Business in brief: KAYU TV now on channel 28

Spokane’s KAYU TV has modified its digital signals, requiring over-the-air viewers to watch programs on digital channel 28 instead of channel 30.

Part of the reason for the switch, said Chief Operating Officer Jon Rand, was to use a higher power signal and reach more viewers.

Even though the station is called FOX 28, for the past five years KAYU’s digital TV signal was on channel 30 due to FCC regulations.

But because of the recent switch to 28, viewers using cable converter boxes or TVs with built-in antennas have to rescan the over-the-air channels to find the station, Rand said. Those using satellite or cable television are not affected.

The station has received dozens of calls in the past week. “Most of those are from older viewers. It’s something that mostly affects people who aren’t on the Web” and might not know how to resolve this, he said.

Staff report

Chicken plant probe dropped

Dallas – Federal investigators will not prosecute Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. for employing illegal immigrants and have dropped an investigation into the chicken producer and its workers, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Texas said Wednesday.

The Pittsburg, Texas-based company in turn agreed to pay the Department of the Treasury $4.5 million and improve processes to screen prospective employees to ensure they are allowed to work in the United States.

An investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement led to the arrest in December 2007 of 25 people involved in a scheme to secure jobs for illegal immigrants at Pilgrim’s Pride plants in East Texas. The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not say how their cases were concluded.

Associated Press

JAL stock falls to record low

Tokyo – Shares of struggling Japan Airlines Corp. nosedived to a record low Wednesday on growing fears the money-losing carrier could be put through bankruptcy court as part of restructuring.

Asia’s biggest airline, known as JAL, closed down 24 percent at 67 yen on the last trading day for 2009 on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Wednesday’s finish marked a staggering fall from JAL’s closing price of 213 yen at the beginning of this year.

JAL is undergoing major restructuring to get itself back on solid footing.

Kyodo News agency said a government-backed corporate turnaround body, which is responsible for restructuring JAL, has proposed to the airline’s creditor banks that the struggling carrier be placed in court-backed bankruptcy proceedings.

Associated Press