European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 7, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 the stars and stripes Money matters wednesday. December 7,1994 today a rates following Are fixed rates at which Community banking and credit Union facilities will sell foreign currencies to  for personal use a British Pound 1.60 dutch Guilder 172 German Mark 1.53 note tha rates above apply within the Host country. Figures Are expressed Iri dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar following Are Interbank rates that fluctuate and should be regarded As the approximate value of the . Dollar to foreign currencies j austrian Schilling 11.0435 Bahrain Dinar 0.37675 belgian franc British Pound 1.559 Canadian Dollar. 1.373 danish Krone a Hii Ivr a a a a 6.15 dutch Guilder 1.7603 French franc 5.3964 German Mark 1.5711 greek drachma 242.30 italian lira 1,620.25 Kuwait Dinar 0.29975 norwegian Krone 6.8464 portuguese escudo 160.60 saudi Royal 3.7508 Spanish peseta 131.65 Swiss franc 1.325 turkish lira  36,600.00 note figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar Gold quote $376.20 an ounce Sylvor quote $4.65 an ounce sources merchants. National Bank amp Trust co. And the associated press c new York Exchange new York apr most set Liq. Now York name Hanson aos a re Nab at amp to corp Compaq i go Notora. Pig ends a Mcdonalds s _ Chrysler. Ism a a Merck. A Micro tech s Telmos aos a a. Nat some o for motor s a genetics. Sales Price and net change of the 15 Stock Exchange issues. Quot a. Values last chg. 8,354.100 18% a h 4,306,900 6vi �?1/643.433.600 47%.-%. 3,324,000 40% h a 2,802.700 39 % 2.683.400 35% -1% a 2,352,600 28% a a. 2,078,500 49% to 2.049.400 71% % 1.951,100 37% % a 1.923.800 44% 2% 1.881,300 52%% 1.787,900 19% 1%. 1,742,500 27% w a. 1,730,700 47 a american Exchange d new York apr sales Price and net change o the 1q most Active american Stock Exchange issues. Quot him a Voton Latt chg. Eng sve s a 1,538,400 11v a %. Royal Oak g 737,400. 3 -3/16 Nehoray a a 690,600 10 a is chops it 1682,800 12% % Lacomb. A. A ,. A 538,900 ��?~38% Viacom vat a a a a 430,000 1% or Tho sex a 406,800 4% % a vaccine a a a a 394.000. 8% h Homo g387,700 9 % us Blosl a. 365,900 7% % l Dow Jones j a new y0rk- up a Dow Janes Clos no Range of averages monday -. A a a. High Low close change -30industrials. 3779.93 3715.67 3741.92.-3,70 20 transports. 1457.13 1429.41 1443.15 6.75 15 utilities a a 181.52 178.35 180.40 0.99 65 stocks 1264.85 1242.481252.98 a a 2,06 Fox chief ready to Brawl with Abc Over to stations Prodigy slices staff by the new York times new York a Prodigy services co., one of the country a largest on line computer information services dismissed an estimated 100 employees monday or nearly 15 percent of its work Force. The company based in White Plains n.y., said the staff reduction included senior officials and was part of a Broad revamping prompted by both technical and strategic changes in the on line  the company which claims to have More than 2 million subscribers has announced plans to link its service Quot More tightly with the internet a worldwide network of several million computers that contains vastly More information than Prodigy alone can generate _ by Paul Farhi Washington pos Washington a Rupert Murdoch chairman of the Fox broadcasting co., said monday that Fox is considering filing challenges to no cd a to station i crises in retaliation for no cd Slegal attack on foxes station ownership. A i imagine we will be forced to go to the Federal  commission and Challenge them a Murdoch said in an interview monday. A two can play at this game. If they want a Brawl they can have one.�?�. ,. A a Murdoch said Abc could be challenged As unfit to hold broadcast licenses because several executives of its Parent company Quot general electric co., have been indicted or convicted of felonies stemming from Pentagon contract scan dais. The acc has denied licenses to felons in the past but has never ruled on whether convictions within a huge conglomerate such As be Are grounds for denial. A a a. A Murdoch a comments were the latest in an escalating War of words Between Fox and Abc Over whether Fox has violated Federal rules prohibiting foreign control of . Television stations. A the bad blood stems in part from foxes successful raid on the affiliates of Abc lbs and Abc in May. The network persuaded 12 stations to leave the big three and join Fox. Abc asked the acc last week to make a formal judgment on foxes fitness to own Sta Murdoch tons citing its disclosure last May that 99 percent of the capital used to Purchase the networks six original stations in 1985 came from its Atis Ralian based Parent company news corp. A no amount of rhetoric can change the underlying fact that 99 percent of the Fox stations Are owned by an australian corporation a Abc general counsel Richard Cotton said monday. A a Fox a response does t change Bur request that the acc enforce that prohibition or announce that its changing its policy and makes it applicable to ally networks. In reply to Murdoch a suggestion of a Challenge to no cd a licenses Cotton said Abc and be Are in compliance with All acc . A a the Issue of news  financing for Fox was first raised late last year by the National association for the advancement of coloured people in an acc petition. The a act contends that if Large foreign companies Are allowed to own stations it will be harder for minority investors to buy them. On monday attorneys for Fox sent to the acc a 25-Page rebuttal to the Abc action. Murdoch added a personal letter to acc chairman Reed Hundt a to emphasize my personal anguish Over questions regarding foxes ownership. He also said the controversy is holding up several station purchases that Fox wants to make v Murdoch in his letter repeated foxes frequent denials that news  funding of the Fox Purchase violated Federal restrictions in part because Murdoch a naturalized american citizen has always exercised majority control of the stations and has had de Facto control Over news  own unit Burbank Calif. A the Walt Disney co. Is forming a new computer software unit that will produce educational programs and video games inspired by Disney movies the company announced monday. While Disney already employs roughly 100 people producing software titles the creation of thet Isney interactive unit makes the company the last of the major Hollywood studios to form such a division. V a a company officials said monday that at least 200 More people will be hired As the division tries to double its release of new titles for each of the next several years. The division intends to focus initially on Sega and Nintendo video games arid cd rom educational software linked to its animated musicals including the upcoming Pocahontas. In the past Disney related video games typically have been developed and distributed in partnership with other companies. By keeping production and distribution in House Disney interactive Hopes to capitalize on the Lush profit margins successful software titles can yield. 7 a we want to control the development production and distribution of new product a Disney chairman Michael Eisner said in an interview. A obviously we have a lot of Strong characters that can lend themselves to entertainment and educational titles Eisner said. A the biggest Challenge is making sure we do it better than anyone else a he Disney chairman Michael Eisner announces formation of Disney interactive which will develop interactive and educational computer software in Burbank Calit on monday. Said. The term a a interactive is generally used to describe software that employs a High degree of two Way communication Between the computer and user. It often combines still pictures text video and audio. Interactive software often is stored on cd rooms which look like audio compact discs arid can hold the Large volumes of data necessary for interactive programs. Eisner and Steve Mcbeth a 14-year Disney Veteran who will head the new division said the company has been Active in interactive applications for the six years leading up to the Quot formal announcement. Eisner said the interactive soft Ware staff has been working quietly with Disney a animation  said Disney has not resisted investment in this area. Rather he told a news conference the company Isnit interested in a the ownership of massive amounts of hardware a such As a Cable television system. East Lansing Mich. A attention College seniors you have the Best shot in years at Landing a Job right out of school. Hiring is projected to go up 5.9 percent Over last year according to a Survey released monday by the collegiate employment research Institute at Michigan slate University in East Lansing. A new graduates should get better replies from employers than they have been receiving for the last three or four years a said Patrick Scheetz the institutes director. A a the increase represents a a modest recovery from a very severe erosion of the Job Market a he said. New College grads can expect to take Home annual paychecks ranging from $20,821 for telecommunications jobs to $40,689 for chemical engineers according to the Survey of 545 businesses Indus tries and government agencies. Pay was higher in All parts of the country and in All occupations a ranging from a 1.3 percent increase to $23,856 for hotel restaurant managers to a jump of 2.fppercent to $35,302 for electrical engineers. Hiring of new graduates had declined More than 30 percent in the four years prior to last years uptick of 1.1 percent Quot Scheetz said