AirTalk for Monday, March 25, 2013

Contact: Producers Joel Patterson, Jasmin Tuffaha, Anny Celsi & Allen Williams

626-583-5100

SCHEDULE FOR AIRTALK WITH LARRY MANTLE

Monday, March 25, 2013

 

11:06 –11:30

Topic: OPEN

Guest: TBA

 

11:30-12:00

Topic:  Does bilingual education pay off in better test scores? [temp head]

 

Guest: Roger Lowenstein, founder and executive director of Los Angeles Leadership Academy, a public charter school in Lincoln Heights that practices dual language immersion.

K1 and K2 at his school are taught in two languages (English Spanish). They’ll expand the program to a new grade level each year, so that next year, K3 will also be taught in two languages.

 

He is coming to the studio. Told him to show up at 11:30pm

 

12:06 – 12:20

Topic: Fresh and (not so) easy for British grocer to make it in the States: The British company Tesco had high hopes for its Fresh and Easy chain of grocery stores in Southern California. The store is a smashing success in its homeland, and the goal for Tesco was to position Fresh and Easy as an alternative to Trader Joe’s in California. Like the Southland favorite, Fresh and Easy specializes in prepackaged meals and fresh produce. To further ingratiate itself, Fresh and Easy spent years researching American consumer habits, even going so far as to shadow customers while they shopped at their local grocer. But things aren’t looking too good for the interloping competitor. For several reasons, Fresh and Easy has failed to connect with Americans in a significant way. Experts attribute the disconnect to some of the products the store sells, which are still quintessentially European, or the fact that produce comes in bags and can’t be purchased individually. Also, Fresh and Easy hit a snag with labor activists for being anti-union, since they depend on unmanned self-checkouts in all of their stores. The company also seemed to overshoot when it built its huge distribution center in Riverside County, and it failed to specialize its merchandise given the location of its stores. As a result, the chain is operating at a $2 billion loss. Is there a Fresh and Easy in your neighborhood? Were you impressed with the stores, or turned off? Why do you shop where you shop? What are you looking for in your local grocer?

 

Guest: Jim Prevor (like Trevor), of PerishablePundit.com, a website and blog dedicated to the food marketing business

 

12:20 – 12:40

Topic:  Cyprus and the European Union: [temp head] Blurb to come depending on news Monday.

 

Guest: Jacob Kirkegaard, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics

 

12:40 – 1:00

Topic:  Predatory Signage or Better Parking Regulation: Among all the things Angelenos are known for, our tortured relationship with the automobile definitely ranks high on the list. Being stuck in traffic isn't the only thing LA drivers have to contend with daily, there's also the little issue of where to park the thing once you're done driving. Street signs in the city are often no help at all, crammed with confusing and sometimes contradictory instructions on when and where someone can park. Some angry Angelenos are calling them "predatory signage," devised to confuse the poor driver; the city says more signs are needed to deal with an increased demand for curb space. In comes Michael Brouillet, a fed-up Hancock Park resident who got burned by these confusing signs more than once. He has designed a new smartphone app called ParkSafeLA to help drivers navigate the linguistic labyrinth of parking on the streets of Los Angeles.

 

Guest:  Michael Brouillet (bru-LET)