IN BRIEF

November passenger counts increase for Allegiant Air

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air said its passenger counts increased 19.5 percent in November.

The airline said it flew 374,476 passengers during the month, compared with 313,245 in the same month a year ago.

Allegiant, which flies out of Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and several cities in Florida, said its number of flights increased 18.7 percent in the month.

Allegiant Air is a unit of Allegiant Travel Co.

CAMDEN, N.J.

Beal Bank, Trump fail to agree on plan for reorganization

Trump Entertainment Resorts backed a plan Thursday to let bondholders buy the company's three Atlantic City casinos out of bankruptcy and give Donald Trump a minority share.

But after weeks of talks, the bondholders and Trump still could not reach an agreement with Beal Bank. The Dallas-based bank will file a competing plan today for obtaining the company by converting its $486 million loan to the casinos into equity in the company.

Judge Judith Wizmur encouraged both sides to keep working toward a deal that would eliminate the need for her to choose between the competing plans.

Trump Entertainment CEO Mark Juliano said both sides will resume negotiating next week, and said he is optimistic a deal can be reached outside of court.

RENO

Court blocks construction of large gold mine project

A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked construction of a massive gold mine project in northeast Nevada that critics say would harm the environment and ruin a mountain several tribes consider sacred.

A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed part of an earlier decision denying a preliminary injunction conservationists and tribal leaders sought to force Barrick Gold Corp. to postpone digging a 2,000-foot deep open pit at the Cortez Hills mine 250 miles east of Reno.

The 17-page ruling issued in San Francisco on Thursday said the U.S. Bureau of Land Management failed to adequately analyze the potential for the mine on Mount Tenabo to pollute the air with mercury emissions and dry up scarce water resources.

PHILADELPHIA

Comcast reveals plan to buy majority stake in NBC Universal

Comcast Corp. announced Thursday it plans to buy a majority stake in NBC Universal for $13.75 billion, giving the nation's largest cable TV operator control of the Peacock network, an array of cable channels and a major movie studio.

Although the deal could mean that movies could reach cable more quickly after showing in theaters, and that TV shows could appear faster on cell phones and other devices, it was already raising concerns that Comcast would wield too much power over entertainment.

If the deal clears regulatory and other hurdles, Comcast would rival the heft of The Walt Disney Co. -- which Comcast CEO Brian Roberts already tried to buy.

Comcast, which already serves a quarter of all U.S. households that pay for TV, would gain control of the NBC broadcast network, the Spanish-language Telemundo and about two dozen cable channels, including USA, Bravo and Syfy. It also would have regional sports networks, Universal Pictures and theme parks.

International Game Technology promotes two employees

Slot machine giant International Game Technology has promoted two employees.

Robert Melendres has been named the Reno-based company's chief legal officer and corporate secretary. Meanwhile, Craig Billings has been named chief of staff and head of corporate development.

Melendres joined IGT as chief of staff in June. His previous experience had focused on legal, strategic and corporate development for several companies.

Billings joined IGT in March as vice president of corporate finance and investor relations.