Business Briefs: IRIS International, Image Entertainment, Univision, Northrop

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– IRIS International, Inc.

signed a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of the urinalysis business segment of San Diego-based Quidel Corp. IRIS, a Chatsworth-based urinalysis systems manufacturer, said the deal will allow it to acquire vital urine chemistry strip technology as well as a strip manufacturing facility in Germany. The transaction is expected to take place on or before May 31. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.



– Image Entertainment, Inc.

, a Chatsworth-based home entertainment producer and distributor, acquired the rights to distribute over a dozen comedy DVD titles to be produced by international comedy programmer Just For Laughs. The deal marks Just For Laughs’ first U.S. product launch. Its TV show “Just For Laughs Gags” is aired in markets outside the U.S. Specific details of the agreement were not released.





Spanish-language broadcaster Grupo Televisa SA is disputing a royalty cut by L.A.-based

Univision Communications Inc.

and wants to settle the issue as soon as possible. Univision, which gets most of its television programs from Televisa, reduced the amount of payments for special programming in the first quarter. Televisa, which owns a 10.8 percent stake in Univision, said during its earnings conference call Tuesday that its programming exports were hurt by lower royalties paid by Univision during the quarter. Still, Televisa estimates Univision will pay it royalties of $115 million this year, up from $105 million in 2004, even with the first-quarter reduction.





Ronald D. Sugar, chairman, chief executive officer and president of

Northrop Grumman Corp.

has been elected to ChevronTexaco Corp.’s board of directors. Sugar already serves as a governor of the Aerospace Industries Association, as a trustee of the Association of the United States Army, as a member of the National Academy of Engineering, as a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and as a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

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