Chesapeake Energy's been working overtime on its public image in North Texas.
The company is paying for newspaper ads and it purchased six hours of television time to air a 30-
minute "newsmagazine" it's calling "Citizens of the Shale." The ads refer to the research of economist Ray Perryman, who is quoted saying "the payoff is there for everyone, and people are all seeing the benefit."
"Citizens of North Texas are talking about the Barnett Shale and its vast supply of natural gas," the advertisements say. "Some people are skeptics, some are opposed to any development. Many have concerns but simply need to learn more."
"Catch all sides of the Barnett Shale debate," Chesapeake says in its ads. Here's the schedule for the show:
Chesapeake's Jerri Robbins says the company paid noone to appear, including Perryman, "nor did we coach them on what to say. It was an independently produced program."
As a tuneup to the programs, check in at star-telegram.com 
at noon Thursday for an unusual take on the story (We here in Business News had absolutely nothing to do with this, and we'll see it at the same time you do.) from S-T video blogger Kristin Campbell (that's her, pictured right) and multimedia guy John Metz, hosts of the Star-Telegram's new DaFoWo Show.
-- Scott Nishimura
(Photo: Star-Telegram archive)
Standard & Poor's, the credit rating agency, is out with an interesting report. At the 30,000-foot level, S&P is interested in how Barnett Shale revenues will affect municipalities' ability to repay debts. In its report, at www.standardandpoors.com, S&P reviews a number of everyman (and everywoman) questions about the impact of the Shale. Among them:
Click here to read the full report.
-- Scott Nishimura
The Barnett Shale is fueling the need for more office space and spurring sales of high-dollar homes, market professionals speaking at the 2008 Tarrant County Commercial Real Estate Forecast said this week. Click here to read the full report from S-T staff writer Sandra Baker.
-- Scott Nishimura
Barnett Shale money continues to move into local real estate deals. Robert Rowling, the Omni Hotels owner, said Monday that empty nesters, cutting horse owners and "Barnett Shale people" are driving interest in the 89 condos the company plans in its 
new downtown convention center hotel that's under construction.
About 25 percent of the project's 89 luxury condominiums have been spoken for in the form of refundable deposits, Rowling told a Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce group. The condos are averaging about $500 per square foot, he said.
Costs to outfit the units are not cheap, Rowling said. High-end amenities include floor-to-ceiling glass, marble countertops and hardwood floors.
"We didn't know if there was a market for $500-a-foot condominiums in 
Fort Worth," he said. "We are positive there is now. That's a relief because I'll tell you, we are not cutting a fat hog on the condominiums."
If he sells all of the units at $500 per square foot, the Omni is projected to make a 9 percent return on its investment, he said.
Click here for the full Star-Telegram story on Rowling's remarks.
-- David Wethe
(S-T photos: Omni model condo in downtown FW, archive of Rowling)
