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Show The National Enterprise , February 2 , 1977 Page eleven CPI Past the Point of No Return 1976 AUSTIN, Texas was the most profitable year in the eight-yea- r history of Communications Properties, Inc." (OTC 4.375, 4.75). president Robert Hughes told the Enterprise last week. Hughes said net income was $1,599,000 for fiscal 1976 compared to a loss of $954,000 for the year ending Oct. 31. 1975. Gross revenues increased 29.5 percent to $22,700,000. And cash operating income, he said, was $9,115,000 compared with $7,583,000 a year ago. Two years of retrenchment arc behind us," said Hughes. "With the sale of CPI Microwave and CPI Radio, we have concluded our program to divest unprofitable lines of business. We are now' in sound financial condition, operating profitably, and prepared to continue to improve our operating performance." Hughes said stockholders equity increased this vear from a level of $13,633,000 on Oct. 31, 1975 to $15,230,000 on that date a year later. Per share earnings for the year were 33 cents compared to a loss of 20 cents a share in 1975. Communications Properties is a multiple cable television operator presently serving 265,565 subscribers in 11 states. Soft Canadian Market Depresses Modulines Sales Continued from page four decline in the Canadian dollar exchange rate, which caused a charge to earnings for the quarter, writh no tax benefit, equivalent to five cents a share. Sales in the latest quarter and nine months were $7,360,200 and $33,735,300 respectively, compared with $10,753,200 and $35,401,600 a year earlier. The loss in the third quarter amounted to $21 1 ,900 compared with a profit of $160,400 in the radio talk program in Salt Lake every weekday evening during drive time. About a year ago I received a phone call from the local representative of Doubleday. He said he had a guest for me. Wanted to know if I would put him on. He calls me from time to time with guest suggestions and his batting average is pretty good. So, as I always do with him, I said yes. He told me that the man had written a book about his He assured me that it wrould be an African heritage. interesting program. I could have scheduled him for 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. but I wasnt sure. Its hard for me to tell a dull guest originally scheduled for tw'o hours that he can only be on for an hour. So, I decided not to gamble. I told the local representative that I w'ould be happy to have the new' author on from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. A lot of things w ent through my mind when I first met Alex Haley, the author of Roots. To begin with, the first thing that didnt go through my mind was that I was about to spend one hour with a person Id never forget. What I clearly do remember in that first hour is that he was an unusually intense human being. He weighed his but in a not the w'ay politicians do words carefully gentle and fair way. Id not read the book when I first sat down with Mr. Haley. Portions of it had been printed in the Readers Digest but the book was not out. As a matter of fact, Alex Haley had just seen the cover of the book for the first time when we talked. I knew that Roots was soon to be the Book of the Month Club selection. So, like all people who have done nothing of significance themselves, I got excited about being in on someone elses big event. As I said. Ill never forget that one hour I spent with Alex Haley. Actually, I wish we had a better expression than Ill never forget." For example. Ill never forget failing Latin but that doesnt mean it has a special place in my heart. Alex Haley is a powerful man. It just might be that in the year 1977 you fight the same battles. To begin with, discrimination is wrong. So perhaps I you and I are absolutely against it. am for any kinds of laws that will make it impossible for me to prevent a man from moving next door to me simply because he is not white. I am against any kind of law that will make it possible for I host a corresponding fiscal 1976 h earnperiod. ings totaled $891,900, equal to 50 cents a share, compared with $557,100, or 32 cents a share a year ago. Merta said continuing economic pressures in Canada raise the prospect of a difficult fourth quarter. We anticipate, however, that fiscal 1977 earnings will exceed last years as a result of our strong performance in the first half," he added. Nine-mont- me to keep any child out of my childs school simply because he or she is not white. In short, I honestly believe that I am for civil rights. Im not a marcher by nature but I want so much for this country to be a place of equal justice under the law. Having said that, let me say that all Black men I run into aren't of equal value. If I expand that into saying that all men 1 run into aren't of equal value, does it sound less prejudiced? But of all the men Ive spent time with, Alex Haley is one who stands out. As I drove home after the interview, I couldnt get him out of my mind. He didnt just come to talk, he came to listen. The ansers he gave were to the questions I asked. You have to keep in mind that I had not read Roots at the time. As a matter of fact, Roots was only part of what we talked about. Most people dont know, but Alex Haley was the chief interviewer for Playboy Magazine for some time. I could easily fill several more columns with his remarks about other famous people. As I said at the first, all this took place about a year ago. Mr. Haley was back in Salt Lake a few months ago. He seemed ten times more tired this time through. Howr many times in the last year had he told the story of Kunta Kinte? Was he tired was it worth it?" I asked. "Did all the public appearances help that much?" He told me of the thousands of speeches and interviews and autograph parties. He was tired and from time to time his mind would wander. "Did he have to do it?" I asked. In the publishing industry," he told me, "the word gets around as to whether you arc a cooperative or a author. Cooperative authors get published again." It all reminded me of slavery. Many of us want to believe in equal opportunities. But we also look forward to the day of equal contribution. There is a new breed of Americans that abhors prejudice. It's now time for a new breed of Blacks who don't have a chip on their shoulder. Blacks who dont want any special favors. Men and women who would be judged exceptional regardless of the color of their skin. Alex Haley is that sort of person. He was one of the most exciting humans I've ever met. P.S. The TV scries was well done. The book was twenty limes as good! The Prince Column by John Prince non-cooperati- ve Partner, Prince, Iuigheinricli & Greer. |