AED, C-W WIN BIG CDC PACT

AED and Campbell-Ewald have won a $28M pact from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop a national campaign addressing obesity and tobacco use, which the CDC says are two preventable causes of death.

The non-profit, Washington, D.C.-based AED, which has handled PR campaigns for the government, including the CDC, in the past, teamed with C-E’s Detroit office to pitch an RFQ issued by the CDC in January.

The work awarded includes paid, earned and social media efforts and supports the Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative funded by the federal stimulus law. Part of the assignment will include First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign against obesity.

AED handles the CDC’s national campaign to increase flu vaccination, “The Flu Ends With U,” as well as the National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research and the National Tobacco Cessation Collaborative.

C-E created the “Thrive” campaign for Kaiser Permanente to get consumers more engaged in health and wellness.

C-E is part of Interpublic.

NYSE TAPS GE CAPITAL EXEC

Robert Rendine, who heads global corporate affairs at GE Capital Global Banking, has been tapped as senior VP of corporate communications for NYSE Euronext, starting in September.

Rendine will oversee media relations, executive communications and broadcasting, reporting to executive VP/chief administrative officer Andrew Brandman. Ray Pellecchia, VP of corporate comms. at the NYSE prior to the $11 billion 2007 merger with Paris-based Euronext, continues in that title.

Rendine, who was senior VP/corporate comms. at the American Stock Exchange before moving to GE in 2003, is slated to take up the role on Sept. 7, the New York-based company said.

In addition to operating the Euronext, New York Stock Exchange and NYSE Arca exchanges, the company also runs the NYSE Regulation non-profit that oversees securities firms and companies listed on the NYSE exchanges.

NYSE’s CEO Duncan Niederauer said in a statement that Rendine’s hire will help communicate the company’s “transformation” into a leader in the exchange and financial technology space.

FENTON DROPS ‘FLOTILLA PR’

Fenton Communications says it will not renew its six-month $240K contract to promote the Al Fakhoora campaign that is bankrolled by the wife of the emir of Qatar, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Al Fakhoora has ties to organizers of the Turkish convoy that attempted to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza. Its director was among passengers on the boat that was raided by Israeli military personnel on May 31. Nine passengers were killed in the attack.

Fenton’s contract began March and expires Aug. 31. The contract calls for managing Al Fakhoora's website, handling social media like Facebook and Twitter, pitching relevant media outlets and conducting outreach to U.S. students. Fenton’s hourly billing rates range from $275 for senior VP Robert Perez to $95 for account coordinator Ami Watkin. Fenton executives could not be reached for comment.

EDELMAN POWERS SUZLON'S $1M DRIVE

Edelman is leading a PR campaign worth more than $1M in fees/expenses during the next year to bolster the worldwide corporate image of India’s Suzlon Energy and to pitch the competitive advantages of its line of wind turbines/farms to targeted U.S. audiences.

Edelman’s global push is the largest component of the communications effort, accounting for fees of $46,833 a month, plus a six percent monthly administrative charge. Expenses are estimated at 15 percent of fees.

The firm’s New York, Chicago and Mumbai offices are to develop and promote a “global storytelling narrative suite” for Suzlon, covering its positions regarding its brand, investments, products and wind/renewable energy.

A U.S. domestic component is pegged at $300K in fees, $30K in expenses and $18K in administrative charges, according to the Edelman/Suzlon contract.

PATERSON LEANED ON SARD VERBINNEN

Embattled New York Gov. David Paterson has paid Sard Verbinnen and Company at least $166,000 to serve as his PR advisor.

The hiring of SV&C came to light amid filing of Paterson’s campaign expenditures, which included $900K in legal and PR bills. The governor, beset by investigations of a top aide and his own receipt of Yankees tickets, had considered a primary challenge to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo before dropping out of the race earlier this year.

Disgraced former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer also hired SV&C as he managed the media storm over his alleged involvement with a prostitute.

FISHERIES AGENCY SEEKS PR FIRM

The law enforcement division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which has a rocky relationship with commercial and recreational fishermen and is being pressured by members of Congress to reform its operations, wants pitches from firms to foster outreach, handle media and conduct other PR tasks.

NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, known as OLE, put out a feeler in May to gauge interest from PR firms and issued a formal RFP on July 15.

Critics of the agency have cited haphazard enforcement and highlight a need to reform fisheries laws, which many believe are too stringent. Thousands of activists rallied in Washington in February targeting NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco for resignation and urging reform of the Magnuson Stevens Act that governs marine fisheries law in the U.S.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said last week that he is backing off a call for Lubchenco's resignation - supported by other Congressmen -- as the Obama administration assured him fisheries laws will be a priority of the White House.

Lubchenco replaced the enforcement division's chief after taking the reins in 2009 and has vowed further reform, although a timeframe for change could widen as NOAA has been drawn into the Gulf oil spill.

There is no incumbent for the PR assignment as it is a new one with NOAA, the agency told O’Dwyer’s. A year-long contract with four options years is expected to be awarded following the RFQ process.

OLE operates six divisional offices and 59 field offices across the U.S.

Shirley Johnson ([email protected]) is point of contact. Download the statement of work at odwyerpr.com/rfps.

BELL POTTINGER FLIES TO FERGIE'S RESCUE

Bell Pottinger is doing PR on a pro bono basis for the Duchess of York as the cash-strapped ex-member of the royal family is forced to cut her seven-member staff.

The PR firm is filling in for PR consultant Kate Waddington, who worked for the former Sarah Ferguson for a decade, according to the Telegraph.

“Fergie’s’ ex-husband, the Duke of York, has agreed to handle her financial affairs until she gets back on her feet. The 50-year-old Duchess admits being on the brink of bankruptcy with debt estimated in the $5.5M range.

The Duchess’ split with Waddington was done on a “perfectly amicable” basis.
Her driver, Colin Tebbutt, the royal protection officer who once guarded Diana, the Princess of Wales, was also dropped from the payroll.

The Duchess received some criticism last week for jetting off to the Caribbean’s Necker Island, which is owned by the British tycoon Richard Branson.

James Henderson, a BP spokesperson, noted that the Duchess was a guest who was invited to celebrate Branson’s 60th birthday.

Earlier this year, Fergie was caught on tape in which she apparently offered to sell access to Prince Andrew.

REGAN SAVED BY COAST GUARD

Boston PR legend George Regan was rescued by the Coast Guard July 9 after his 26-foot boat caught fire off the coast of Cape Cod.

The Cape Cod Times reported that Mashpee fire officials received the call about a boat on fire, but fog stymied the efforts of local rescue crews and a CG helicopter. A CG cutter located the boat near Succonnessett Shoal and found the Regan Communications chief and a passenger in good shape.

The boat was towed by a private contractor.

Regan told the Times there were a few “nervous moments” and thanked all involved in the rescue.

The boat, which Regan bought a year ago, is being inspected. Regan told O’Dwyer’s he’s taken “more ribbing” over the accident than anything else in his professional career.

Regan is a former Boston Globe reporter and was press secretary for Boston mayor Kevin White.

RC has an office on the Cape (Osterville) and Regan has a home in Willowbend.

TEXAS SEEKS ‘GO TEXAN’ PR

Texas is seeking PR pitches to garner media attention for both its wine industry and to highlight the state as accommodating to retirees, two initiatives covered under a state marketing program called “Go Texan.”

Under the terms of an RFP issued July 8, firms can pitch one aspect or both.

To bolster its wine sector, the Lone Star State wants a firm to guide a media relations campaign, while a second aspect of the effort is a PR push for the public, retirement industry businesses, developers and investors centered on Texas' Certified Retirement Community program and touting the benefits of retiring there.

Deadline for pitches is August 8.

Info: odwyerpr.com/rfps.

VETERAN PR PRO LUND DIES AT 64

Beatrice Lund, who worked for many New York PR firms before starting her own firm in 1989, died suddenly July 12 in Stamford Hospital in Connecticut.

She was 64 and died of complications after a fall.

Lund, a native of New York, operated her firm in New York until several years ago when it was relocated to New Canaan. She operated it there with her husband, Michael Bruneau, a CPA who had an earlier career at Arthur Young & Co. and other CPA firms.

A prolific writer with a sharp wit, Lund worked first as a freelance writer and photographer and then at a number of New York firms including Manning, Selvage and Lee; Robert Marston and Assocs.; Creamer Dickson Basford; McDavid, Richmond & Rudd, and Thomas L. Richmond & Associates.

A graduate of New York University with a B.A. in French and philosophy, she also attended Duke University. Lund had opinions on many PR subjects including what she felt were the unimaginative descriptions PR firms applied to themselves.

Surviving besides Bruneau are two sisters, Catherine and Margaret Ann.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

BBC TARGETS U.S.

The BBC is targeting the U.S. advertising market via a re-launched website that offers viewers more news of the states.

The news organization has split the “Americas” portion of the site into U.S. and Canada, and Latin America.

HP signed up as the initial advertising partner.

BBC.com U.S. editor Matthew Davis leads the effort from his perch in Washington.

The BBC also is rolling a travel section in a venture with its Lonely Planet unit.

David Allan, a former travel editor at the New York Times web operation, heads that effort.

The Beeb has 17M monthly unique visitors in the U.S.

WAPO BRANDS WITH BLOOMBERG

The Washington Post has created a co-branded online business section with Bloomberg to marry its political bent with its partner's business news, data and information savvy.

Marcus Brauchli, executive editor of WaPo, says the partnership will offer “market and policy news in one comprehensive online offering.”

The section also features two blogs. “Company Beat” will be written by Jia Lynn Yang, who recently joined the Post from Fortune. Yang promises insights on how business interacts and influences D.C. as well as regulatory news.

“Political Economy” is to be concerned with breaking news, economic analysis and Wall Street development.

WaPO and Bloomberg launched a global news services, “The Washington Post Service with Bloomberg News,” in January.

TW BOLSTERS SPORTS PROGRAMMING

Time Warner has joined its Turner Sports and Sports Illustrated web operations to capitalize on synergies and create new revenue streams.

Turner is to handle business operations, sales, marketing and product management for SI.com and Golf.com.

SI is to contribute editorial content for the web, mobile and tablet platforms.

Turner currently has 19 sports/entertainment sites covering the National Basketball Assn., Major League Baseball, NASCAR, PGA and NCAA.

HEARST ROLLS IPAD APPS

Hearst Magazine, which says it sold more than 10K of the Popular Mechanics “showcase issue” in its first five days of availability on Apple’s iPad, eyes an aggressive intro strategy for the rest of the year.

The plan is to encourage interaction with users, rather than putting together a digital replica of the print publications.

Hearst slates a blockbuster Q4 debut of O, Oprah Magazine that will feature a bookstore and e-reader.

By yearend, Hearst will have iPad apps for Esquire, Marie Claire, Seventeen and Cosmopolitan.

MTV PLAYS GAMES

Viacom’s MTV Networks has acquired Social Express Inc. to lead its drive into the social gaming space.

“Social gaming is one of the biggest drivers of the explosive growth in social media,” said MTV CEO Judy McGrath in announcing the deal.

Part of that growth includes development of social gaming shows and characters based on the MTV and Nickelodeon brands.

San Francisco-based SEI is to be integrated into Nickelodeon Digital. CEO & co-founder Tony Espinoza takes on the VP/general manager of social gaming title for MTV Networks' Nickelodeon Kids & Family Group. Neil Souza, SEI co-founder, assumes the VP-technology, social games position.

Both report to David Williams, senior VP/general manager of games in Nike’s kids & family operation.

MTV’s game sites – AddictingGames.com, Nick.com – attracted more than 22M unique visitors in May.

HARMAN OPPONENT ‘WARNS’ NEWSWEEK

Congressional candidate Mattie Fein issued an open letter to Newsweek managing editor Jon Meacham to express concern about the potential acquisition of the magazine by a company owned by the husband of Rep. Jane Harman, the California Democrat being challenged by Fein.

“If Harman International acquires Newsweek, Congresswoman Jane Harman would be in the catbird's seat controlling the news magazine's reporting or editorializing because she owns millions of dollars of its stock," Fein said, noting the magazine’s history of groundbreaking reporting from Watergate to the current Iran crisis. “That would bode ill for your reporters and editors. Harman is an ardent foe of freedom of the press.”

Fein said Harman tried to kill a story by New York Times reporters Eric Lichtblau and James Risen about the government's warrantless surveillance program saying the Congresswoman “would be likely to exert her ownership leverage to divert Newsweek’s investigative reporting away from government wrongdoing that could be politically embarrassing to her.”

Sidney Harman, an electronics tycoon, told the New York Post that his wife’s political career would have no impact on his stewardship of the magazine. “I don’t tell her how to vote and she doesn’t tell me how to run my business,” Harman said.

GLOBAL GOLF NEWS SITE LAUNCHED

Golfweek and Asian Golf Monthly have launched Golf360, a digital media network focused on news of the global sport of golf.

The site debuted during the British Open last weekend in Scotland.

The daily site has bureaus in Asia, Europe and North America and includes a twice-weekly e-newsletter - delivered Wednesdays and Sundays to correspond with tournament schedules.

(Media news continued on next page)

B-M GAUGES ADVOCACY SOCIAL MEDIA USE

Political advocacy groups have flocked to social media en masse to mobilize and engage stakeholders, but only one in five are using such technology for fundraising, according to a study by Burson-Marsteller.

B-M studied S.M. use among 34 groups like AARP, National Rifle Association and the National Taxpayers Union – 15 left-leaning, 14 right-leaning and five considered neutral -- finding that only one had no social media presence and 91 percent have adopted the three main tools in the space -- Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Twitter is the most popular social media tool, followed by Facebook and YouTube, B-M found, although Facebook “fans” far outnumbered Twitter and YouTube followers. The NRA (260K fans), Freedom Works (253K), Human Rights Campaign (417K) and MoveOn (92K) had the largest followings on Facebook.

In analyzing social media use, B-M found that Facebook is being heavily used to rally base supporters and build communities, while Twitter’s use is geared toward disseminating messages and positions on issues to both supporters as well as “influencers” like journalists.

A solid majority of groups use Facebook (56%) and Twitter (61%) to encourage direct outreach to Congress, providing links or email forms.

Dallas Lawrence, managing director of digital public affairs for B-M said the findings reinforce the fact that “in today’s social media age, any issue advocacy or public affairs campaign that relies solely on traditional media and paid advertising simply will not succeed.”

But only 21 percent on Twitter and 19 percent on Facebook were using social media to raise money for causes, the research found. Right-leaning groups were significantly more engaged in fundraising through S.M. with 29% using Facebook and Twitter for that purpose, compared with only 14% of left-leaning groups on Twitter and only eight percent raising funds on Facebook.

The relative dearth of fundraising will likely change as tactics and technology change. New software like BlueSwarm allows Facebook users to donate funds and cultivate their own friends and followers for donations through Outlook or Facebook, for example.

DJ: VENTURE FUNDING HIGHEST SINCE ’08

Dow Jones said venture funding in the second quarter of 2010 was at the highest level since before the global recession in Q2 of 2008 as $7.7 billion was pumped into 744 deals in the U.S.

That compares with $8.4B and 699 deals for the period in ‘08.

Information technology led the charge followed by healthcare, which actually saw more dollars invested at $2.7B, and energy as the deal count was up 13 percent from Q2 of ‘09 and the amount of capital rose 26%.

Scott Austin, editor of Dow Jones VentureWire, said one catalyst for healthcare growth is venture firms placing a premium on drug development companies nearing commercialization, requiring large sums to get their drugs through trials.

IT deals raised $1.9 billion with the largest slice going to software at 156 deals and $908M.

Energy and utilities garnered $1.1 billion, including the nation’s largest transaction in the quarter — a $350M round raised by Better Place, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based company that provides support infrastructure for electric vehicles.

STEINBRENNER ‘JUST ANOTHER HUSTLER’

Deceased New York Yankee owner George Steinbrenner is remembered as “just another hustler” on the make in Cleveland during the 1960s by Roldo Bartimole, contributor to clevelandleader.com.

Steinbrenner, who was convicted for making illegal campaign contributions to President Richard Nixon, paid off striking newspaper writers in 1974 in order to build goodwill.

Bartimole reported in 1975 that Steinbrenner’s Amship Corp funneled $10,000 to Cleveland’s Superintendent of Schools to pay 10 reporters/editors $1,000 for two weeks to speak to high school English classes about journalism.

The Steinbrenner fund was kept secret from the public. Bartimole wrote that Steinbrenner “shuffled the $500 a week to reporters who might at some point be able to give him a favor to protect him.”

Only two journalists of the Cleveland Press refused the cash.

Bartimole, at that time, branded Steinbrenner “a blustering corruptor.” Steinbrenner, who was the Press Club’s “Man of the Year” in 1968, also pled guilty to intimidating employees to lie to the FBI and federal grand jury.

Wrote Bartimole: “Why Steinbrenner wasn't spending time in jail only proves that justice can be denied if you have enough money and well-placed friends.”

PEOPLE _________________________

Diana Ransom, who wrote the “Starting Up” column at Smart Money and joined smSmallBiz in August 2007, joined the N.Y. Daily News as assistant business editor and reporter, covering small business and personal finance for the “Your Money” section.

She spent two years at the Wall Street Journal Sunday, where she wrote personal-finance articles and a column about young people starting out.

New York Post reporter James Fanelli has joined the News in that same capacity.

New York Times tech reporter Brad Stone has joined Bloomberg BusinessWeek magazine as a senior writer.

Adam Entous, military affairs and intelligence correspondent for Reuters’ Washington bureau, is moving to the Wall Street Journal in D.C. to report on national security.

He joined Reuters in 1993 to cover markets in New York and later worked from San Francisco, Washington, and the Middle East.

Entous makes the move in August.

JOHNSON TEAMS WITH NOURIE

Former WPP branding exec Jim Johnson has taken a 50 percent stake in New York B2B consultancy Park Lane Communications, which has changed its name to Nourie Johnson Communications to reflect Johnson and president Phil Nourie.

Johnson, who serves as chairman, is former CEO of Enterprise IG, now Brand Union.

Nourie said the firm is expanding and looking for a senior VP to lead its branding/marketing M&A group which includes hedge funds & private equity. Base salary is $300K plus bonus, he said.

The combined firm has hit the ground running with last month’s win over Weber Shandwick, Edelman, and WPP shops to handle communications and advertising campaigns for Global X Funds, which is launching Lithium ETF, an exchange-traded fund that tracks lithium producers and battery makers.

“Law firms, investment banks, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital firms all need to take a sharper look at how they are positioning themselves for growth via a robust communications strategy,” said Johnson, who has worked with Bank of America, Caterpillar, Ford and Harley Davidson.

AIR FORCE TAPS VOX FOR MEDIA TRAINING

Vox Optima, an Albuquerque PR firm, has won a $10,600K, two-day pact to provide media training for Air Force officials at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey in July.

Incirlik is a key base for NATO operations and is home to U.S. airmen, Turkish Air Force personnel and British airmen. It also houses about 90 American nuclear bombs.

Mark McDonald, Western regional director for Vox Optima who handled media support and training for the U.S. Pacific Fleet during the 2004 tsunami response, will handle the assignment through three half-day sessions for airmen at the base. That includes two sessions of about 100 airmen and an executive session of about 40 commanders.

McDonald said the training will focus on skills for airmen to be effective media spokespersons while on foreign assignment and will include crisis communications.

The Air Force put out a solicitation for the work in late May.

BRIEFS: Washington, D.C., firm Stanton Communications has formalized its digital communication services with the launch of dnaLab, with DNA being an acronym for Digital Needs Assessment, Advisory, Activation. The firm, which has provided digital consulting for several years, said the move combines its traditional and digital savvy with measurement tools that can assess “where our clients are, determine where they should be, and ensure that digital initiatives are ‘in the DNA’ of their overall comms. programs.” ...The high-profile Spider-Man Broadway musical in the works has moved its PR from Boneau/Bryan-Brown to rival theatrical PR firm O&M. Opening of the expensive show was moved from the spring to the fall of 2010.

HSMAI SETS ADRIAN DEADLINES

The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International is accepting entries for its popular Adrian Awards competition with an early deadline of Aug. 27.

The 54th annual competition includes dozens of categories across three divisions - advertising, PR and digital marketing.

Several new categories have been added, including an award with National Geographic Traveler for sustainable tourism, and honors for loyalty program consumer and loyalty programs, tradeshow marketing, mobile, and social media campaigns.

Robert A. Gilbert, president and CEO of HSMAI, noted the difficult economic year required particular diligence among marketers. "It's been a challenging year on many levels, so we are extremely proud to acknowledge the hard work of our peers as they promote the travel and tourism industry," he said.

The 2010 installment will be the first for the Leader in Sustainable Tourism Award, presented in conjunction with National Geographic Traveler to recognize a person, company or community for showing leadership in that sector.

Entries are judged by a panel of more than 200 industry execs and travel community members.

Final deadline is Sept. 10 and winners will be honored at HSMAI's annual gala in New York in late January 2011.

Entry requirements are at adrianawards.com. Execs can apply to be judges by contacting Desiree LaFont at 703-506-3297 or [email protected].

HISPANIC PR AWARDS SEEKS ENTRIES

The Hispanic PR Association has opened up its annual call for entries for the PRemio Awards competition through August 20.

Ten categories across various PR sectors like technology, healthcare, social media marketing and sports cover work conducted from June 2009 to June 2010.

Campaigns can be multicultural or general market but must have an Hispanic component.

Entry fees are $150/members and $250/non-members.

"We understand it takes a special kind of expertise to develop and implement a communications campaign that resonates with the U.S. Hispanic/Latino populations," said HPRA-L.A. president Lourdes Rodriguez of VPE PR.

Nominations to honor professionals in four categories are also being accepted through July 30, including Journalist of the Year, Public Relations Professional of the Year, Young PR Professional of the Year (less than 3 years), and Corporation of the Year.

Info: hpra.camp8.org.

BRIEF: LexisNexis and London reputation management software company Augure have aligned for a web-based application for PR professionals. LexisNexis provides its analytics capability, which includes sentiment analysis and influence rating and is integrated with Augure's campaign and workflow tools ComSuite and ComDecision.

PIONEERING FEMALE PR EXEC DIES AT 71

Marilyn Laurie, an environmental advocate and writer who played a key PR role in starting Earth Day and set a new standard for female executives at AT&T and corporate PR in general, died at her home in Manhattan on July 14. She was 71 and had been battling brain cancer for the past year.

Laurie was the first woman to join AT&T's 10-person executive committee as executive VP of PR and brand management in 1987. She was the highest ranking woman in the company's history at the time and directly counseled its CEO and chaired AT&T's large foundation. She retired in 1998 and continued as a PR counselor.

Her career started when she was a stay-at-home mother and saw a notice in the Village Voice about a planning meeting for what would become Earth Day.

She led communications and was said to convince then-Mayor John Lindsay to close Fifth Avenue in New York to cars for the event so crowds could hear speakers like Paul Newman and Ali McGraw.

The success of the event led to a freelance assignment writing an environmental supplement for the New York Times which led her to a job at AT&T in 1971 creating environmental education programs for the company's employees.

Laurie, who earned an undergraduate degree from Barnard College and an MBA from Pace University, served as president of the Arthur W. Page Society and PR Seminar and was among the first named to the National Honor Roll of Women in PR. She was the first woman to receive the Arthur W. Page Society's Hall of Fame Award.

She is survived by her husband of 48 years, Robert, her sister, Lois Schauber, two daughters, Amy Laurie and Lisa Pott, as well as three grandchildren.

A memorial service is being planned for September.

OK SEEKS PR TO BOOST SCIENCE, TECH

Oklahoma is on the hunt for pitches for its $50K-a-year PR account supporting a program to attract and boost research and technology business in the Sooner State.

The assignment is with the Economic Development Generating Excellence program known as EDGE, a push to build a $1 billion endowment - it’s currently at about $150M - to issue grants aimed to attract capital and high-paying jobs that come with tech and research.

The RFP calls for a PR firm to achieve greater awareness of and involvement with EDGE within Oklahoma communities. Its target audience is divided into three groups: policymakers, tech researchers and innovators, and Oklahomans who would benefit from scientific and tech research investment.

“To remain competitive and profitable virtually all Oklahoma businesses must continually increase the use of innovation and technology,” states the RFP. "This promotion and marketing activity will strengthen Oklahoma's technology-based economy by attracting more federal funds for applied research, by increasing the number of qualified responses to EDGE solicitations, and by enhancing EDGE's image within Oklahoma."

Proposals are due Aug. 30.

FIRM SUPPORTS PUSH BY JUSTICE’S WIFE

CRC Public Relations, the go-to firm for conservative PR work in recent years, is supporting the growing advocacy group led by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ wife, Virginia - Liberty Central.

“If you believe in limited government, individual liberty, free enterprise, national security and personal responsibility, and have felt these principles are under attack from Washington, then you've come to the right place,” Thomas says in a video introducing the group.

Alexandria, Va.-based CRC is handling all media inquiries for the group.

Thomas is pitching LC as an online “town square” set up to fight a “big government agenda.” The group says it is non-partisan but it has aligned with the Tea Party movement and its two top leaders have worked for Republican members of Congress.

Thomas was an aide to former Rep. Dick Armey (R-Tex.), while managing editor Brian Faughnan is a former legislative director for ex-Rep. David Dreier.

SCHWARTZ CLIENT TARGET OF BIGGEST LBO

G.S. Schwartz & Co. handles NBTY Inc., which is the target of a $3.8B leveraged buyout deal by Carlyle Group. The transaction ranks as the biggest LBO of the year, a bullish sign for private equity funds that are sitting on more than $500B in cash.

Shareholders of Ronkonkoma-based NBTY will receive $55 in cash for each share owned, the price represents a 57 percent premium over the last 30-day daily closing average.

NBTY manufactures, markets and distributes nutritional supplements under brands such as Nature’s Bounty, Vitamin World, Rexall, GNC, Solgar, Puritan's Pride, Good ’n’ Natural and Home Health.

Carlyle has more than $90B in assets under management. Its companies have a combined $85B in revenues and nearly 400K staffers.

Sandra Horbach, head of Carlyle's consumer and retail sector, says NBTY is an attractive buy due to its well-established brands, a proven vertically-integrated multi-channel/geography strategy plus strong leadership.

Carl Hymans at Schwartz works the business.

DEEGAN RETURNS TO B-M

Burson-Marsteller has named Susanne Deegan managing director in its U.S. public affairs practice. The New York-based pro reports to Mike Lake, practice chair.

She rejoins the WPP holding from The Harbour Group, where she did crisis PR and counseled clients on regulatory and legislative issues arising from the Empire State's capital of Albany.

Deegan (formerly Chasanoff) worked at B-M from 1999 to '07. She handled collective bargaining, litigation, workplace accidents and PA for companies in the steel, energy, textile, transportation and supermarket businesses.

Prior to B-M, Deegan worked as assistant legislative representative in the Office of New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and was involved with consumer affairs, lobbying, economic development and public safety

The death of AT&T PR veteran Marilyn Laurie from brain cancer July 14 (page 7) saddened us but also set bells ringing in our head.

We have been reading many web stories about cellphone use and brain cancer, including a just-released study of 5,000 such illnesses.

It struck us as ironic that an AT&T employee should be felled by a disease that is occurring with increasing frequency.

We assume Laurie was a cell phone user like just about everyone, but are trying to check this out with AT&T PR.

The World Health Organization Interphone study of brain tumors that occurred between 2000-04 found that top users of cellphones had double the risk of tumors than non-users.

By "top users" they meant those making one call a week for six months or more which would be called almost non-use by today’s habits. The scandal of this study is that its release was blocked for six years.

There's plenty of more recent evidence of the dangers of cellphones, cordless phones, Wi-Fi, microwave ovens, laptops, computers and other emitters of electromagnetic radiation.

This is a big PR problem for the cell phone, related industries and media that duck the story.

You might as well stick your head in a microwave oven as use a cell phone or cordless phone because the radiation is the same, say scientists. Stay at least ten feet away from any operating microwave, the warning goes.

France has banned the sale of cellphones without headsets or earpieces that keep the phones away from the head and also banned cellphone ads to those under 14 and use of cellphones by children under six.

Prof. Joel Moskowitz of the University of California at Berkeley says heavy cellphone use for a decade or longer “increases brain tumor risk by at least 30%.” Teenagers who use cellphones heavily have 3-5 times the rate of brain cancers, said research Lennart Hardell of Sweden.

An article in the May Harper’s predicted an epidemic of brain tumors in about 20 years and said the ad power of the cellphone industry is silencing the debate.

“Journalism in the U.S. is dead,” said Cindy Sage of Sage Associates, which consults on EMF-health issues.

Comparisons are being made to foot-dragging about the dangers of smoking, asbestos and high-dosage X-rays.

A more than full-page feature in the New York Times on May 27 on the dangers of radiation, pollution, etc., in the home said in the first paragraph, “beware your Wi-Fi!”

A new study has been launched in Europe covering 250,000 people.

Cellphone users who became brain cancer victims include Ted Kennedy ("cellphone addict") and Johnnie Cochran, whose lawyer cited his fondness for the cellphone. Diane von Furstenberg developed a salivary gland tumor.

AT&T had a full page ad for its cellphones in yesterday's NYT but there was no mention of headphones.

PRSA’s Pathetic ‘Leadership’ Hits Georgia

The visit of PRSA chair Gary McCormick and COO Bill Murray to the Georgia chapter July 15 was proof positive, for anyone who needs it, of the ineptitude of national leadership.

McCormick gave a far too long 40-minute pitch for HGTV, and Murray, who got a $50,064 raise in 2008 to total of $359,866 in pay/benefits, did not speak at all. Neither Murray nor the board will tell us what he is making in either 2009 or 2010.

McCormick should speak to the New York chapter forthwith and so should chair-elect Rosanna Fiske, who is spending the year in total silence as is the tradition at the Society. If she refuses, she should withdraw as chair-elect. Neither the Society nor the industry can stand another year of a non-leader who is in the chair’s post basically to promote his or her employer. Fiske, making her fourth trip to the board, already has a solid record of press avoidance.

What PRSA should be tackling is the catastrophic loss of media jobs which is mirrored in PR jobs. Media job loss is three times the rate of other job loss and totaled 45,599 jobs from Jan. 1, 2008, to late last year according to UNITY’s Layoff Tracker Report.

Without a trace of irony, McCormick, after introducing himself and Murray, said, “Many of you probably don’t know who we are.”

Of course they don’t. M&M have mostly been in hiding. McCormick had only spoken to six of the 110 chapters this year (only one in the top 20) and is scheduled to speak to only two more.

Georgia, second biggest chapter with nearly 900 in its area, was not on the official McCormick schedule (only released after we asked for it) and we think he only added Georgia at the last minute since the board was meeting the next day in Atlanta.

Attendees, when they finally got the chance, questioned McCormick on the issue of the day—the request by the Committee for a Democratic PRSA that the board support its proposal to remove the APR requirement for board and officer posts.

McCormick wouldn’t give his personal opinion, saying we would all have to wait and see what the Assembly does Oct. 16 (the Assembly being nearly three-quarters APRs). “It’s not my place to decide,” he said.

Here is a “leader” who refuses to lead. He is only a minor figure in Scripps Networks Interactive, not listed among 16 “leaders” of the company and not even listed among its three press contacts.

The Society is “led” by too many people who have not risen to leadership posts in the business world and who flunk the test of leadership when they gravitate to the top of this organization.

Murray, whose speech impairment was noted by several of the attendees, is unsuited to be “president” of the Society because he rarely appears anywhere. He had no background in PR while the staff heads of all the other major professional groups (ABA, AMA, AICPA) are professionals of the respective occupations.

--Jack O'Dwyer