NEWS: STOP PRESS

Uncertain PR future at societies’ merger

Mike Jones, head of Sun Alliance group corporate affairs, and Roy

Randall, Royal Insurance head of group corporate relations, have said it

is too early to predict what will happen to PR staff and agencies

working for the soon-to-merge companies. Sun Alliance has three people

in its central team with seven regional press officers while the Royal,

has a five-strong corporate relations team at HQ and 15 people

regionally.

Kingfisher hunts for corporate recruit

Retail giant Kingfisher, which includes the Comet and B&Q chains, is

searching for a head of corporate communications to manage media

relations, employee communications and sponsorship. The new recruit will

join a six-strong team reporting to director of corporate

communications John Eyre.

Nelson Bostock wins Sega Channel job

Sega’s PR firm Nelson Bostock has scooped an additional pounds 50,000

fee contract to launch United Artists Programming’s interactive video

games station The Sega Channel this summer. The pan-European campaign

will target both cable operators and families.

Hollander picks up Channel 11 launch

Hollander Communications, the agency which wemploys Prince Edward’s

girlfriend Sophie Rhys-Jones, has been appointed to handle the press

and publicity for the launch of Channel 11, an interactive business

information and TV programme provider specialising in the food and

drinks sector. Hollander, which will receive around pounds 15,000 in

fees plus an undisclosed budget for the launch, won the business without

a pitch

Citymax picks Keene for software drive

Citymax, the IT subsidiary of Credit Suisse, has hired Keene

Communications to push its software and consultancy services to London’s

financial community. Keene won the pounds 65,000 fee contract from

Citymax’s incumbent PR firm Write Image.

WPP’s French buy will not affect Dynamics

Reports that WPP is considering buying French advertising group BDDP

will not affect a new equity deal with its financial PR subsidiary

Financial Dynamics, the firm’s MD Julian Hanson-Smith told PR Week. He

added that details of the deal - effectively a 50:50 split between FD

and its parent - would be revealed soon.

First Marketing Design Awards take off

Entries are invited from PR departments and consultancies for the first

Marketing Design Awards, sponsored by MCA Group plc. PR Week’s sister

title Marketing and the Design Council are jointly launching the awards,

aimed at recognising design’s vital role in successful marketing.

Closing date for entries is 19 July 1996. Further details available

from Nici Brooks on 0171 413 4161.

Corrections and clarifications

Tony Friend has joined Ludgate Communications as a director of the firm,

not as head of its UK financial PR and investor relations division, as

stated in an article headed ‘Ludgate’s New Money Men’ (PR Week, 3 May).

In addition, Citigate has acquired a 20 per cent stake in PR and

lobbying firm Westminster Communications not Westminster Strategy, as

reported in the PR Week Top 150 Consultancies article ‘Growing Pains:

The Big Dilemma’ (PR Week, 26 April). We apologise for any confusion

caused.