Echostar sued over lineup by Fox News
A News Corp. unit said EchoStar Communications Corp., the second-largest U.S. satellite-TV company, reneged on a deal to put Fox News Channel on its most-watched distribution package, with Fox suing for at least $50 million.
In a complaint filed Monday in federal court in Manhattan, Fox News Network accused Douglas County-based EchoStar of breaching a 1998 agreement by putting Fox News Channel on its second most widely distributed package.
Since January, “Echo Star’s failure to distribute FNC in its most widely distributed package of programming services is a material breach of contract that has resulted in Fox News Network sustaining significant damages,” Fox News Network said.
Echo Star declined to comment.
Sunflower markets raise $30 million in financing
BOULDER — Sunflower Farmers Markets, a Boulder-based grocery chain, announced Monday it has raised $30 million in equity financing from PCG Capital Partners, a private equity firm in La Jolla, Calif.
The funding comes as the grocer expands in existing and new geographic markets. Sunflower plans to double the number of stores by the end of 2009.
Sunflower will launch up to eight stores per year, with 50 stores throughout the West within five years.
Adam Aircraft to expand in Utah
Centennial Airport-based Adam Aircraft plans to expand its production facilities in Ogden, Utah, with $35.2 million in incentives over 15 years approved by the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development.
Adam Aircraft will still have some production at its headquarters in Arapahoe County. The company also has manufacturing operations in Pueblo.
The company is still working out details of the deal, said Adam Aircraft spokeswoman Shelly Simi.
Refinery fire hurts 2
CHEYENNE — Frontier Oil Corp. said a fire shut its Cheyenne refinery and left two workers injured.
The fire occurred Saturday in the delayed coking unit, Houston-based Frontier said Monday.
The company estimates the coker, which can process 10,000 barrels of feedstock daily, will be idle less than 30 days. The refinery normally processes 52,000 barrels of feedstock a day.
GPS satellite to launch
A Lockheed Martin-built Global Positioning System Block IIR satellite is poised for launch Thursday aboard a Delta II rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The GPS constellation is managed by Air Force Space Command’s 2nd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever Air Force Base near Colorado Springs.
The satellite will enhance the GPS constellation for the military and civilians with increased signal power and improved accuracy.
Microwave-popcorn recipes altered
OMAHA — The nation’s four biggest makers of microwave popcorn have removed from nearly all their products a flavoring chemical that has been linked to a lung ailment in popcorn- plant workers.
The companies say all their microwave-popcorn recipes should be changed by January. But it might take several months for the reformulated popcorn to replace all the older varieties on store shelves.
