FOCUS - EUROPE: FCB plans new media brand

<p>True North is working on plans to create a new media brand in the </p><p>UK by merging Banks Hoggins O'Shea/FCB's in-house media department with </p><p>another media agency, and is now in negotiations to buy MBS Media. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The plans represent the latest phase of Banks Hoggins/FCB's acquisition </p><p>strategy to strengthen its UK operation, and the agency's chairman, John </p><p>Banks, has put media to the top of the agenda. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Discussions are understood to be at an advanced stage and would involve </p><p>the purchase of the £82 million (about US$118 million) </p><p>billing media agency, with a senior role in the new True North media </p><p>operation for MBS's chairman, Glenn Burton. However, True North has also </p><p>had meetings with other independent media companies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Banks said: "We are looking at strengthening our media proposition and </p><p>that will involve acquisitions. We need to ensure we've got the right </p><p>mix of media services." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Combining the Banks Hoggins/FCB and MBS media portfolios would create a </p><p>new media shop with billings of around £90 million, not enough to </p><p>catapult FCB into the top 15 agencies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>True North is also holding talks with Tempus over its joint venture </p><p>media operation, BJK&E. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Both partners are interested in taking full control of BJK&E - True </p><p>North to pool with its other UK media plans, and Tempus to use as a </p><p>platform for a more robust second-string network. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Negotiations over the value of BJK&E (which has leaped 103 per cent in </p><p>the latest ACNielsen MMS league tables) are on-going, although Teampus </p><p>is keen to hold on to its BJK&E asset, and to buy out True North at the </p><p>right price. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Without the Tempus group resource in the form of CIA Medianetwork's </p><p>buying muscle and backroom media services, BJK&E would struggle to offer </p><p>the same level of service to its clients. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>