Business notes

KROGER EXPANDS DRUG PLAN

Following in the steps of the world's largest retailer, Kroger announced Tuesday that it is expanding its generic drug discount program by offering 90-day prescriptions for $10. The company also is adding several women's medicines to its generic discount program. The medicines, which include hormone replacements and drugs used to treat osteoporosis and breast cancer, will cost $9 for a 30-day supply or $24 for a 90-day supply. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. made a similar announcement last week. Kroger began offering more than 300 generic prescription medicines for $4 for a 30-day supply in Lexington area stores in February.

WTVQ-TV SALE COMPLETED

Media General Inc. has completed the sale of WTVQ-TV in Lexington to Morris Network Inc., the companies said Tuesday. Financial details were not disclosed. Morris Network is owned by Morris Multimedia Inc., a privately held company founded in 1970 and based in Savannah, Ga. Morris Multimedia owns seven other television stations, primarily in the South, plus more than 90 daily and weekly newspapers, shoppers and niche publications. Media General is publicly owned. Its stock is MEG:NYSE.

NATIONAL

HP TO BUY TECH SERVICES PROVIDER

Hewlett-Packard Co. is buying Electronic Data Systems Corp. for $13.2 billion in a deal that will create the second-largest technology services provider behind IBM Corp. Under the terms announced Tuesday, HP will pay $25 a share in cash for EDS, which pioneered the concept of running computer systems and providing other high-tech help for large companies and government agencies. It's a field dominated by IBM, which generated $54 billion in revenue from technology services last year. The deal is expected to close during the second half of 2008 and begin to boost HP's profit in its fiscal year that ends in October 2010. HP indicated it will make significant layoffs as it eliminates overlapping jobs and other expenses.

compiled from staff, wire reports