SACRAMENTO: The California High-Speed Rail Authority selected Ogilvy PR Worldwide for a $9 million PR contract after a competitive bid, pending a final decision by the authority's board of directors at a November 5 meeting.
The contract was initially awarded in September to Mercury Public Affairs, which declined to repitch the account after questions were raised by board members and the news media about the firm's ties to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's office.
Ogilvy received a letter October 28, notifying the firm about the authority's decision, said Christi Black, MD for Ogilvy's Sacramento office. She noted that the agency had not pitched for the account on the first round because "the timing wasn't right."
Jeffrey Barker, deputy director for communications, policy, and public outreach for the California High-Speed Rail Authority, declined comment.
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