HOTLINE

Government plans for the BBC to carry ads on its internet service,

BBC Online (Campaign, 2 July), could fall foul of European Commission

rules limiting mixed state-private funding, the culture secretary, Chris

Smith, told a Commons committee. Sir John Birt, the BBC

director-general, warned the plans would pose ’a real strategic

threat’.

Dolphin Telecom is thought to be reviewing its pounds 5 million

through-the-line account, currently held by Anderson & Lembke. It is

understood that a direct marketing agency with above-the-line

advertising capabilities is being sought.

Trinity Mirror has put the sales representation for its 45 regional

titles in the Midlands, which had been housed within the Mirror Group’s

regional sales operation, through the regional sales house, Amra. The

move boosts Amra’s share of the UK newspaper market to 27 per cent.

IPC Magazines’ women’s weeklies group, IPC Connect, is understood to be

working on a launch for the young women’s market. Linda Lancaster-Gaye,

managing director of IPC Connect, refused to comment on the project,

which is waiting for board approval.

Vodafone’s incumbent direct marketing agencies, Evans Hunt Scott and 141

Communications, are pitching head-to-head for a new project for the

mobile telecoms company. A winner-takes-all review of the entire

below-the-line business is expected in the new year.

Landor Associates has appointed Charlie Wrench as its UK general

manager. Wrench joins from the design consultancy’s parent company,

Young & Rubicam, where, as an account managing director, he has been

running the pounds 96 million Colgate Palmolive business for three

years.

The magazine publisher, Gruner & Jahr, has appointed Fiona Macar, the

former publishing director of Emap Elan’s health titles, as publishing

director of Prima, Prima Baby and special projects. She will take up her

new role in January 2000.

BANC will not replace Graeme Norways, its creative director who left

last month. Instead the agency is working with Peter Harold, a former

head of art at Ammirati Puris Lintas, and Howard Fletcher, on a project

basis.

Future Publishing has promoted Matt Mueller, the deputy editor of Total

Film, to editor following the departure of Emma Cochrane last month to

edit Empire magazine.

The business information company, Informa Group, has bought a portfolio

of publications from Financial Times Business for pounds 13.5 million.

The company has acquired 60 subscription-based newsletters, seven

magazines, 600 management reports and 24 directories.

Henry Hemming Publishing, a London-based business-to-business

communications agency, has relaunched as Rooster. The agency’s clients

include Holiday Autos, FSS Group and X-TANT.

Organisers of the International Advertising Association world congress

taking place in London next June have launched a website to provide

delegates with information on speakers and registration. The address is

www.iaalondon2000.co.uk.

The ABC has completed its investigation into the overstated circulation

figures for three of Trinity Mirror’s Birmingham titles and has

concluded that there were errors in the circulation audits carried out

by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The titles will be suspended from ABC

membership until January 2000.The ABC Council is considering how it will

change its future auditing to ensure such errors do not occur again.

This article was first published on Campaign