EXELON, ENERGY COMBINE, NAMES FIRMS

Exelon, the company formed by the merger of Unicom (formerly Consolidated Edison of Chicago) and Peco Energy, Philadelphia. named the Tierney Group, Philadelphia, and BSMG/Financial Relations Board, Chicago, for advertising, PR and IR.

Exelon, whose new ticker symbol will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange next month, will control 20% of the nuclear capacity of the U.S.

Other finalists were J. Walter Thompson/Hill and Knowlton; Young & Rubicam/Burson-Marsteller, and Leo Burnett and its house PR unit.

Tierney and BSMG/FRB are part of True North Communications. The account is expected to bill $15M in the first year.

Matthew T. Farrell, CFO for the specialty chemical business of Honeywell International, joined Ingersoll-Rand Co., Woodcliff, N.J., as VP/IR and communication, a new post. Farrell, 43, was with AlliedSignal, which was acquired by Honeywell. He began his career at KPMG Peat Marwick.

Manning, Selvage & Lee acquired Advance >Planning & Communications, Toronto, 26-member firm that has been an affiliate since 1995. Fee income is $4.3M (Canadian). The firm was founded in 1991 and will be known as Advance Planning/MS&L. Paul Curley will continue to head it as chairman/CEO.

Edelman PR Worldwide acquired Callahan Creative, New York ad agency with broadcast and entertainment clients. CC, with a reported $6M in billings, will be renamed Blue Worldwide. Sarah Callahan said the name was chosen because blue represents "vision and creativity." She has a background in political advertising, having worked for Democratic advisors such as Mandy Grunwald and Carter Eskew. Her firm was founded in 1996.

John A. Byrne, Business Week reporter, will help retiring General Electric chairman Jack Welch write about his GE career. Time Warner Trade Publishing acquired rights for a record advance of $7.1M, beating out Simon & Schuster, Harper & Collins and Doubleday. Byrne spent six months researching a BW profile on Welch two years ago... Nancy Rueth named president of PResence EuroRSCG, succeeding Laura Schoen, who left the firm. She was managing director, Ogilvy PR Worldwide, New York.

DON T HIDE BAD NEWS, NIRI TOLD

Companies should share information with investors and not try to hide bad news, 2,066 attendees were told at the annual conference of the National >Investor Relations Institute in San Francisco June 12-14.

"If all you're doing is spin control, if your main objective is to prevent any of us from thinking that anything bad is going on at your company, then there won't be a reason for us to deal with you," said Mary Henry, managing director, Goldman Sachs & Co., New York.

"If you want to create a career in IR, then set yourself up as a truly independent voice in the industry," she added. The IR task requires "objectivity," she said.

Adam Waldo, of Credit Suisse First Boston, called for a "high level of disclosure and transparency" and said IR people should "treat investors as your business partners." Companies get the investor base they deserve, he said.

"Give us a piece of information, even marginal information," pleaded Christopher James of Pequot Capital Management, San Francisco.

Conference Grossed $2.2M

The conference brought in $2.2 million, up from $1.77M last year. A total of 71 exhibitors purchased 90 booths, down from 97 a year ago. Attendees included 1,201 paid members and 360 non-members.

Author Geoffrey Moore (Living on the Fault Line), accused Wall Street of "profit-and-loss myopia." He said P&L tells a lot about the next few quarters but not years in advance. "If you can t see out of the P&L window, you re going to be a victim in this game," he said.
(continued on page 2)

PRSA COMMITTEE SKIPS DECOUPLING

The preliminary report of the Jack Felton committee on the nomination process of PRSA advises revealing the identity of candidates for nomination next year but ducks the issue of whether candidates should be accredited.

APR and office-holding is "so much a basic part of the fabric of PRSA" that only the planning committee should take this up, said a draft of the report that was given to PRSA leaders. The planning committee had recommended decoupling but the board said that would "send the wrong message."
(continued on page 7)

DON'T HIDE BAD NEWS (cont'd)

Moore said that in the age of the Internet ("even my dog has a website") Wall Street–at least for now–sees "vision as more important than execution, and category as more important than company. It s more important to be a no-name company with great vision in the Internet economy than to be an established market leader in a category with no vision."

He said, "That's why three kids with earrings and tattoos across their foreheads can get $20 million in financing, but someone who s established in business for 20 years can t. You create future value for the company in a tornado, then harvest the value in the mainstream."

He predicted continued market volatility and rapid technological change. "We re still at the front end of how the Internet is shaping society," he said. "We're in for a disruptive ride for at least a decade."

Moore spoke on the topic, "Managing Shareholder Value in the Age of the Internet," which was one of the two best-selling audiotapes at the conference. The other best-seller was "New vs. Old Economy."

Tapes of all the NIRI presentations are available at $10 each from Convention Svcs. (504/893-4397).

IPO Market Is Quiet

James said the market for high-tech IPOs has nearly dried up, falling from 50 IPOs in a month to only 12 in one recent month.

"Underwriting is cyclical," he said. "Things are going great. Then all you need is for second and third-tier brokerage firms to dump a bunch of horrible companies out there. A few of them blow up. Then, bingo! The window is closed again."

Scott Williams of Dresdner RCM Global Investors said that involving investors as partners and sharing information with them "attracts a higher-quality shareholder base."

Henry said the distinctions between new and old economy companies are not "cast in stone."

Many companies previously thought to be anchored in the old economy are transforming themselves into hybrids or new economy companies, she said. As an example, she cited Corning, long identified with cookware but now heavily involved in optical networks. Corning s market capitalization has soared from $5 billion to $65B in recent years, she noted.

SHARPER IMAGE TO H&K/S.F.

Sharper Image Corp. has selected Hill and Knowlton to provide PR and IR services.

H&K's San Francisco office will work to reinforce nationwide awareness of the Sharper Image brand and business model. Sharper Image sells its products through retail stores, catalogs and the Internet. The company posted a first quarter sales increase of 45 percent.

Cunningham Communication, Palo Alto, with branches in Cambridge, Mass., and Austin, Tex., is opening new offices in Chicago, Denver and London.

NRA TO OPEN RESTAURANT CHAIN

The National Rifle Assn. of America, Fairfax, Va., wants to open a chain of theme restaurants, starting with one in New York's Times Square.

The restaurants, called "NRASportsBlast," would offer interactive and virtual reality shooting games and serve a menu including pheasant and quail.

Josh Sugarmann, executive director of Violence Policy Center, Washington, D.C., said the NRA s proposed restaurant was "the worst marketing decision since New Coke" and believes it would quickly become a center for local protest.

Kelly Whitley, NRA spokesperson, said the feedback received at NRA has been positive.

The NRA, which may open restaurants in six other cities if things go well in New York, believes "shooting sports are big in America right now. It is bigger than tennis and golf. Now is time for the NRA and shooting sports to move into the spotlight," she said.

COMPAQ NAMES VP-COMMUNICATIONS

William Fasig, managing director of the global technology practice at Burson-Marsteller, has joined Compaq Computer Corp. as VP of corporate communications.

Fasig, who will start in August, will report to Douglas Fox, now SVP, marketing and strategy. Fasig will be responsible for the company's PR activities, industry analyst relations and executive communications.

PR PLAYS ROLE IN COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Elected officials and corporate decision-makers should use PR professionals to seek input from citizens if they want a public project to succeed, according to Carol A. Cassara, SVP at Tucker/Hall, Tampa, and Michelle K. Robinson, PR manager for Tampa Bay Water.

Cassara and Robinson, who are authors of a white paper: "Public Involvement: The Team Approach," told the annual American Water Works Assn. s national conference in Denver on June 13 that PR specialists may provide the real key to winning public support and trust.

NEW FIRM TO HANDLE LUXURY BRANDS

The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd., which handles marketing for 340 high-priced hotels, and Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown, Orlando, have established a full service ad/PR agency specializing in luxury brand marketing.

The new agency, called Leading Marketing Services, which is based in New York at LHW s 99 Park ave. headquarters, is headed by Lori M. Sachs, who was most recently VP/marketing at Reed/Cahners Travel Group.

While LMS will specialize in the travel and hospitality industry, Sachs said the agency will offer marketing research, advertising, PR and sales promotion services to any luxury brand company.

MCEVOY MOVES TO HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

Marian McEvoy, who was editor-in-chief of Elle Decor, was appointed editor-in-chief of Hearst Magazines' House Beautiful, starting July 24.

McEvoy succeeds longtime editor-in-chief Louis O. Gropp, who is retiring. A search is underway for her replacement at ED, which is published by Hachette Filipacchi Magazines.

Prior to becoming editor-in-chief of ED in 1991, McEvoy was co-editor of Elle and worked in Women's Wear Daily'sParis office as European fashion editor.

McEvoy has featured articles that focused on the starker aesthetics of home decorating, while Gropp ran articles on traditional decorating styles.

INSTYLE NAMES PHOTO AND BEAUTY EDS.

Sharon Suh was named senior photo editor and Amy Synott is now senior beauty editor of InStyle.

Suh, who was previously photography producer at Vanity Fair, will be responsible for the front-of-the-book beauty and style stories.

Synott will oversee all front-of-the-book pages and will contribute regularly to beauty and fitness stories. She has replaced Eleni Gage who becomes senior writer, responsible for the "Man of Style" and "Cause Celeb" sections, as well as the magazine's annual feature, "Shining Stars." Synott also will write and edit other InStyle features and packages.

GROSS NAMED EDITOR OF OPRAH MAG

Amy Gross was named editor-in-chief of O: The Oprah Magazine, succeeding Ellen Kunes, who left in June after one issue.

Gross is a veteran writer, and was one of the founding editors of Mirabella.

Oprah Magazine will go monthly, starting with its September number.

THOMAS IS BACK AS A HEARST COLUMNIST

Less than two months after resigning from United Press International, Helen Thomas, the 79-year-old political reporter, has joined Hearst Newspapers to write columns on the White House and national affairs.

Thomas will write two columns, each appearing weekly, for newspapers owned by Hearst, including The Houston Chronicle, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer and The San Francisco Examiner.

One column will focus on issues such as families without health insurance, children in poverty, guns and violence. The other column will recall her political experiences.

Thomas, who worked at UPI for 57 years, quit the day after a company controlled by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, acquired the news service.

Antonia van der Meer, 42, was promoted to editor-in-chief of Modern Bride magazine. She had been executive editor.

DOT-COM EDITOR RETURNS TO PRINT

Jean Godfrey-June, who was VP of editorial and editor of Beautyscene.com, was named beauty director of Lucky, the shopping magazine recently started by Conde Nast.

Earlier this year, Beautyscene.com was shut down temporarily due to financial difficulties; it was later sold to a group of investors. Godfrey-June said she missed print, and welcomed the opportunity to work again for Kim France, Lucky's editor-in-chief.

PETPLACE.COM HIRES TWO EDITORS

Debbie Krenek, former editor-in-chief of The New York Daily News, and Arthur Browne, the paper's senior managing editor, are joining Petplace.com, a new website aimed at pet owners, as chief creative officer and editor-in-chief, respectively.

Terry Murphy, who has anchored primetime news for KABC and KCBS, has joined SRSWOWcast.com, Santa Ana, Calif., as host and executive producer of "WOW Entertainment," a new weekly show that will be produced for the Internet.

The show will feature celebrity interviews, coverage of awards shows and premiers, and footage of TV shows and upcoming feature films.

The New York Times Book Review will debut a separate best-seller list for children's books on July 23. The list, which will have 15 slots, will mix together all categories of children's hardcover books, including fiction and nonfiction, picture and chapter books.

BET CHOOSES N.Y. FOR NEW STUDIO

Black Entertainment Television, a cable network for African-Americans, will open a headquarters and studio for its music division in a former office building on East 106th st., near Park ave., in New York's East Harlem section.

BET's studio will be enclosed unlike the ABC and MTV studios, which have windows that overlook Times Square. The 10,000 square foot office and 7,000 square foot studio are expected to be completed by the end of the summer. There will be 10 to 15 fulltime staffers housed in the complex, and dozens of other contract employees.

The division will produce original music-oriented programming for the network, which is a subsidiary of Washington, D.C.-based BET Holdings II. The move is a part of a three-pronged strategy in which the company will puts its music division in New York, its entertainment division in Los Angeles and its news programming in Washington.

MOVED: Adweek has moved from 1515 Broadway at Times Square to 770 Broadway at 8th st. The magazine joins four other publications owned by BPI Communications: Brandweek, Mediaweek, MC and Editor & Publisher. The new main phone number for Adweek is 646/654-5220; fax: 5365.

EDITORS WANT 'WOW FACTOR'; FREE STUFF

Celebrity stories, which have a human-interest angle and behind-the-scenes stories, have the most appeal to their target audiences, according to five Los Angeles-based journalists who cover the entertainment beat.

Each of the journalists on Business Wire's panel session that was held June 20 at the Flying Museum in Santa Monica said another big factor in getting coverage was an effective pitch.
Rob Silverstein, co-executive producer of "Access Hollywood," said pitches "really need to have a 'wow factor' or special effects" to get the attention of his staff.

As an example, he cited Disney's step-by-step demonstration of how the "Dinosaur" movie was made. "We ran the story every Thursday for 10 weeks before the premier and it was a hit."

Silverstein said the Grammy Awards have become the "Super Bowl of all events" because of the interest and unpredictability.

He said publicists should provide accurate information on their tip sheets. "Remember we're sending crews out at night and we're trying to get a fix on who is going to be at the event. Are they coming and can we interview them, or are they speaking and taking off?"

If a PR pro can get them into a remote location at a celebrity event, then "you've hooked us," said Silverstein, who prefers E-mail pitches over all other distribution methods ([email protected]).

Likes Free Stuff

Bill Cipola, who is entertainment producer for KTTV-TV in Los Angeles, said a "sure-fire way to get our attention is free stuff."

Cipola is responsible for live coverage of all the major award shows, plus backstage interviews, set visits, movie premiers, press junkets and in-studio celebrity interviews for "Good Day L.A."

"The best way to approach me is in the morning with a fax," said Cipola, who likes to get a "hard piece of paper." His fax number is 310/584-2250.

Booth Moore, a columnist for the "Southern California Living" section of The Los Angeles Times, said she relies on publicists for suggestions and information about "great personalities" in Los Angeles or events in L.A. to cover.

She wants to get her pitches in the afternoon either by fax or E-mail. She can be reached at booth.moore@latimes; fax: 213/237-4712.

Senior assignment editor Lynne Lester with CNN's "Showbiz Today," prefers pitches that are sent to her by fax. Her number is: 323/993-5057.

When pitching a story, be truthful about who will be at the event, Lester said. "We get really disappointed, and so do our editors, when we get there and we don't get to interview the honorees, because they had to leave."

Lester said weekends were a good time to pitch enterprise stories because feature stories take time and usually run at the end of the show.

"We cover everything from model makers to toy manufacturers, and any human interest story behind the scenes," said Lester.

Scott Robson, who was recently named acting editor-in-chief of E! Online, said publicists should try E-mailing or faxing him their pitches at [email protected]; fax: 323/692-6565.

"If it doesn't have a celebrity angle or there is not a familiar face it will be hard to pitch," said Robson, who might use the celebrity on a live chat session, or as a news angle.

PLACEMENT TIPS _______________________

Modern Physician, published in Chicago by Crain Communications, will increase publication to biweekly starting next January.

The magazine, which reaches 32,000 physicians, provides news and information on management, legal, labor, regulatory, socio-economic and financial issues as they impact physician executives with management responsibilities.

Karen Petitte, who is editor, said the more frequent publication will allow for broader local and regional coverage, more profiles on how physician executives are managing organizations, and a sharper focus on practice management strategies.

Daily news is posted to the magazine's website at www.modernphysician.com.

Petitte can be reached at 312/649-5324. The magazine is located at 740 N. Rush st., Chicago, 60611.

WiNK, multi-cultural fashion and beauty magazine published by Doublespace, made its debut July 6.

The quarterly magazine, which will be published on a seasonal basis, is available for free at bookstores and newsstands in the New York area. It is also available online at www.winkmag.com.

The magazine's founder Ralph Clermont, a fashion photographer, believes that an American fashion and beauty magazine should reflect the cultural diverity and influences that shape American pop culture today.

Editorial content featured in the first issue includes a look at the state of interracial dating, an artice on how multi-cultural actresses are making inroads into America's movie industry, and articles on books, film, cooking, music, politics, media and fashion.

Kathy Silberger is editor-in-chief. The magazine is located at 601 W. 26th st., N.Y. 877/9460>5624.

REILLY NAMED EXEC. MANAGER OF NYFWA

Jane G. Reilly, a Ridgewood, N.J.-based freelance medical writer, has been hired as executive manager of the New York Financial Writers' Assn. She takes over in mid-August.

Reilly replaces Joyce Spartonos, who retired as executive secretary. Spartonos, who had held the job since 1978, moved three years ago to Arizona from Long Island.

MEDIA BRIEFS ________________________

Time Warner unveiled the design for its new corporate office and newsroom, broadcast and studio building to be built on a site in New York's Columbus Circle.

AOL Time Warner will be the principal corporate presence at the complex, a 2.7 million-square foot mixed-use project with twin towers that will span from 58th to 60th streets.

The Center will be home to the New York news bureau, CNNfn, and Turner Broadcast Sales, and will provide production facilities for CNN''s N.Y. bureau, CNNfn, CNN Interactive and NY1 News.

CNBC's audience topped CNN's for the first time in the second quarter. Nielsen Media Research reported about 270,000 households were tuned into CNBC as compared to 250,000 for CNN.

Despite CNBC's daytime gains, its primetime ratings were down by about 24% this spring compared with last, pulling smaller audiences than CNN and the Fox News Channel in the time period. CNBC also loses viewers once the main stock exchanges close for the day.

CNBC will replace one "Upfront Tonight," Geraldo Rivera's nonfinancial news program that airs weeknights at 7:30, with an additional half-hour of "Business Center."

PRSA SKIPS DECOUPLING (cont'd)

The 1999 planning committee, at that time headed by current PRSA chair Steve Pisinski, had unanimously advised decoupling. But the PRSA board, at its meeting last summer in Vancouver, announced it would oppose decoupling.

The 2000 budget of PRSA calls for net spending of $475,075 on APR including funds for revamping the 15-year-old test. Efforts to get PR pros from other nations to pay $385 to take the PRSA exam have run into opposition (see following story).

Supporters of decoupling say PRSA leaders have blocked discussion of decoupling at the Assembly four years in a row. The 1998 leadership of PRSA/New York had circulated a petition to put decoupling on the Assembly agenda but dropped the drive after failing to get support from the Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles chapters.

Respondents Ask for Openness

Respondents to the Felton survey want the names of candidates for nomination to be posted on the PRSA website. They say losers would have to pay the price of losing in public. Those seeking nominations have been able to do so in private for at least five years. Previously, candidates were known to friends and associates who wrote letters to the nominating committee.

The report, sources said, notes there is a demand for "stronger leaders" but the committee feels the nomination process is "not broken" and therefore does not need radical changes. Committee members also feel there should be the chance for a leader to be picked who has not gone through all the steps such as chapter, Assembly, district, section and national board participation.

Felton Committee Members Listed

Members of the Felton committee are James E. Arnold, consultant, New York; Michael Bardin, Scripps Health, San Diego; Rebecca Madiera, Pepsi-Cola; John Paluszek, Ketchum PA; Marion Pinsdorf, Fordham University; Cheryl Procter, Home Box Office, and Pisinski. Some of the members met June 13 at Ketchum's offices at 292 Madison ave. One "attended" by phone. Felton heads the Institute for PR and was president of PRSA in 1986-87 (replacing Anthony Franco in 1986 a month after Franco resigned). His report is to be released after the national board reviews it.

Jackson Firm Has Two on Nominating Unit

The firm headed by Pat Jackson has both himself and an employee, Robin Schell, on the 20-member committee. Jackson was president of PRSA in 1980.

Other members of the committee, which meets July 22-23 in Chicago, are: Mary Cusick, chair; Samuel Waltz, John Cook, Nancy Wiser, David Meeker, Peter Klute, Jeanne Mitchell, Shirley Serini, Felton, Karen Frashier, Paige McMahon, David Hakensen, Vivian Hamilton, Cynthia Morin, Kay Kendall, Philip Ryan, Cynthia Sharpe and Donna Boyd.

RIVAL TO "UNIVERSAL APR" IS SET UP

PR groups in six nations (Canada, U.K., New Zealand, Ghana, Ireland, and South Africa) have recognized each other's accreditation programs. Groups in India and Slovenia may also join.

Not part of the new "Global Alliance" is PR Society of America, which has its own so-called "Universal APR" initiative with seven other U.S. PR groups.

Members of the "Universal APR" program have to take the $385 APR test of PRSA while those in the new six-member group can take the tests of their own national PR groups.

Some of those in the new group say PRSA is falsely using the term "universal" since no PR group outside of the U.S. is participating. A claim on the PRSA website that the PR Institute of New Zealand is part of "Universal" APR turned out to be false.

Bill Day, a VP of PRINZ, said the group is a supporter of the principles of Universal APR but is not a participant in it. No one from the 700+ membership of PRINZ has ever taken the APR test of PRSA, which is used by the UAPR program, he said. He added that PRINZ supports the new "Global Alliance." None of the PR groups in the U.K. and Europe have decided to join "Universal APR" in spite of attempts to recruit them.

Mere 200+ Took Latest "Universal" Test

Only 217 took the spring "Universal" APR test. The results are in but a PRSA staffer said they could not be revealed until the candidates are told in a week or two. APR chair Phil Wescott said he will reveal the pass/fail rate and the number of non-PRSA members taking the exam.

Jean Valin, past president of the Canadian PR Society and chairman of the Global Alliance project, said CPRS "remains at the table" with PRSA on international APR recognition.

However, he pointed out that CPRS rejected the "Universal" APR program because the PRSA exam that is used is on U.S. subjects and issues and is only in English while the CPRS exam can be taken in both French and English.

Valin said the exams in the six countries are comparable in measuring PR professionalism. The Canadian test is "rigorous" and involves a work sample and written and oral exams, he said.

CPRS has used the designation "APR" since the 1960 s, when it started its own accreditation program separate from PRSA. CPRS has agreed to recognize the ABC designation of the International Assn. of Business Communicators.

"The time is right for global associations to form a framework for mutual international cooperation," said Valin. CPRS has about 1,800 members, a third of whom are APR.

Members of the "Universal" APR program, besides PRSA, are: Agricultural Relations Council; Florida PR Society; Maine PR Council; National School PR Assn.; Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development; Southern PR Federation, and Texas PR Assn.

Since few, if any, high-tech start-ups can raise money in the stock market anymore, the National Investor Relations Institute says it's O.K. for PR and IR firms to take stock, options, warrants, restricted stock, etc., in place of cash as long as the stock is registered with the Securities & Exchange Commission via S-1 or S-3 filings (which give the SEC a chance to review the transactions). The agencies must also view themselves as "insiders," says NIRI... one of the speakers at the NIRI conference (which grossed $2.2M, more than double the takes of the PRSA and IABC conferences), was researcher Mary Henry, who told the IR pros not to duck when bad news breaks. Other speakers pleaded for a "sharing of information" and analyst Christopher James pleaded for "a piece of information, even marginal information." Such pleas are evidence that IR pros are as tight-lipped as many PR pros, emphasizing the positive and avoiding the negative lest they bring down the wrath of bosses on their heads... while many PR pros (corporate and agency) are avoiding personal contact with reporters, Jeff Sharlach, who heads the $3 million Jeffrey Group, says his office heads in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico are not "administrators" but see their main job as contacting the media. New business is handled out of the Miami h.q. of the firm, says Sharlach... Coca-Cola, which has been under fire for "brainwashing" schoolchildren, has many commercials plus product plugs in the new Time Warner TV series "Young Americans," which is about teenagers. Coke is also mentioned in every ad that runs for the show. A Wisconsin school board is considering whether to end its "exclusive" deal with Coke. "We're the dairy state," one board member has commented... the "chairman's" mid-year report to the PRSA membership (although the Assembly has forbidden the use of the term, "chairman") by Steve Pisinski, says that PR is in its "golden age" and that it has never had "as high visibility, demand and compensation as it does now." Pisinski thanks the membership for the opportunity to lead PRSA "at this glorious time for our profession." That being the case, why hasn't PRSA employed one of these "glorious" PR people since last September?... the nominating committee of PRSA has done its usual poor job, sitting back while three insiders seek the top elected office. Only two people have shown up for treasurer and ditto for secretary. Apparently, no attempt was made to interest "outsiders" in PRSA s top elective posts.

The three top candidates are all seriously flawed. Art Stevens would be the second New Yorker in a row to head the Society, violating the Assembly s obsession with geographical balance. There has only been one New York PRSA president (now chair) since 1989–John Paluszek. Stevens would succeed Kathy Lewton, who was with Fleishman-Hillard in New York when she was nominated in July 1999. She was not from Chicago as some of Stevens supporters are claiming. Deanna Pelfrey is a counselor in Louisville, Ky., who has claimed 11 employees but only lists herself. Who are the other ten employees (and they're not supposed to be 1099s)? Pelfrey last year drew the ire of some international PR people for listing their names as advisors on an international initiative but not getting input from them (12/1/99 NL). Joann Killeen, a sole practitioner, has been treasurer in the year in which PRSA "flunked" its audit and owed $880,000 to suppliers at the beginning of the year. CFO Joe Cussick quit suddenly. She has never explained any of this (nor has chair Steve Pisinski). None of these office-holders has been a match for the powerful personalities at PRSA h.q. Stevens, if named chair-elect, would be the fourth PR counselor in a row to head PRSA. In the period from 1970-1982, seven of the PRSA presidents were from corporate–Don McCammond, Jon Riffel, Betsy Plank, Carl Hawver, Frank Wylie, Kerryn King and Joseph Awad. The nominating committee should have been out beating the bushes for top corporate PR pros with strong personalities. The three candidates have refused this NL s request to state their views about decoupling, PR s current role and other topics.

The iron grip that the APRs have had on PRSA since 1980 looks like it will continue indefinitely. APRs now add financial ineptitude to their record of undemocratic policies (barring 16,000 members from voting or holding national office); anti-press behavior (locking press rooms at national conferences, year-long boycott of this NL, standing silent when this NL was sued for covering a PRSA conference); censorship (of recruiter/APR study); taking nine months to hire a PR pro; ripping off authors and refusing to pay them (PRSA s discontinued info packet business); minimal use of PRSA s web site, and persecution of complainant Summer Harrison (who criticized PRSA leaders after they gave fund-raising advice to CIA head Bill Casey for the Nicaragua Contras). Such policies define APR rather than the test.

Gold s Gym, Moscow, is one of the biggest in the system says the franchisor based in Venice, Calif. Jake Weinstock continues as an owner but an additional Russian partner has been added, said GG VP Ed Connors. A pool is replacing one of the tennis courts. GG, with 500+ outlets, may go public.