BRIEFCASE JAKKS REVVING UP LINES FOR NASCAR.

Byline: - Staff and Wire Services

MALIBU - Jakks Pacific will be slapping decals on NASCAR racers, as the toy maker announced a licensing deal Wednesday to develop several themed lines of cars, candy, sleeping bags and activity sets.

Through its Road Champs and Flying Colors divisions, Jakks will develop toys based on Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon cars, as well as Joe Gibbs Racing's Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte cars.

Retailers will stock the toys by fall.

Viastar acquires Moving Pictures

Los Angeles-based Viastar Holdings Inc. announced Wednesday it acquired a 100 percent stake in Moving Pictures International, the London-based film trade magazine, from a European-based investment company.

The deal, the terms of which were not disclosed, comes in the wake of a recently completed transaction giving Higgs Boson Media Holdings Plc. a stake in Viastar.

As part of the agreement, Higgs Boson's executive director, Gennaro Buonocore, has been named co-chairman of Viastar Holdings. Buonocore will oversee both the Higgs Boson investment in Viastar and represent Moving Pictures on the Viastar board along with George Malasek.

The day-to-day running of Moving Pictures will continue to be overseen by publisher John Campbell, who founded the company in 1990. Prior to that, he served as publisher of Screen International.

For Moving Pictures, the deal will enable a major expansion in its core market of film trade publications, officials said. A planned re-launch of Moving Pictures is already under way.

The company is currently in the process of ``significantly expanding'' its U.S. office, which will subsequently play a greater role in the running of the magazine.

Former L90 execs agree to pleas

MARINA DEL REY - Former executives of an Internet advertising firm have agreed to plead guilty to civil and criminal charges that they inflated revenues by engaging in barter deals with other Internet companies in a scheme to meet stock analysts' expectations, federal prosecutors said.

Four former officers of L90 Inc., based in Marina del Rey, were named in civil charges brought Wednesday by the Securities and Exchange Commission and three of them were named in criminal charges filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors said the company, through its subsidiary webMillion.com, engaged in a number of barter transactions for advertising with other companies, then swapped checks for the supposed value of the ads. The incoming checks were booked as revenue without disclosing that they were from barter transactions.

Factors combine to boost car sales

DETROIT - Heavy incentives, a successful military campaign in Iraq and the passing of the federal tax-filing deadline have contributed to strong vehicle sales in recent weeks, analysts and dealers say.

With sales information through the end of last week, Aguora Hills-based J.D. Power and Associates predicts a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 17.4 million units for April, about the same as a year ago but much better than the previous two months.

The seasonally adjusted annual rate indicates what sales for the full year would be if sales remained at the same pace for all 12 months.

Greenspan would accept new term

WASHINGTON - Alan Greenspan, expressing appreciation for President George W. Bush's confidence, said Wednesday he would accept a fifth term as chairman of the Federal Reserve.

In a brief statement, Greenspan, who is now in his 16th year as head of the nation's central bank, said he would accept a nomination for another four-year term.

Bush in a surprise announcement on Tuesday had said he planned to nominate Greenspan for a new term when his current one expires next year.

Thousands of toy farm sets recalled

WASHINGTON - Fisher-Price is recalling about 67,000 toy farm sets because two metal screws that hold the toy's stall doors in place can come off, posing a choking hazard to young children.

Merchants and toy stores nationwide sold the farm sets from July 2002 to December 2002 for about $30.

The government warned consumers to take the toy away from children immediately. Consumers can contact the company at [phone] to receive a free repair kit.

Northwest to pare management pay

MINNEAPOLIS - Northwest Airlines plans to cut the salaries and benefits of its 3,000 management employees by 5 percent to 15 percent to help the company return to profitability.

Northwest CEO Richard Anderson said in a memo to employees that he wants to reduce management compensation effective July 1.

Last week, the Eagan, Minn.-based carrier announced a $396 million first-quarter loss and asked three of its largest unions - flight attendants, mechanics and ground workers - for substantial cuts in pay and benefits.

Northwest's proposed restructuring plan, which covers the period from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2009, would save about $950 million annually in total labor costs.

GE shareholders reject proposals

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - General Electric Co. shareholders turned back proposals Wednesday that would have subjected executive compensation at the company to closer scrutiny.

Supporters had not expected any of the nonbinding measures to pass, and only two - calling for shareholder review of executive severance packages and of any ``poison pill'' agreements the company may have - came close to approval.

The executive severance proposal was defeated 51.7 percent to 48.3 percent, while the proposal on poison pills - defenses adopted by companies to make hostile takeovers more difficult - lost 52.3 percent to 47.7 percent, GE said.