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Byline: - Staff and Wire Services

VEDC's advocacy wins 3 awards

VAN NUYS - The Valley Economic Development Center's advocacy won it a trio of awards, the nonprofit business assistance group announced Wednesday. The National Community Reinvestment Coalition honored both VEDC and its president, Roberto Barragan, for work to bring more financial services to the Northeast San Fernando Valley and to limit the presence of check cashing services in Los Angeles.

Separately, the group's Historic Downtown Los Angeles Retail Project, a 2-year-old project to expand its influence into the urban core, also won accolades. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco named it a finalist for the 2006 Community Revitalization Award and the California Association of Local Economic Development will honor the organization with an Award of Merit.

Operation wins test site contract

CENTURY CITY - The U.S. Energy Department has awarded a joint venture led by Century City-based Northrop Grumman a five-year, $2.5 billion contract for the management and operation of its Nevada Test Site, the company announced today.

Northrop Grumman is the managing partner of the joint venture called National Security Technologies, LLC, which also includes AECOM, CH2M Hill and NFS.

Under the terms of the contract, NSTec will manage and operate the Nevada Test Site facility and provide infrastructure support.

Firm orders 30 737s from Boein

SEATTLE - GE Commercial Aviation Services said Wednesday that it had placed a firm order for 30 of Boeing Co.'s narrow-body 737 airplanes, with the option to buy 30 more.

The deal for all 60 airplanes would be worth $4 billion at list prices, although aircraft buyers typically get big discounts.

In a statement, Boeing said General Electric Co.'s aircraft leasing and financing unit will buy a mix of 737-800s and 737-900ERs. The 737-800 seats up to 189 passengers in a single-class configuration, while the 737-900ER, due to enter service early next year, will seat up to 215 people.

GE Commercial Aviation Services will take delivery of the 30 airplanes it has firm orders for between 2008 and 2010.

Witness: TiVo shared tech data

MARSHALL, Texas - TiVo Inc. shared details of its technology with Dish Network, which later used it in its own TiVo-like boxes that can pause and rewind live television programs, a TiVo co-founder said Wednesday.

Former Chief Executive Michael Ramsey made the comment during testimony on the first day of TiVo's patent-infringement lawsuit against EchoStar Communications Corp., the parent of Dish Network.

TiVo has not said how much it is seeking in damages, but an opposing lawyer said the company would ask the jury in federal district court to award it more than $100 million.

TiVo spent years pursuing a deal in which Dish Network would pay it for using its set-top boxes, similar to an agreement that TiVo has with DirecTV, the other big satellite broadcaster. But Ramsey claimed the negotiations were ``mostly one way'' and that Dish Network began selling its own boxes using TiVo technology.

Ramsey was the first witness in a case expected to last two weeks.