə]. Fox Broadcasting Company was started by a college dropout, Barry Diller. Diller is now chairman of Expedia, and CEO of IAC/InterActiveCorp which includes Home Shopping Network and Ticketmaster.

Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

• the Fox Broadcasting Company (commonly referred to as Fox and stylized as FOX) – is an American television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group. Since its launch on October 9, 1986, Fox has grown from an upstart “netlet” to the status of the highest-rated broadcast In the 2007–08 season, Fox became the most popular network in America in general household ratings. In the 2008-09 season, it was placed second place in ratings, behind CBS. The network is named after sister company 20^th Century Fox, and indirectly for producer William Fox, who founded one of the movie studio’s predecessors, Fox Film.

• Expedia [ık`spi:dıə] – is an Internet-based travel agency. It books airline tickets, hotel reservations, car rentals, cruises, vacation packages, and various attractions and services via the World Wide Web and telephone travel agents. Expedia was started by Microsoft, which they then spun off as a multi-billion dollar company because it was “no longer about software intensive technology” and they were “concerned that they would not do their best at this.”

• CEO – Chief Executive Officer; the person with the most authority in a large company.

• IAC/InterActiveCorp – is an internet company with over 35 consumer brands serving consumer audiences across 40 countries. IAC is operated by approximately 3,600 employees.

• Home Shopping Network – is a 24-hour basic cable shopping network that can be seen on cable, satellite, and some terrestrial channels in the United States. The company also operates HSN.com, an e-commerce operation.

• Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. – is a ticket sales and distribution company based in West Hollywood, California, USA, with operations in many countries around the world. All US ticket sales for US venues are fulfilled at the Ticketmaster sole fulfilment centre located in Charleston, West Virginia. Typically, Ticketmaster’s clients (arenas, stadiums, and theatres) control their events, and Ticketmaster simply acts as an agent, selling the tickets that the clients make available to them. Ticketmaster sells many of its tickets online, some via phone, and some through its many ticket outlets.

Walt Disney [wO:lt `dizni] (1901-1966) is a US film producer who started his own company in the 1920s, and is famous especially for making cartoon films for children, and for inventing some of the best-known cartoon characters, including Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. His cartoon films include Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs [dwO:fs] and Fantasia. He also made many nature films and adventure films for children. His company continues to make popular films, especially for children. Having dropped out of high school at 16, Walt Disney’s career and accomplishments are astounding. The most influential animator, Disney holds the record for the most awards and nominations. Disney’s imagination included cartoons and theme parks. The Walt Disney Company now has annual revenue of $30 billion.