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| Rick French |
French|West|Vaughan chairman & CEO Rick French is elected chair of PBS North Carolina’s board of trustees, effective July 1. The board serves in an advisory role to the statewide public media organization and is its most vital link to the public. French, a national trustee of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, is also a film and television producer, with four films slated for release later this year. Serving alongside French as vice chair will be Seth Bennett of Hornets Sports & Entertainment. Both were elected to two-year terms. “We will continue to produce and distribute programming that enlightens and entertains the citizens of NC and beyond,” said French. PBS North Carolina includes in-person engagement, digital-first social and online content delivery and four over-the-air channels: PBS NC, the North Carolina Channel, Rootle 24/7 PBS KIDS channel and the Explorer Channel.
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Hawke Media acquires PRP Group, which specializes in education sector public relations, marketing intelligence and strategic communications. Initially focusing on Pre-K-12 education, PRP has expanded internationally over the last five years to include the higher education, workforce development, and home education sectors. The deal is intended to strengthen both parties' capabilities, ensuring elevated services and innovative solutions for clients from pre-K through workforce development. PRP’s staff of 12 will be retained, and its core values and commitment to clients will remain unchanged. “It’s truly a significant moment for Hawke Media as we venture into providing PR services for the first time ever,” said Hawke Media CEO and founder Erik Huberman, CEO and Founder, Hawke Media. “We are excited to support PRP Group’s continued growth and success within the Hawke Media framework.”
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The Florida Public Relations Association has announced the keynote and speaker lineup for its Aug. 4-7 PR & Comms Summit. Walt Disney World Resort VP of communications Jacquee Wahler, will serve as the event’s Dillin Keynote Speaker, sharing insights on the integrated communications strategy behind the Oxford Economics study that found Disney generated $40 billion in economic impact across the state and more than a quarter of a million jobs in fiscal year 2022. Speakers will include Paramount/MTV Entertainment Studios director of communications Lauren Woulard and Microsoft chief storyteller Miri Rodriguez. The FPRA is the oldest public relations association in the United States, representing over 1,000 members statewide.
The Communications Group, a Little Rock-based shop releases its first Public Affairs Marketing Trends Report... The Worldcom Public Relations Group votes Paris-based firm SEITOSEI•ACTIFIN into its global partnership... PRNEWS, a European PR-tech firm, relocates its U.S. headquarters to downtown Miami.
af&co., a San Francisco-based hospitality marketing and PR agency founded by Andrew Freeman, is marking its 20th anniversary... Notified launches Syndicated Articles... Crosby Marketing Communications selects four students from Anne Arundel Community College for its marketing scholars program.
KCSA Strategic Communications launches the KCSA AI Lab, which will develop proprietary AI systems to expand what strategic communications can achieve for PR and IR clients... Clipbook, a vertical AI platform for strategic communications and public affairs, closes a $3.3 million seed round co-led by Mark Cuban, Commonweal Ventures and Carpenter Capital... VizSense, a Boston-based AI influencer marketing agency, teams up with holographic storytelling company Geminai, to launch what they say is the next frontier in brand experiences: interactive holograms powered by AI.
Ways Marketing Solutions, a Saudi Arabia-based marketing and communications group, teams with H&K alum James Drewer and Cake founder Mike Mathieson, to launch Ways Global Communications with HQs in London and Riyadh... UNICEPTA, a media intelligence provider within Stagwell’s The Marketing Cloud, launches an integration with Microsoft 365 Copilot... MAD Global CEO Mike DuHaime has been named to New Jersey Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill’s transition team.
Ogilvy launches CultureCurrent, a social-first earned media offering that integrates cutting-edge technology with human cultural intuition to listen, identify, activate and amplify brand stories.... Forward Global, a risk and reputation management advisory firm, opens in Abu Dhabi... Lyons Broadcast PR marks its 20th anniversary with the introduction of new virtual production technology, enhanced media outreach tools, and integrated broadcast-digital strategies.
