Morning headlines

Ford scales back: There are 134 Ford dealers in Southern California, which is more than the automaker believes is financially viable. So at a meeting in Las Vegas, Ford executives said they will encourage some consolidation. By the way, Toyota has only 75 dealers in Socal.

New worry: A Caltech study warns that a magnitude 7.9 earthquake could topple steel-framed high-rises that were built to the latest codes. The study reinforces previous concerns by some engineers about the vulnerability of taller buildings.

Movie deal: The Tom Pollock/Ivan Reitman production company, Montecito Picture Co, has raised $200 million to co-finance 10 features over the next five years. The producers get a first-look agreement with DreamWorks Studios, which has released Montecito comedies "Road Trip," "Old School," "Eurotrip" and "Evolution."

Radio static: Turns out that satellite radio isn't the success that many had anticipated. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reports that big losses and fickle listeners are turning off investors. Sirius stock has lost 44 percent of its value this year; XM has lost 60 percent.

Show biz sentence: Actress Alison Ann Heruth was sentenced to 2,500 hours of community service and ordered to pay $3.4 million in restitution for her role in defrauding investors out of millions of dollars. The mastermind, Joseph Medawar, is alleged to have told investors that his production company was putting together a TV show about the Homeland Security Department. But investigators said the money had been used for luxury cars and $40,000-a-month rent on a Beverly Hills mansion.

Also in court: A federal jury in L.A. has determined that a businessman did not have the right to appropriate the Malibu Pier name. Apparently, the state of California did not register the name when it first acquired the structure.

Another "Greek Wedding"?: The quirky comedy "Little Miss Sunshine" is getting such positive word of mouth that it will move into wide release faster than planned. Per theater box office gross was over $17,000, which is a lot. The movie is just in 153 theaters.

More Disney restructuring: This time, it's the home entertainment divison. As part of the plan, Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Buena Vista Home Entertainment International will joined into one division called Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment.

Kill the critics: L.A. Times columnist Patrick Goldstein assesses the lost clout among movie critics - and whether anyone besides the critics really cares. The big studios apparently don't - several summer films, notably "The DaVinci Code" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" have been box office blockbusters despite tepid reviews.