PR Week (US) articles from March 2003

PR Week (US) archives from March 2003

IPG management in turmoil, Omnicom and WPP's PR revenues fall.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... NEW YORK and LONDON: The marketing holding company scene was in the spotlight last week as two of the three major firms issued earnings, and several published reports said the CEO of the third company had been demoted and replaced. As...

US chemistry coalition in dollars 50m bid to revive image.
March 3, 2003... WASHINGTON: The American Chemistry Council (ACC) will begin hearing final pitches this week for a dollars 50 million campaign to revive the embattled industry's image. The competition has been narrowed to three teams of advertising and PR...

Scandals prompt Big Four firms to unite in PR effort.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... WASHINGTON: 'The Big Four' accounting firms - KPMG, Ernst & Young, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu - have banded together in an effort to combat flagging public opinion following a year of industry scandals. The four...

Stars and Stripes targets younger men.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... WASHINGTON: In an effort to attract younger readers, Stars and Stripes plans to unveil a weekly supplement focused on entertainment and lifestyle. The launch of Pulse, set for March 5, comes as thousands of the daily newspaper's readers...

Bank of America hires from within to fill lead PR role.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... CHARLOTTE, NC: Bank of America (BofA), the nation's third largest bank, has named Mike Clement its new head of corporate communications. Clement will report to corporate marketing and communications executive Catherine Bessant. BofA said...

TV station in club blaze gets caught up in ethical debate.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... PROVIDENCE, RI: While the media has mostly focused on the finger-pointing and legal aftermath of the fire that killed 97 concertgoers in West Warwick, RI on February 20, a smaller controversy has caused local TV station WPRI to seek PR counsel....

People magazine seeking new PR chief.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... NEW YORK: People is searching for a new head of PR. The outgoing director of public affairs, Susan Ollinick, will stay with Time as VP of communications for its parenting group. Meanwhile, the company is casting a wide net for a replacement....

Clear Channel fills top PR posts in TX consolidation.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... SAN ANTONIO and HOUSTON: Clear Channel Communications has hired PR leaders for its two largest divisions after consolidating functions in Texas late last year. Weber Shandwick's former Houston GM and VP Jean Gonsoulin this week joins...

Tortorella opts to join Ogilvy after 25 years with Burson.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... NEW YORK: Ogilvy PR Worldwide has hired veteran crisis management executive Albert Tortorella as MD of its global corporate practice. Tortorella replaces London-based Rob Shimmin, who has headed the unit since July 2000. Shimmin will take on...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Whole Food Market hires new PR manager.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... AUSTIN, TX: Whole Foods Market, the natural and organic food chain, has hired a new national PR manager, Michael Duffield. He was most recently with Magnet Communications in New York, working on accounts such as Heinz and Lactaid.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Verizon Information Services hires Young & Associates.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... DALLAS: Verizon Information Services has hired Young & Associates as its AOR to handle local and national media relations, and promotions for Verizon's print and online directories, SuperPages and Superpages.com.

NEWS IN BRIEF: PRR opens Washington DC office.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... WASHINGTON: Seattle-based boutique PRR is opening a Washington, DC office in an effort to keep up with its already heavy roster of federal contracts. Current PRR federal work includes support for the EPA's Energy Star Program, Commuter Choice...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Biz360 enhances Market360 product.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... SAN MATEO, CA: Biz360 has enhanced the capabilities of its Market360 product by expanding it globally. The new version includes 50,000 print titles and 1,000 online sources from around the world, which Market360 analyzes in their native...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Hyundai Truck America hires Kermish-Geylin PR.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... JAMESBURG, NJ: Hyundai Truck America has hired Kermish-Geylin Public Relations to handle strategic and tactical media relations for a new line of medium-duty trucks that Hyundai is bringing to North America. The agency has done work for...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Michael Caudill becomes MD at Gold PR.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... NEWPORT BEACH, CA: Michael Caudill has become MD at Gold Public Relations. He had worked on auto accounts for Hill & Knowlton for the past three years. He also spent three years at Burson-Marsteller, working on its Lincoln-Mercury account.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Franco PR picks up the Ford Community Center account.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... DETROIT: Franco Public Relations had picked up the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, MI as a client. The agency will work on brand identity and increased visibility for the center throughout the state. The center is the...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Liggett-Stashower picks up Slazenger account.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... CLEVELAND: Liggett-Stashower has picked up Slazenger Golf Products as a client. The company recently moved its headquarters form South Carolina to Cleveland.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Nintendo of North America hires Werkhaus at MWW.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... REDMOND, WA: Nintendo of North America has hired Werkhaus at MWW, the firm's in-house branding and design practice, to design and market Ncrew.com, a joint venture with Wal-Mart. The website will offer younger gamers information on the latest...

NEWS IN BRIEF: IT consultants Keane selects Porter Novelli.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... BOSTON: Business and IT consulting firm Keane has selected Porter Novelli as its AOR. PN will work with the firm to develop PR initiatives focused on Keane's services, as well as raising the company's awareness among senior executives at...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Lisa Lori Communications joins Network.(joined the International Public Relations Network)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... NEW YORK: Lisa Lori Communications (LLC) has joined the International Public Relations Network, a worldwide communications organization made up of independent PR firms and consultants. LLC is one of five US agencies to be accepted to the...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Julia Brannan hired as group VP at GCI Group.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... NEW YORK: Julia Brannan has been hired as a group VP in GCI Group's consumer marketing practice. She will support accounts including Slim-Fast, Zantac 75, and Lipton Recipe Secrets. Brannan was previously VP of the international brand group of...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Telx names Publicis Dialog New York as AOR.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... NEW YORK: Telx, the first and largest carrier-neutral 'SuperNode' in New York City, has named Publicis Dialog New York as AOR for branding and PR.

Aiello moves back into account work with PA job at H&K.(Stephen Aiello, new senior counselor for public affairs at Hill & Knowlton)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... NEW YORK: After just under nine months as chairman of Cohn & Wolfe, Stephen Aiello is leaving to take on the role of senior counselor for public affairs at Hill & Knowlton. The former Cohn & Wolfe CEO, who was replaced in that role by...

TX PR community mourning loss of Jose Villasenor, 31.(Texas public relations industry grieves over loss of entrepreneur)(Obituary)
March 3, 2003... DALLAS: Hispanic PR entrepreneur Jose Villasenor died suddenly at just 31 years of age from a heart attack on February 21. Villasenor began his career in his hometown of El Paso,TX, where he served as government affairs VP for the El Paso...

CBS criticized for Saddam interview hype.(CBS Inc., publicity of Dan Rather's interview of Saddam Hussein )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... NEW YORK: Although few denied it was effective hype for a stunning get, the publicity surrounding Dan Rather's sit-down with Saddam Hussein was met with criticism and admiration alike. In anticipation of the 60 Minutes II broadcast on...

Transplant botch prompts Duke to call Burson for help.(Duke University, Hospital, Durham, North Carolina; Burson-Marsteller)
March 3, 2003... WASHINGTON: Duke University Hospital turned to Burson-Marsteller last month when a botched transplant on a 17-year-old girl attracted harsh media attention and stirred up a national debate on malpractice. On February 7, Jesica Santillan...

Ephedra makers fighting critics of product's safety.(Cytodyne Technologies, World Satellite Television News)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... NEW YORK: Weeks after diet pills containing the stimulant ephedra were found in Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler's locker following his death, the PR teams representing such products are still working to snuff the fire. World...

Euro RSCG moves health firms under new 'Life' structure.(Euro RSCG Worldwide, Euro RSCG Life)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... NEW YORK: Euro RSCG Worldwide has aligned its 44 health-focused companies - which had combined billings of dollars 1,640,766 in 2002 - under a single executive management team and financial-reporting structure. The new network, which will...

US seniors lash out as GSK cuts supplies to Canadian pharmacies.(GlaxoSmithKline)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... PHILADELPHIA: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has come under attack by a coalition of senior citizen groups for its decision to cut supplies to Canadian internet pharmacies that sell medications to Americans. Spearheaded by Philadelphia's Action...

Stonyfield names Clarks' marketing director to lead PR.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... LONDONBERRY, NH: Stonyfield Farm has hired a new communications VP to oversee three major PR programs the organic yogurt maker has underway. Cathleen Toomey joined Stonyfield from Clarks Shoes, where she was director of marketing for North...

Kekst & Co. dominates in generally down M&A year.
March 3, 2003... NEW YORK: The M&A league tables demonstrate that although the number of deals continued to decline in 2002, a handful of financial PR firms continue to have a strong grip on the lucrative but clubby world of corporate transaction PR. The...

Publicis sets out to clear up the kiwi's fuzzy image in US.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... REDWOOD CITY, CA: The world's largest kiwi marketer has hired Publicis Dialog to help clear up misconceptions about the little, fuzzy, misunderstood fruit. 'People love kiwi, but it's not very well understood,' said Karen Brux, Zespri...

Your PR Department to help ease fears about going to the dentist.(www.dentalfear.com)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... FARMINGTON, CT: A Connecticut dentist who is launching a new dentists' referral site has taken on Your PR Department for a dollars 175,000 PR campaign. Dentist Jack Bynes has created Dentalfear.com as a site for consumers who harbor fears...

Carmichael Lynch Spong to open up outpost in Chicago.(Jim Heininger, new manager of Chicago office)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... CHICAGO: Minneapolis-based Carmichael Lynch Spong is opening a Chicago office, hiring PR veteran Jim Heininger to run its new operation. Doug Spong, managing partner of the agency, said, 'With or without Chicago, we're going to grow in...

Darden serving up launch effort for Seasons 52 chain.(Darden Restaurants )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... ORLANDO, FL: Darden Restaurants has launched a media relations and community outreach campaign to promote its newest restaurant concept, Seasons 52. The new concept, which opened its first restaurant in Orlando last week, features fresh...

C&W hires former McHenry VP to run its Bay Area office.(Annie Longsworth, new manager at Cohn & Wolfe)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... SAN FRANCISCO: Former Wilson McHenry VP Annie Longsworth has joined Cohn & Wolfe as SVP, and will manage its Bay Area office. She will take over for Robin Kim, who is moving to Switzerland, and will help H&K's London office with its...

EDITORIAL: Agencies should be anxious to put their work on display, instead of shrouding it in secrecy.(Editorial)
March 3, 2003... Explaining exactly what PR people actually do may seem easy, but it isn't always so. There are times when the industry seems downright secretive, which I'm convinced is not always to its benefit. For example, at PRWeek we report the launch...

OP-ED: Corporate America can profit by putting people first.(Editorial)
March 3, 2003... When times are tough, character shows through. Companies, like people, are put to the test in times of economic adversity. It will take corporate America a long time to discipline its behavior and rehabilitate its image after this year's...

ANALYSIS: SUVs - Automakers need to drive home information on SUVs.
March 3, 2003... Despite safety and fuel-efficiency concerns, SUV sales remain high. But auto-industry PR teams must be ready should the naysayers gain momentum. John N. Frank reports. Automakers love sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and, for the past...

PAUL HOLMES: Attracting good clients starts with retaining the best people, and hearing their concerns.
March 3, 2003... A little more than a decade ago, senior management at Hill & Knowlton decided to go to work for the Conference of Catholic Bishops, which was determined to persuade more Americans to its side of the abortion debate. The decision to take...

ORGANIZATION CASE STUDY: TSA conveys its relevance with mobilized PR effort.
March 3, 2003... A piecemeal and reactionary operation at its beginning, the Transportation Security Administration has now streamlined its PR efforts to become a proactive, informative unit. Douglas Quenqua reports. Admiral James Loy, maiden director of...

MEDIA WATCH: French opposition to war in Iraq prompts US media to attack.
March 3, 2003... On the question of war with Iraq, well-thought arguments have been made in the media by both hawks and doves. However, heated criticism in the US media has focused squarely on France. Media Watch reviewed 44 editorials and op-eds in major...

MEDIA ROUNDUP: Press finds space for nonprofits during tough times.
March 3, 2003... Charity has gained more attention of late, but with so many competing nonprofits, getting coverage can be tough. David Ward looks at ways charitable organizations try to stand out in the local and national media. In the immediate aftermath...

MEDIA PROFILE: Premiere finds its light in remaining focused solely on movies.
March 3, 2003... Forget about fashion, fads, makeup, and who's dating who. Save it for Us Weekly. The rule for pitching a story or front-of-book item to Premiere magazine is it has to be about film. Anita Chabria reports. Targeting a pitch for Premiere...

PROFILE: Painter cements his place atop Houston's PR scene.
March 3, 2003... From the mid-1970s Arab oil embargo to his present role at Sterling Bank, Graham Painter's global PR prowess has prompted industry execs to tag him a 'consummate professional.' Graham Painter joined the electric company and saw the world....

Side effects of DTC.(direct-to-consumer advertising)
March 3, 2003... Sara Calabro looks at how question marks over drug advertising could open up avenues for PR. Finding themselves under constant scrutiny lately, pharmaceutical companies are faced with justifying high costs of direct-to-consumer (DTC)...

MARKET FOCUS INVESTOR RELATIONS: Rewriting the rules.
March 3, 2003... Paul Cordasco looks at how the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is changing the IR landscape. It had been close to eight months since Enron had filed for bankruptcy. Although a few smaller scale corporate scandals broke in the interim, initial...

PR TECHNIQUE: PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS - Production, Subject, Audience: getting a PSA on air.
March 3, 2003... Competition to get PSAs aired is fierce, but Douglas Quenqua finds that a well-produced spot with a clear message aimed at the right audience can get a lot of airtime. Getting your PSA on the air isn't quite what it used to be. Until 1985,...

CAMPAIGN: WS sells Hanes on PR with big launch of tagless T-shirts.(Weber Shandwick New York )
March 3, 2003... PR Team: Weber Shandwick New York (assisted by Chicago, LA, Miami, and Dallas) and Hanes (Winston-Salem, NC) Campaign: Tagless T-shirts Time Frame: June 2002-ongoing Budget: More than dollars 50,000 Strategy 'Our goal was...

CAMPAIGN: Coverage of WTC forum helps public influence decision.('Listening to the City: Remember and Rebuild')
March 3, 2003... PR Team: Civic Alliance to Rebuild Downtown New York (New York), CooperKatz (New York), M&R Strategic Services (New York), AmericaSpeaks (Washington, DC) and Jasculca/Terman (Chicago) Campaign: 'Listening to the City: Remember and Rebuild'...

THE PUBLICIST: Canada's rise in film industry gives LA publicists the chills.
March 3, 2003... OK, I'll admit it. Until I began working in the film publicity biz, I'd never been to Canada. I wasn't even sure where Vancouver and Toronto were exactly. But as a unit publicist, I've come to know the country very well. Ditto many of my...

PR PLAY OF THE WEEK: Turning back puts Smith in front of press.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... NEW YORK: Political protests are a daily occurrence in a democracy with as diverse a set of viewpoints as the US. Yet getting one voice heard above the din is never easy. Especially, when the protester never utters a word. While the...

TOY BOX: Burton fashions place for itself in tech.(jacket for snowboarding includes sound for MP3 player)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Once again, it's time to talk tech. Thankfully, Burton, the totally rad snowboard company, has a killer creation: the first and only jacket with - no way - a sound and control for the very popular iPod, Apple Computer's portable MP3 player. ...

BOOK REVIEW: PR savvy wins the battle in Bush at War.(Book Review)
March 3, 2003... Title: Bush at War Author: Bob Woodward Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 400 pages Reviewed by: Douglas Quenqua They say truth is the first casualty of war, and Bush at War bolsters that cliche. An intimate account of the Bush...

Beers' resignation unlikely to affect US government's image goals.(undersecretary of state Charlotte Beers )(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... WASHINGTON: The sudden resignation of undersecretary of state Charlotte Beers last week is not expected to cause a major shift in mission at the Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, a State Department spokesman said. Both of the...

SEC rules force the holding companies to change tack.
March 10, 2003... NEW YORK: Acting on the advice of legal counsel, several of the major marketing holding companies - including WPP, Omnicom, Interpublic Group, Grey Global, and Publicis Groupe - are likely to forbid any of their component agencies from...

IPG pulls Wagner from AMS for CFO job at Golin Harris.(James Wagner appointed CFO at Golin/Harris International )(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... NEW YORK and CHICAGO: Golin/Harris International has replaced its CFO with a veteran financial executive from within the Interpublic Group, Golin's parent company. James Wagner, who has worked within the ranks of IPG for 16 years in...

Edelman awarded Campaign of the Year.(Edelman and Tyco subsidiary CIT Group )(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... NEW YORK: Edelman and Tyco subsidiary CIT Group collected the coveted Campaign of the Year laurel in front of more than 1,000 attendees at PRWeek's fourth annual awards ceremony last Thursday. CIT enlisted the help of Edelman to cope with...

Fair takes auto PR world by surprise in leaving Nissan.(Debra Sanchez Fair resigns as VP of communications for Nissan North America)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... GARDENA, CA: Debra Sanchez Fair, VP of communications for Nissan North America, has resigned from the company effective March 7. No replacement has been selected. 'Announcement of a replacement will be made at a later time,' said Kyle...

Pediatric dental academy defends big Coke donation.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... CHICAGO: Reacting to a leaked New York Times story, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) has launched a major communications effort to explain why it accepted a dollars 1 million donation from the Coca-Cola Foundation. The...

GMMB to help Hollywood unions merge.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... LOS ANGELES: Hollywood's top two unions for performers have hired GMMB to facilitate a 'consolidation' that would merge them into a single entity with 135,000-plus members. The boards of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and The American...

Tech challenges grow as Red Herring finally sinks.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... SAN FRANCISCO: The demise of Red Herring last week marked the end of an era of independent coverage of the tech boom and bust, leaving PR execs with a host of new publicity challenges. The monthly magazine followed The Industry Standard and...

New consultancy launched by vets of WS and McCann.(Weber Shandwick; McCann Erickson's interactive unit Thunder House)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... PROVIDENCE, RI: Cathy Lugbauer, Weber Shandwick's former COO, and Lois Kelly, former CEO of McCann Erickson's interactive unit Thunder House, have formed consulting firm Kelly & Lugbauer, which will help corporate communications departments...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Ginny Wolfe joins MS&L as SVP for public affairs.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... WASHINGTON: Ginny Wolfe, a top aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, is joining MS&L as SVP for public affairs. Wolfe devised and led the communications strategy for the Republicans' successful efforts to win control of the Senate. Wolfe...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Amgen names Marie Kennedy as new VP of corporate communications.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... THOUSAND OAKS, CA: Amgen has named Marie Kennedy, former senior director of corporate affairs for Genentech, as its new VP of corporate communications. In her new post, Kennedy will report to Richard Nanula, executive VP for finance, strategy,...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Peter Harris joins Ketchum as SVP.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... NEW YORK: Peter Harris has joined Ketchum as SVP, and will work on the IBM account as part of Ketchum's One Blue unit. Harris, who was previously GM of Access Communications' New York office, will serve as a global senior counselor, and will...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Brio Software selects Incendio International.(as its corporate agency of record for the Americas and EMEA)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... SANTA CLARA, CA: Brio Software has selected Incendio International as its corporate AOR for the Americas and EMEA. Brio, which develops business intelligence tools and software, will receive corporate and product PR from Incendio to help raise...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Rose Berg joins Edelman.(to lead its public affairs group in Seattle and Portland)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... SEATTLE: Rose Berg has joined Edelman to lead its public affairs group in Seattle and Portland, developing the practice throughout the Northwest and working with other public affairs leaders at Edelman. Prior to joining Edelman, Berg was SVP...

NEWS IN BRIEF: US Newswire enters into alliance with LatinClips.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... WASHINGTON: US Newswire has entered into a strategic alliance with LatinClips, a web-based Hispanic-media monitoring service. The newswire's clients will now have access to monitoring of more than 1,300 Hispanic media outlets throughout the US,...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Shore PR signs signs two upscale hotel clients.(Shore Public Relations signs The Mansion on Turtle Creek and the Hotel Crescent Court)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... DALLAS: Fledgling firm Shore Public Relations has signed two upscale hotel clients: The Mansion on Turtle Creek and the Hotel Crescent Court. Proprietor John Shore served both establishments in previous agency jobs.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Rachel Perry hires consulting firms.(RF Binder Partners and Vertical Sales & Marketing)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... VAN NUYS, CA: Skincare and cosmetics company Rachel Perry has hired consulting firms RF Binder Partners and Vertical Sales & Marketing. RF Binder Partners is part of the Ruder Finn Group, and will handle marketing communications and promotion,...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Netgear selects Sterling Communications as AOR.(agency of record)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... SANTA CLARA, CA: Netgear has selected Sterling Communications as its AOR. The company, which develops wireless, ethernet, power-line, and phone-line networking hardware and services, will use Sterling to create communications strategies, and...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Appointment at FitzGerald Communications.(Steve Casey rejoins firm as president)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... BOSTON: Steven Casey has rejoined FitzGerald Communications in the newly created position of president. Casey previously worked at FitzGerald as a VP from 1997 to 1999. Casey comes back to FitzGerald from IONA Technologies, where he was VP of...

NEWS IN BRIEF: BindKey chooses McClenahan Bruer Communications.(BindKey Technologies selects firm as its agency of record)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... SUNNYVALE, CA: BindKey Technologies has chosen McClenahan Bruer Communications as its AOR. BindKey develops software that improves chipmakers' productivity during the design phase. McClenahan Bruer will manage the company's PR and marketing...

Newsweek boosts its coverage of the arts with new hires.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... LOS ANGELES: Newsweek has made a number of hires and promotions in its arts and entertainment coverage, giving the section a new leader and an industry-insider reporter. Jeff Giles has been promoted to senior editor of the arts and...

Economic adviser to Bush joins staff at Ketchum's TWG.(Carlos Bonilla to join The Washington Group as an SVP)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... WASHINGTON: Last week, Ketchum's government relations and lobbying firm, The Washington Group (TWG), snagged recently departed White House economic adviser Carlos Bonilla. He will join as an SVP. Bonilla most recently served as special...

RWJF reaches out to uninsured via TV push.(Robert Wood Johnson Foundation )(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... PRINCETON, NJ: Alert viewers will notice a common thread running through some of TV's most popular shows this week. On ER, a number of patients streaming into the Chicago hospital don't have health coverage. Neither does a character on the soap...

Ford reacts to controversy over its police cars' safety.
March 10, 2003... CLEVELAND: As simmering controversy over police-car safety heats up, Ford Motor Co. is countering negative claims, issue by issue. A raft of individual and class-action lawsuits filed in recent years implicate fuel tanks on Ford Crown...

Pork council taps O&B for PR help in face of legal battle.(Osborn & Barr)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... ST. LOUIS: The National Pork Board, facing a court challenge from small-hog producers over its Pork Checkoff program, has hired b-to-b firm Osborn & Barr (O&B) to implement a producer communications program. Small-hog producers have...

GLAAD launches protest as MSNBC signs Savage.(Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation against hiring of Michael Savage)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... NEW YORK: GLAAD has begun a campaign in protest of MSNBC's decision to hire Michael Savage, the San Francisco radio broadcaster famous for making discriminatory remarks against minority groups, to host a weekly TV talk show. The effort,...

Future Brand and WS link up to offer expanded service.(Weber Shandwick; integrating public relations and brand management)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... NEW YORK: Brand consultancy Future Brand has joined forces with Weber Shandwick in a partnership that is designed to allow the two firms to offer clients joint product offerings that will integrate PR and brand-management services. ...

Unions stand up for actors against war.
March 10, 2003... LOS ANGELES: Two powerful unions representing entertainment performers and workers have issued statements supporting celebrities' right to speak out against war with Iraq without fear of losing work. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the...

Lego links with teen brands to push new launch for girls.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... ENFIELD, CT: Lego is hoping its latest effort clicks with girls. At the Toy Fair in New York last month, the company introduced Clikits. The new toy looks nothing like regular Legos, and is geared toward girls age seven to 14. Clikits give...

Sun taps Maverick to hike its profile in Canadian market.(Sun Microsystems has selected Maverick Public Relations as its new agency of record in Canada)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... MARKHAM, ONTARIO: Sun Microsystems has selected Maverick PR as its new agency of record in Canada to help raise the company's profile up North. 'Sun has great products, but no one knows what we've been doing in Canada,' said Stephane...