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Cross-Ownership Debate Heats Up
WASHINGTON Relaxing federal rules on cross-ownership of daily newspapers and nearby broadcast media would leave public debate vulnerable to
domination by few voices in communities in 12 states, anti-consolidation groups said today. Also, an industry-funded think tank told regulators the
cross-ownership rule is "pointless" in an age of media abundance marked by multiple TV and Internet news outlets not present when the regulation was
imposed in 1975. The perspectives are part of the battle surrounding the rewriting of key ownership restrictions by the Federal Communications
Commission, which is not expected to reach any conclusions until next year. A federal court rejected the agency's earlier bid to ease rules. The
think tank, The Media Institute, told the FCC the world has changed in recent decades. "Media 'scarcity' by any definition has long since vanished,
eliminating any need for the government to impose diversity," it said in comments filed with the agency.
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NBCU to Slash Jobs, Expenses
NEW YORK NBC Universal today said it would cut administrative and operating expenses by $750 million and eliminate 700 jobs (5 percent of its
workforce) by the end of 2008. "This initiative is designed to help us exploit technology and focus our resources as we continue our transformation
into a digital media company for the 21st century," said Bob Wright, NBCU chairman and CEO. NBCU said it would save money via resource sharing among
its newsgathering units. At Universal Studios, a number of jobs and facilities will be consolidated. The company did not explain what impact this
would have on television programming development or whether less money would be spent on TV pilots. It did, however, indicate that a new business
strategy would be developed to reduce its dependence on traditional content distribution methods and advertising models. NBCU indicated it would rely
more on bringing content to consumers sooner on a variety of platforms, creating new windows or opportunities in traditional syndication and
developing alternative advertising metrics.
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JWT Enlists Planning Chief
NEW YORK Guy Murphy, deputy chairman of Bartle Bogle Hegarty in London, is joining JWT as global planning director, JWT said today. Murphy,
42, will be based in London and work closely with Craig Davis, the WPP Group agency's worldwide chief creative officer. The new account-planning
chief will report to worldwide CEO Bob Jeffrey. "We have a rich legacy in this [account planning] realm that continues on today across the globe with
our talented strategists and planners," Jeffrey said, in a statement. "Now is the time to turn it up several notches, to reclaim our planning
leadership on a worldwide level." Murphy has worked at BBH since 1992, in a series of progressively more senior roles. He led planning efforts in the
Asia-Pacific region and Europe before becoming deputy chairman in 2004. Along the way, he worked with clients such as Audi, Levi's, Singapore Tourism
and British Airways.
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Fallon Launches Bravia Effort
CHICAGO Fallon's latest effort touting the vivid color provided by Sony Europe's Bravia televisions features colored paint shot
fireworks-style from cannons in a drab neighborhood in Glasgow, Scotland. The spot, from the Publicis Groupe agency's London office, used 70,000
liters of paint and 455 explosive devices over a shoot that took 12 days and required 300 crew members. The amount of pyrotechnics employed to create
the 60-second ad was greater than those used during the filming of the invasion of Normandy scene in the film Saving Private Ryan. The spot,
which launched on Web sites this week and will break on European TV later this month, depicts dramatic bursts of color around an abandoned building.
A Rossini composition plays on the soundtrack. "Colour. Like no other," remains the tagline. That slogan graced a well-known 2005 Bravia spot in
which 250,000 colorful balls bounced down San Francisco streets.
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Taxi, Blue Shield Unveil Ads
LOS ANGELES Taxi has unveiled a new creative direction for Blue Shield of California in a campaign breaking this week. Stylistically, the
spots seek to stand out by presenting multiple talking heads against stark white backgrounds. In one 30-second execution, a young man unable to
afford healthcare insurance wears his bike helmet for protection. "It can get awkward, sure when you're meeting new people," he says. A voiceover
explains that Blue Shield offers various plans for people at all income levels. Next, a woman tells of switching doctors and jokingly describes her
reluctance to disrobe in front of him. "But he takes my insurance, so here I am, showing him the goods," she says. Other characters also chime in
during the spot. Outdoor executions keep the look and feel of the TV work. The "We shield you" tagline is rendered with a shield icon representing
the middle word.
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