Concert promoter Live Nation is within two weeks of a deal to acquire Signatures Network, which holds the rights to license and market more than 125 artists, including U2, Kanye West and Bruce Springsteen, according to four sources close to the situation. Earlier this week, Live Nation lured Madonna from Warner Music Group. Live Nation is paying around $50 million for Signatures Network, sources say, with one of them adding that the merchandising company generates about $120 million in annual revenue but operates with very small profit margins. Though it has focused solely on tour merchandising …

Allstate is running a national tour--an extension of its Mobile Garage Tour--to promote motorcycle safety. The tour is spun off a "Biker Agents" ad campaign showcasing 600 Allstate agents who are motorcycling enthusiasts. The tour, which is hitting six motorcycle rallies over three months and will end later this month, is being conducted in partnership with Chopper College. The Chicago-based training school combines course work with hands-on cycle customizing techniques. Allstate agent Dean Akey--who founded a team of cyclist emergency responders dubbed Rescue Riders--has attended three rallies to reinforce the identity of Allstate agents as bikers. …

Paul N. Saleh, the interim CEO of Sprint Nextel, says that the company will not cancel plans to build a new network, or sell it, and will focus on addressing customer-service issues. Spint's decision to commit $5 billion to build a new high-speed wireless network using an unproved technology called WiMax has been criticized on Wall Street. Analysts were not impressed by Sprint's most recent ad campaign. Irked by customer-service problems and dropped calls on the Nextel network, millions of subscribers have left Sprint for competitors. Saleh also has launched an internal company blog and a Webcast …

Heineken NV and Carlsberg AS have formed a consortium to bid for the United Kingdom's best-selling brewer, Scottish & Newcastle PLC, which calls the proposition "unsolicited and unwelcome." Coming a week after London's SABMiller PLC announced plans to combine its U.S. unit, Miller Brewing, with the U.S. division of Molson Coors Brewing, the announcements reflect the brewers intent to use increased market share to negotiate better deals for everything from commodities to advertising that could bolster profits. Jean-Francois van Boxmeer, CEO of Netherlands-based Heineken, says that the beer industry today takes so much capital that it isn't worth the …

Of almost 1,000 people polled recently, 75.8% say they would not buy Chinese-made toys this holiday season. But while the sentiment is strong, it may not necessarily reflect actual buying behavior, says John Zogby, president and CEO of Zogby International, which conducted the poll for Reuters. "Do they flip the toy around and do they look on the side of the box to see if it's made in China?" Zogby asks, adding that significantly lower prices for a toy made in China could also affect consumers' decisions. The results come in the wake of several recalls this year …

AT&T and Verizon Wireless, the nation's two largest wireless carriers, will let customers make changes to their calling plans without automatically extending their contracts. AT&T also says it will reduce the fees consumers pay for breaking their contracts. The companies amended their policies before a hearing held yesterday by lawmakers interested in legislating consumer-friendly practices. A bill introduced last month by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) would require wireless companies to prorate the fees they charge customers to cancel their cell phone contracts. Some consumer advocates say the preemptive moves are an effort to convince lawmakers that further …

Reversing a policy that angered some users and triggered two class-action lawsuits, Apple says it will provide a development kit to let independent programmers create new applications for the device, but code writers will have to wait until February to get the software tools. Apple CEO Jobs says it will take Apple a few months "to do two diametrically opposed things at once--provide an advanced and open platform to developers, while at the same time protect iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc." The delay in opening up the iPhone was as much a business decision …

In the midst of an acquisition spree and corporate restructuring, Nokia--which makes one of every three cell phones sold worldwide--is positioning itself to compete against MySpace, iTunes and Google. The company has expanded its business strategy, leveraging its market share to create an ongoing relationship with the customers who own its gadgets. Nokia has said it will reorganize in January to include a unit dedicated to software and services. Over the past year, it has made acquisitions unusual for a gadget maker, including Loudeye, a digital music platform and distribution company, Twan go, which developed a platform …

Chrysler's top brass will approve plans to kill as many as five vehicles this month, according to a person familiar with the situation. The source was mum about which nameplates are facing the ax, however. Auto industry analysts predict the Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Dakota, Jeep Commander and Compass could face elimination. A company insider includes those vehicles among a list of vehicles facing review. The source and another familiar with Chrysler's design pipeline also question the future of the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Durango. The Sebring is being considered for a complete makeover; if that is not feasible, …

Disney's struggling California Adventure amusement park, which sits in Disneyland's shadow, is getting a $1.1-billion overhaul--more money than the company spent to build the park just six years ago. Focused on the Golden State, the park attracted fewer than 6 million visitors last year; 15 million bought tickets to Disneyland. "They're trying to give it some heart," says a person familiar with the plan. California Adventure will have more clearly defined theme sections and will tip its hat more frequently to the late Walt Disney, who built the first park in an orange grove in 1955, sources …