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Vincent Bollore has put two candidates forward for next week’s board elections at Aegis’s AGM, writes Brand Republic. Bollore, who is also chairman of French rival Havas, recently raised his stake in Aegis to 27.56 percent, which puts him close to being able to mount a formal takeover, according to Mediapost.
Rather than nominating himself, Bollore has chosen Roger Hatchuel, former owner of the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, and Philippe Germond, former president of French mobile firm Alcatel. Five directors, including David Verklin, CEO of Carat North America, are up for re-election to the 11-person board.
Bollore began buying up shares in Aegis last August, just a month after he took over the post of chairman of Havas. Initially thought a corporate raider out for short-term profit, Bollore is now seen to have long-term plans in the media sector, Brand Republic writes.
In November, when Bollore’s stake in Aegis was at 25 percent, the company was reportedly determined to keep him off the board, likely concerned that he would mirror with Aegis his behavior at Havas, where he won four board seats and ousted chairman and CEO Alain de Pouzilhac.
All sectors of the media business will suffer from the weakened economy in 2008 and 2009, with a slump in local advertising particularly hurting newspapers and local TV, according to a new projection from Goldman Sachs.
Broadcast nets will experience…
The New York Times is shuttering its International Herald Tribune site; NYTimes.com will soon host the international news normally reserved for its sister website.
The move is not about cost savings, but rather about growth, NYTimes.com general manager Vivian Schiller…
Unilever’s Vaseline set forth on an unusual research project in a small town in Alaska. Setting up a storefront, the company began giving away free bottles of lotion and asking recipients to name the person who had recommended they come…
Meet the Press, the show hosted by Tim Russert for 17 years before his death last June, is beginning to slip in ratings.
Last month, CBS’s Face the Nation pulled ahead of Meet the Press for the first time in two…
Bloggers collectively create nearly one million blog posts each day, and half of bloggers believe blogs will be a primary source of news and entertainment in the next five years, according to Technorati’s 2008 State of the Blogosphere Report, MarketingCharts writes.…
Wal-Mart and Costco reported same-store gains in September, with sales rising 2.4% and 9% respectively. Sales at Target stores open at least a year fell 3%, writes Retailer Daily.
Below, fiscal results from the discount retail giants:
Sales of food and…
