PR Week (US) articles from January 2003

PR Week (US) archives from January 2003

Amazon taps Burson as lead firm, hires MWW's Savitt as consultant.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... SEATTLE: Amazon has ended its lengthy search for a lead agency by revealing that Burson-Marsteller has won the business. The online retailing giant has also tapped Kathy Savitt, president of Seattle agency MWW/Savitt, to provide...

Ogilvy wins three-agency battle for Nasdaq account.
January 13, 2003... NEW YORK: Ogilvy PR has emerged triumphant from a three-way shootout to be Nasdaq's agency of record. The two other finalists for the RFP were Fleishman-Hillard and Ruder Finn offshoot RF Binder Partners. Nasdaq's previous agency of...

Edelman joins forces with Viacom on HIV AIDS education initiative.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... LOS ANGELES: Edelman has been hired by Viacom to provide PR support for a multimillion-dollar media campaign to combat HIV/AIDS. The initiative, called 'Know HIV/AIDS,' is a collaboration between Viacom and the Kaiser Family Foundation, and...

Sony Pictures TV wraps up revamp of PR department.(Paula Askanas to be in charge of corporate communications for domestic operations)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... LOS ANGELES: Sony Pictures Television, a division of Sony Corporation of America, has finished restructuring its publicity department by naming a new head of communications and media relations. SVP Paula Askanas will be in charge of...

Al Jazeera steps up efforts to establish presence in US.
January 13, 2003... WASHINGTON: No longer content just being 'The Arab CNN,' the Al Jazeera news network is taking steps toward becoming a major force on the American media scene. Already claiming more than 135,000 subscribers in America, the Qatar-based...

Burson takes on SVMG in pro bono deal.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... SAN JOSE, CA: The Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group (SVMG) has tapped Burson-Marsteller to provide pro bono PR services. Hewlett-Packard cofounder David Packard started the SVMG in 1977 to involve hi-tech executives in addressing...

Foray into film has Klores headed to Sundance fest.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... LOS ANGELES: Dan Klores, founder of the eponymous New York PR firm, has added another title to his card: filmmaker. Klores' first documentary, The Boys of 2nd Street Park, debuts at the Sundance Film Festival later this month, and has been...

Former Bruins star taps WSW to head PR for foundation.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... CAMBRIDGE, MA: The Cam Neely Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping families cope with cancer, has selected Weber Shandwick Worldwide as its first-ever agency of record. Run out of WSW's Boston office, the five-person team will serve...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Biz360 signs deal with PRWeek.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... NEW YORK: Media-analysis company Biz360 has signed a deal with PRWeek to sponsor the annual Corporate Survey. The PRWeek/Biz360 Corporate Survey went live last week, and is seeking participants from corporations. For a copy, visit...

NEWS IN BRIEF: GE taps Perry Communications.(GE Medical Systems hires perry Communications Group for PR work)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... INDIANAPOLIS: GE Medical Systems has tapped the Perry Communications Group to provide PR for the unveiling of the first all-digital, filmless, paperless, wireless hospital, which features GE's technology. The hospital is a partnership between...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Weber Shandwick expands operations.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... SINGAPORE: Weber Shandwick Worldwide has expanded its Asia-Pacific operations to include Jakarta, Indonesia, which will be the tenth Asia-Pacific market where WSW has an operation. The other nine are Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand,...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Dirksen Lehman joins Clark & Weinstock.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... WASHINGTON: Healthcare specialist Dirksen Lehman, formerly President Bush's special assistant for legislative affairs, has joined Omnicom lobbying shop Clark & Weinstock as a director. He will focus on healthcare, taxes, and budget issues.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Keating named agency of record.(Keating Public Relations appointed agency of record for Simulations Plus)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... MILLBURN, NJ: Keating Public Relations has been named agency of record for Simulations Plus, developer of simulation and modeling software for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Parrish Blanchard Schaefer signs clients.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... DALLAS: New clients signed by Parrish Blanchard Schaefer PR in the first week of 2003 include: Global HealthNet, a Dallas-based company that produces medical billing and claim processing software; UnBound Technologies, a Houston-based wireless...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Ketchum expands committee.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... NEW YORK: Ketchum has expanded its executive committee - the body which guides the agency - increasing the number of members to 11. Joining the six current senior partners will be Dale Bornstein, David Catlett, Jon Higgins, Mike Kaczmarski, and...

NEWS IN BRIEF: HSR Business to Business selected.(Mahindra-British Telecom)
January 13, 2003... CINCINNATI: Mahindra-British Telecom, a joint venture between British Telecommunications and Mahindra & Mahindra of India, has selected HSR Business to Business to provide PR services, including strategic consultation, media relations, and...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Trimedia changes name.(to Intermarket Communications)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... NEW YORK: Financial PR specialist Trimedia has changed its name to Intermarket Communications. Intermarket is a founding member of Global Financial Communications Network, a multinational network linking PR consultancies that serve financial...

NEWS IN BRIEF: French/West/Vaughan selected.(to provide public relations support fo Cirque du Soleil)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... RALEIGH, NC: French/West/Vaughan has been selected to provide PR support for Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil's Raleigh performances of Dralion, which will premiere locally in the spring of 2003.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Weber Shandwick signs clients.(Weber Shandwick Worldwide)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... CAMBRIDGE, MA: Weber Shandwick Worldwide has signed two new tech clients: Austin, TX-based ClearCube Technology, which develops client blade computing services, and Westborough, MA-based RemoteReality, developer of digital surveillance and...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Keen names CMO.(Marc Barach)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... SAN FRANCISCO: Keen, which offers online platforms for buying and selling advice, has named Marc Barach as CMO. Barach will oversee all elements of Keen's marketing, including communications.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Gregory FCA adds accounts.(Gregory FCA Communications adds nine new accounts)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... ARDMORE, PA: Gregory FCA Communications has added nine new accounts. The new clients are: Proscape Technologies, FASTNET, Cadient Group, Hifi House, Wendover Corporation, RefurbDepot, Synergistix Data Solutions, Mobliss, and Culligan.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Warburg Pincus promotes VP to MD.(Julie Johnson Staples has been promoted to managing director in marketing department)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... NEW YORK: Julie Johnson Staples has been promoted from VP to MD in the marketing department at private equity and venture capital firm Warburg Pincus. Prior to joining Warburg Pincus, she was executive MD and US director of media relations at...

Chicago PR icons band together for custom seminars.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... CHICAGO: Three veterans of the Chicago PR scene are joining together to offer customized seminars for corporate marketing and public relations departments. The new venture, Three's Company, brings together Tom Harris, a former partner and...

Ogilvy joins forces with Dutko to offer lobbying services.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... WASHINGTON: Ogilvy PR announced a formal alliance with lobbying agency The Dutko Group last week, acknowledging the difficulty of surviving in DC these days as anything less than a 'full-service' shop. According to Robert Mathias, MD of...

Clonaid reversal turns spotlight to reporter.(Gets PR help)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... NEW YORK: When you are under fire for having suspicious-sounding ties to a religious group that thinks aliens created the Earth, you need PR help. That is what Richard Leibner, president of news talent agency N.S. Bienstock, was thinking...

Ogilvy report finds slowing market for big trade shows.
January 13, 2003... ATLANTA: As cleaning crews were sweeping up the Las Vegas convention hall after last week's Consumer Electronics Show, Ogilvy PR released a report citing a dramatic downshift in the trade-show industry. The report also analyzes shows on the...

US Air and Raytheon kick crisis plans into high gear.(commuter crash)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... CHARLOTTE, NC: Companies involved in last week's crash of a US Airways Express flight in Charlotte jumped quickly into crisis mode, following what has become standard operating procedure for airline crashes. US Airways posted six releases...

New Hilton comms boss looking to fill four regional slots.(Hilton appointments)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... LONDON: Hilton Group's recently appointed global PR chief Leslie McGibbon will hire new PR heads for four global regions as the leisure group tries to bring a 'more coordinated' approach to its global communications. McGibbon, who took on...

Lonely and lovelorn given glimmer of hope.(PixMen of San Francisco promotes Yahoo! Personals)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... The lonely and lovelorn were given a glimmer of hope on New Year's Eve when the PixMen hit the streets of San Francisco to promote Yahoo! Personals. With personal ads highlighting everything from musical preferences to eye color scrolling on...

WSW adds to Africa and Mideast forces.(Weber Shandwick Worldwide)(Rimon Cohen)(Promoseven)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... WASHINGTON: Weber Shandwick Worldwide has increased its presence in the Middle East and North Africa by merging forces with two prominent shops: Rimon Cohen in Israel and Promoseven in Dubai. WSW CEO Harris Diamond declined to discuss the...

Associated Press expands desktop content offerings.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... NEW YORK: The Associated Press has beefed up its news-delivery capabilities, and can now deliver its own content, along with third-party material, directly to the desktops of subscribers. The expanded service is part of a license agreement...

CKPR Chicago lands two big accounts.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... CHICAGO: CKPR has won two accounts that will likely mean more than dollars 300,000 in new revenues for its Chicago office. CKPR will handle PR for American Residential Services/ Rescue Rooter, a division of home-care giant ServiceMaster....

MGM makes new hires in publicity group.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... LOS ANGELES: MGM Distribution, the division of Metro Goldwyn Mayer that markets and distributes theatrical releases, has brought on board two new vice presidents in its publicity department. Kristin Borella will oversee publicity campaigns...

Fleishman teams with Wirthlin to strengthen public affairs offering.(Fleishman-Hillard)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... WASHINGTON: Fleishman-Hillard has formed a partnership with Wirthlin Worldwide, a Reston, VA research firm whose founder, Richard Wirthlin, gained widespread notoriety as a strategist and pollster for former President Ronald Reagan. ...

Center For Jewish History hires first director of comms.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... NEW YORK: The Center for Jewish History has named Steven Greene as its director of communications. In the newly created post, he will work alongside the organization's agency of record, Adam Friedman. In his new role, Greene will oversee...

Goodrich brings in new PR head after TRW acquisition.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... CHARLOTTE, NC: Goodrich has named Lisa Bottle its new VP of corporate communications. Bottle joined Goodrich after its October takeover of TRW Aeronautical Systems, where she had previously worked. The takeover brought Goodrich four new...

LJ Consulting wins first job in Network Associates accord.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... NEW YORK: A newly formed New York-based IR, PR and management consultant firm, LJ Consultants, has signed its first client, internet security company Network Associates. LJ is handling IR work for the tech company. Network Associates is...

Reality TV producer brings in PR chief to tout mainstream programs.(LMNO Productions)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... LOS ANGELES: Leave My Name Off (LMNO) Productions, a reality-programming producer, has hired Larry Goldman as VP of corporate communications. Goldman will be in charge of positioning the company for an expansion into dramas and sitcoms, as...

CCBN hires Topaz to brand it beyond the finance world.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... MALDEN, MA: Corporate Communications Broadcast Network (CCBN) has hired PR agency Topaz Partners as it looks to build its brand beyond the financial community. The agency takes over for Schwartz Communications. CCBN, which is mainly known...

Fleishman pulls consumer potato work from Ketchum.(US Potato Promotion Board )(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... DENVER: The US Potato Promotion Board has handed its nearly dollars 1 million consumer account to Fleishman-Hillard, breaking Ketchum's lock on the board's PR work. Ketchum, which has worked with the board for 30 years, will continue to handle...

Former Pataki aid joins Mower in top public affairs role.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... ALBANY, NY: Robert Bellafiore, a former high-level aide to New York Gov. George Pataki, is joining Eric Mower & Associates as director of its public affairs practice. Bellafiore takes up his new post in Albany January 20. Also joining...

EDITORIAL: Hiring of familiar faces for top comms posts signals PR's rising relevance in eyes of CEOs.
January 13, 2003... Last week, we broke the story of Merrill Lynch's search for a new PR chief, in advance of Paul Critchlow's planned retirement. Given the brokerage's image and regulatory problems, and the executive-level changes made by the new CEO Stanley...

OP-ED: Full communication will help the staff feel like a family.
January 13, 2003... Employee relations took a hard slap upside the head from the media last summer. The signature image was of people stumbling out of their office buildings, clutching boxes filled with coffee mugs, Dilbert desk calendars, and framed grip-and-grin...

ANALYSIS: Organic Foods - Health is taboo in feeding information on organics.
January 13, 2003... Even though consumers perceive organic foods as healthier, there's no conclusive proof. So producers are pushing taste, quality, and the environment, finds John N. Frank PR people pushing organic food have a perplexing dilemma. Study...

PAUL HOLMES: Nestle needs to consider the costly fallout of its demand for dollars 6m repayment from Ethiopia.
January 13, 2003... Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Yes, food giant Nestle was within its legal rights to demand repayment of dollars 6 million from the government of Ethiopia. The money was compensation for losses Nestle suffered after a...

CORPORATE CASE STUDY: Half Price Books' business is bound to a social agenda.(Company Profile)
January 13, 2003... Half Price Books started in a converted laundromat, but it's now a literacy and recycling beacon with stores in 11 states. Sherri Deatherage Green looks at the chain that sells politics as well as books Half Price Books does do-gooding...

MEDIA WATCH: Raelian sect gains more copy than its curious cloning claims.
January 13, 2003... The scene for the invitation-only press conference was a South Florida Holiday Inn. Dr. Brigette Boisselier, CEO of little-known biotech company Clonaid, announced the birth of a healthy cloned human being. No evidence was offered to support...

MEDIA ROUNDUP: Wedding outlets give good reception to fresh ideas.
January 13, 2003... Though its focus is narrow, the wedding media constantly seeks - and finds - new angles and audiences, which affords PR people more avenues to garner coverage for their clients. David Ward reports There is something about weddings that...

MEDIA PROFILE: Gene Simmons' Tongue sticks out by keeping things clean.(Tongue magazine)
January 13, 2003... Tongue talks to, not at, its 18-40 male audience. However, finds Anita Chabria, while it shuns impudence and welcomes PR pitches, its famous publisher will give a mouthful to uncooperative publicists It's not hard to spot Gene Simmons'...

PROFILE: From OK to DC, Keating's candor is the talk of the town.(former Oklahoma governor Frank Keating appointed CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers)
January 13, 2003... Frank Keating always speaks his mind. And while it irked some during his terms as OK governor, it prompted the American Council of Life Insurers to hire him as its new CEO. Frank Keating leaves the Oklahoma governor's office today after...

MARKET FOCUS ARTS & CULTURE: BOOKS: Judging books by the coverage.
January 13, 2003... Sales are everything in the books sector, and PR drives them. While trade-book PR is most closely related to consumer product PR, the cultural relevance of fiction and non-fiction gives books more clout with the media than most products....

PR TECHNIQUE MARKETING YOUR AGENCY: Net gains: why your website is crucial.
January 13, 2003... A professionally designed website offering easy access to the specific details visitors need can be a key factor in establishing your firm's reputation. At the start of a New Year, with resolutions and makeovers in the air, it might be a...

CAMPAIGNS: 'Blood Work' finds way to tap pulse of US Latin audience.(Warner Bros.; S&S Communications)
January 13, 2003... PR Team: Warner Bros. (Burbank, CA) and S&S Communications (Irvine, CA) Campaign: Blood Work Time Frame: June-August 2002 Budget: dollars 50,000-dollars 60,000 Hollywood has grown savvy in recent years when it comes to...

CAMPAIGNS: Museum of Glass invites the media to see everything.
January 13, 2003... PR Team: Museum of Glass (Tacoma, WA) and Ruder Finn (New York and Los Angeles) Campaign: 'Shattering Expectations' Time Frame: June 2001-present Budget: dollars 80,000 Before it opened last July, the Museum of Glass:...

CAMPAIGNS: Burdines teaches the Florida media a lesson in giving.(department-store chain finally gets credit for efforts)
January 13, 2003... PR Team: Burdines (Miami) and O'Connell & Goldberg (Hollywood, FL) Campaign: 'Burdines Florida Teacher of the Year' Time Frame: July 2001-July 2002 Budget: dollars 65,000 Companies constantly scramble to affix their names to...

THE PUBLICIST: Pilfered penguins prove that crime can pay for PR people.
January 13, 2003... I did a fair amount of traveling over the holidays, visiting friends and relatives in the great Midwest. I also sought snow, and was willing to travel great distances to find it. And find it I did, in a land mass lying somewhere between Texas...

PR PLAY OF THE WEEK: Big Apple choice appears fruitful for GOP.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... NEW YORK: After snatching both the White House and Congress, Republicans continued to march into Democratic territory last week by picking New York over New Orleans (site of its 1988 convention, where George H.W. Bush was nominated) and...

TOY BOX: Arctic 180s can be music to cold ears.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Cover your ears, unless you want to hear about how to keep them warm. After all, it's hardly balmy in most of the US, and those hip-hop caps give you hat head, which makes no one look good. To answer this age-old quandary, The Herrington...

BOOK REVIEW: A delicious ode to simpler PR times.(Celebrity Stew)(Book Review)
January 13, 2003... The self-described 'unofficial king of culinary PR,' author and PR pioneer Leo Pearlstein charts his history through the early days of TV and film publicity in Celebrity Stew. For those tired of modern PR's frantic pace, Pearlstein's...

PR industry hails US Supreme Court decision to hear Nike appeal.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... WASHINGTON: PR advocacy groups have applauded the US Supreme Court's decision to hear Nike's appeal of a California Supreme Court ruling that PR is not free speech. 'We're really gratified that the court will take a deeper view of the...

FAO taps Sitrick for comms aid after filing for Chapter 11.
January 20, 2003... NEW YORK: FAO, Inc., the parent company of high-end toy retailer FAO Schwarz, has tapped financial and crisis communications firm Sitrick & Company to assist with the communications surrounding the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection...

Burrelle's and Luce shed light on their imminent merger.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... LIVINGSTON, NJ and MESA, AZ: Two major players in the press clipping area, Burrelle's Information Services and Luce Press Clippings, are in the process of planning a merger, according to the companies' respective CEOs, Robert Waggoner and...

CME invites bids for first post-IPO PR task.(Chicago Mercantile Exchange)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... CHICAGO: The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) has invited 10 firms to bid on what's expected to be a six-month PR assignment. The exchange last year became the US' first to be publicly traded. Shares in its holding company, Chicago...

Beers suffers blow as State Dept. pulls plug on her TV ads.(Charlotte Beers)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... WASHINGTON: The State Department announced it was scrapping a series of TV ads designed to reverse anti-American sentiment in Muslim countries last week in favor of more traditional diplomatic PR efforts. The ads, running since October,...

Anti-Addict drive spurs PX stores to pull Dior product.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... LOS ANGELES: A loosely organized protest against Christian Dior's new perfume Addict has succeeded in having the fragrance pulled from the shelves of Army and Air Force PX stores across the country. 'We have already informed the...

Former FAA head joins APCO Worldwide.(Jane Garvey)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... WASHINGTON: Jane Garvey, former head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has joined APCO Worldwide as EVP and chairman of its transportation practice. Garvey expressed enthusiasm regarding the state of the international...

PRR brought in as Seattle voters approve monorail.(Seattle Monorail Project)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... SEATTLE: After a fierce election battle to gain voter approval for a new monorail, the Seattle Monorail Project has hired PRR to lead PR efforts as the project moves forward. PRR CEO Rita Brogan will act as the Seattle Monorail Project's...

USOC comms vet joins Edelman with Games on horizon.(Mike Moran)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... NEW YORK: Edelman's sports and entertainment practice has tapped Mike Moran, who is retiring as chief communications officer for the US Olympic Committee, to chair its Olympic practice. Moran will assume his new post at the end of the month....

NEWS IN BRIEFS: Paul Jacobsen tapped as secretary.(for New Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... WASHINGTON: New Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) has tapped Paul Jacobsen, VP of corporate communications at Starz Encore Group, as his new press secretary. Jacobsen, 44, worked for several prominent Republicans in the 1980s, including...

NEWS IN BRIEFS: Bob Wynne joins Edelmans.(deputy GM of San Francisco office)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... SAN FRANCISCO: Bob Wynne has joined Edelman's San Francisco office as deputy GM. Wynne left Singer Associates in September to launch his own firm, Wynne Communications, which he has now put 'on hiatus.' Prior to Singer Associates, Wynne worked...

NEWS IN BRIEFS: Coyne PR names broadcast director.(Janet Schiller)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... FAIRFIELD, NJ: Coyne PR has named Janet Schiller, a former Today show producer, to the newly created position of broadcast director. She will work to expand incorporation of broadcast elements into Coyne's PR programs. With the show between...

NEWS IN BRIEFS: Shirine Coburn signed to handle PR.(Alek Wek)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... NEW YORK: Shirine Coburn Communication has signed to handle PR for supermodel Alek Wek in all areas, including publicity as a personality and model, as well as promotion of her newly launched couture handbag and accessory line, Alek Wek 1933.

NEWS IN BRIEFS: GCI Group adds.(Kirsten Gorsuch and Steven Immergut join North American Healthcare practice)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... NEW YORK: GCI Group has made two additions to its North American healthcare practice. Kirsten Gorsuch, former SVP at Ketchum, has joined as SVP/regional director. She will be responsible for growing practices in the Chicago and San Francisco...

NEWS IN BRIEFS: Hill & Knowlton signs NASSCOM.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... NEW YORK: Hill & Knowlton has signed NASSCOM, the apex industry association of software and service companies in India, as its latest hi-tech client. H&K will develop global PR strategies for NASSCOM, promoting the association's breadth of...

NEWS IN BRIEFS: Overture appoints officer.(Overture Services; Ken Ross)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... PASADENA, CA: Overture Services has appointed Ken Ross as its chief communications officer. Ross will oversee Overture's PR, IR, and internal communications. Overture is a provider of pay-for-performance search for websites.

NEWS IN BRIEFS: Memphis Symphony Orchestra moving.(hires Archer Malmo)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... MEMPHIS, TN: The Memphis Symphony Orchestra is moving into a new location, and has hired Archer Malmo to conduct a PR-driven image campaign that also includes advertising and marketing. The orchestra makes its debut in the Cannon Center for the...

NEWS IN BRIEFS: Golin/Harris names managing director.(Rosemary Sayer, MD for Asia)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... CHICAGO: Golin/Harris International has named Rosemary Sayer managing director for Asia. She replaces Anne Forrest, who is retiring from full-time management. Forrest will remain as a consultant with the new title of non-executive chairman for...

NEWS IN BRIEFS: International Decision picks Maccabee.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... MINNEAPOLIS: International Decision Systems has picked Maccabee Group to handle national media relations, customer communications, and new-product promotion. The company develops lease-accounting and portfolio-management software and services....

NEWS IN BRIEFS: HMS Success changes name to HMS.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... COLUMBUS, OH: HMS Success has changed its name to HMS, and has brought in Jim Simon as president. Simon was chief of communications at Cardinal Health, and had been a partner in charge of corporate communications at KPMG.

Sacramento sees shuffle among PR chiefs tied to Davis.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... SACRAMENTO, CA: High-level Democratic communicators have shuffled into key positions in the state capital. Gov. Gray Davis has hired Peter Ragone as director of communications. Ragone most recently served as the communications director...

BW invests in new internet platform for news delivery.(Business Wire)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... SAN FRANCISCO: Business Wire has completed beta testing of its News Express delivery system, a proprietary internet platform that delivers multimedia content directly to special receivers located in newsrooms. The new method is based on...

Scouts aim to get girls interested in science.(teams with Ad Council and PT and Co.)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... NEW YORK: Girl Scouts of the USA has teamed up with the Ad Council and Patrice Tanaka & Company (PT&Co.) to develop a campaign designed to boost girls' interests in math, science, and technology. The initiative comprises a series of TV,...

Dollars 5m campaign touts coal as energy source of choice.
January 20, 2003... WASHINGTON: As energy issues loom ever larger in the nation's capital, America's coal producers are coming together for the first time to wage a 'massive,' dollars 5 million public education campaign localized entirely in the state of West...

Rival fund CEOs join forces to battle SEC rule change.(Edward C. Johnson of Fidelity Investments; John J. Brennan of Vanguard Group)
January 20, 2003... NEW YORK: Two giants of the mutual-fund industry put aside their rivalry last week to unite against a proposed Securities Exchange Commission rule change that many experts feel will have a profound effect on the industry. The CEO of...