Bizworld: Nader Again Taking on Gm, Asks U.S. To Investigate Gifts to Radio Hosts
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader asked U.S. regulators to look into whether Rush Limbaugh and other radio hosts are receiving payment or gifts from General Motors Corp. in exchange for praising the company on air.
Nader’s letter to the Federal Communications Commission cited a report in the Aug. 6 edition of Automotive News that said GM was buying ads, lending cars and offering other incentives to national and local radio hosts in exchange for the promotions.
FCC rules require broadcasters to say if content has been aired in exchange for money or other considerations.
Hampton Roads
security firm wins navy contract
VIRGINIA BEACH | Linxx Security Services, a Virginia Beach defense contractor, has been awarded an $8.5 million contract option by the Navy to provide instruction on search-and-seizure missions aboard vessels.
Work will be done in Norfolk; San Diego; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and Mayport, Fla., in support of the Center for Security Forces at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base.
– Jon W. Glass
navy renovation, repair awards set
The Navy has issued two contracts valued at more than $30 million for various construction, renovation and repair projects in and around Norfolk Naval Station.
W.M. Jordan Co., a Newport News-based general contractor, has won a $14.8 million award involving demolition of three old warehouse buildings on the base.
The work includes hauling away debris, relocating a steam line and renovating office space in three other buildings to relocate workers now housed in one of the warehouses.
Sauer Inc., a Jacksonville, Fla.-based contractor doing business as Sauer Southeast, has been awarded a $15.9 million project to upgrade the Norfolk Navy Lodge on Hampton Boulevard. Work includes renovating the five-story, 200-room guest tower and enlarging the lobby.
Four bids were received for each of the contracts, issued by Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, in Norfolk.
– Jon W. Glass
Virginia
dominion power fined for fish kill
RICHMOND | Dominion Virginia Power must pay the state more than $10,000 after the Department of Environmental Quality found that the company unintentionally killed thousands of fish in Lake Gaston during a conservation project.
About 6,500 fish died when the power company dammed and drained a portion of the lake near the Virginia-North Carolina border in late June so workers could plant wetland grasses, Department of Environmental Quality spokesman Bill Hayden said.
nation
northwest part of midwest buyout
MILWAUKEE | Northwest Airlines Corp. could end up owning rival Midwest Air Group Inc., which has agreed to a $450 million buyout offer from private equity firm TPG Capital.
Northwest is an investor in the deal and may eventually buy Midwest outright, TPG partner Richard P. Schifter said Friday. Midwest’s decision to sell to TPG came late Thursday night and ended months of back-and-forth with rival AirTran Holdings Inc.
Midwest said TPG will pay $17 per share cash, worth about $450 million based on Midwest’s 26.6 million shares outstanding.
world
global markets up after fed move
LONDON | Markets across the globe, save for Asia, rebounded Friday after the U.S. Federal Reserve cut its primary discount rate .
By the time the Fed acted, Asian markets had already closed. The Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo fell 5.4 percent to end at 15,273.68. The U.K.’s benchmark FTSE 100 surged 3.5 percent to 6,064.20. France’s CAC 40 index rose 1.9 percent to 5,363.63 and Germany’s DAX index was up 1.5 percent to 7,378.29.
mexican truck program a go
WASHINGTON | A one-year demonstration project allowing 100 Mexican motor carriers full access to U.S. roads will begin as soon as a federal inspector general certifies safety and inspection plans, the Bush administration said Friday.
The latest step toward implementing a provision of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement drew instant condemnation from labor groups that fear the program will erode highway safety and eliminate U.S. jobs.
– From staff and wire reports
(c) 2007 Virginian – Pilot. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.