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Mediaedge, OMD to Split $925 Mil. Cingular Media WorkATLANTA Cingular Wireless is splitting media buying and planning on its $925 million ad account between WPP's Mediaedge:cia and Omnicom's OMD, sources said. Mediaedge will handle broadcast and OMD will handle print, sources said. Mediaedge previously worked for AT&T Wireless, while OMD handled Cingular. A rep for Cingular, which is in the process of merging with AT&T Wireless, declined comment. Agency executives could not be reached. Omnicom's BBDO handles Cingular creative and has crafted ads promoting the merger. AT&T Wireless uses such agencies as WPP's Ogilvy & Mather and Omnicom's Goodby, Silverstein & Partners for creative. Mitsubishi Continues Contract Negotiations With BBDO LOS ANGELES Mitsubishi Motors North America's $200 million creative review remained unconcluded last week, as contract negotiations stalled between the Cypress, Calif.-based automaker and its apparent agency of choice, Omnicom's BBDO, sources said. A decision is expected as early as today. Sources said that none of the finalists—IPG's TM Advertising in Irving, Texas; Publicis & Hal Riney in San Francisco; and Publicis in Seattle—had been informed of their elimination. Sources said negotiations, though not on the level of the talks with BBDO, continued last week with TM, which sources insist is still under strong consideration. Mitsubishi and the agencies declined comment.Wal-Mart's Marketing EVP to Retire; Internal Search InitiatedDALLAS Wal-Mart has launched an internal search to replace Robert Connolly as evp of marketing, the company said. Connolly, 61, said Friday that he would retire at the end of the year. Connolly joined Wal-Mart in 1989 as vp and merchandise manager when the company was led by founder Sam Walton. He has played a key role in the retailer's public relations efforts to counter claims of unfair employment and buying practices. Represented by Omnicom's GSD&M in Austin, Texas, and independent Bernstein Rein in Kansas City, Wal-Mart spent nearly $500 million on domestic ads in 2004, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus. Saatchi Begins to Fill Slots on General Mills After ExodusNEW YORK Publicis' Saatchi & Saatchi last week began to replenish the creative and account teams on its $550 million General Mills account following the departure of 17 staffers on Valentine's Day. Joining the New York agency on April 4 is Pete Johnson, 36, a veteran of Time Warner's Cartoon Network who will become svp, creative director on brands marketed to children. On the account management side, sources expect Peter Hubbell, evp and senior group account director on General Mills' Pillsbury, Progresso and Green Giant brands, to assume a broader role. Saatchi declined comment. Meanwhile, despite prodding from the Minneapolis-based client, Saatchi is expected to rehire few, if any, of those who walked out, said sources. IPG, however, remains interested in the most seasoned execs, who could be seeded at General Mills roster shops, including Campbell Mithun and McCann Erickson, sources said. IPG declined comment. Wieden + Kennedy Retain ESPN's $45 Mil. Media DutiesNEW YORK ESPN is keeping its $45 million media account at independent Wieden + Kennedy after a review, sources said. The New York shop, which has handled media and creative chores since 1998, competed against Havas' Media Planning Group, Omnicom's OMD, Publicis' Starcom and MDC's The Media Kitchen, sources said. The Disney-owned cable sports network notified Wieden of the review in December. The contenders either declined comment or did not return calls. The client could not be reached.Dozens of Shareholders Show for Grey's Last HurrahNEW YORK About two dozen people showed up for the Grey Global Group shareholder meeting on Thursday to approve its acquisition by London-based WPP Group, a process that began when WPP emerged as the winning bidder for the communications company in a deal then valued at $1.3 billion in cash and stock. As the stock continued to rise, the final sale value, effective today, reached $1.7 billion. Grey president, chairman and CEO Ed Meyer presided over the formalities of the approval, which lasted about five minutes, and then for 20 minutes showed some of Grey's "classic" spots for Ford Pinto, Kool-Aid and Canada Dry as well as current work for DQ and Frontier Airlines. Meyer, 78, has signed an employment contract with WPP that runs through 2006. Meyer must recommend his successor by September.Intel Asks Contenders for More Info Before Picking WinnerNEW YORK The three contenders for Intel's $300 million account are "in dialogue" with the client following last week's request for more information, a source said. A decision could come as early as today. IPG's McCann WorldGroup is competing against WPP's team, led by Berlin Cameron/Red Cell and Young & Rubicam, and Omnicom's team, led by DDB. Each had to provide information on staffing and costs. That request came after a conference call from client CMO Eric Kim was postponed by Intel, which didn't provide a reason for the delay. Final pitches occurred last last month. Team execs either could not be reached or would not comment. Intel did not return calls.News RoundupAmong the six shops vying for Radio Shack's $250 million account are Omnicom's TBWA/ Chiat/Day in Playa Del Ray, Calif., and IPG's Deutsch LA and Mullen in Wenham, Mass., sources said. The client will choose two or three finalists by the end of the month, a rep said. ... Comcast CEO Brian Roberts will meet with the three finalists competing for the company's $50 million account before choosing a winner next month, sources said. Sources said client CMO Marvin Davis met with Omnicom's Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco, IPG's Deutsch in Los Angeles and independent agency The Richards Group in Dallas at the end of February. ...The U.S. Navy is poised to start a review for its $25 million ad account, currently with IPG's Campbell- Ewald in Warren, Mich., and has posted a pre-solicitation notice on the Internet, officials said last week. C-E's contract ends Nov. 29.

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