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– Future of Focus May Rest With Sears
LOS ANGELES–Sears, Roebuck & Co. and roster media agency Focus Media have drawn up a new contract which, if signed by the client, could save the struggling Santa Monica, Calif., media agency, sources said. Focus, which handles an estimated $200 million in Sears spot, cable and syndicated television and Hispanic media, faces several challenges. It is defending its Sears business in the retailer’s ongoing consolidation; is embroiled in a dispute with various media over unpaid bills related to former clients; and is absorbing the layoffs, firings and resignations of dozens of staffers in recent months.