American Airlines announces plans to invest $200 million in debt financing to acquire Trans World Airlines and will offer jobs to most of TWA's 20,000 employees (notably
all of its 18,000+ union members). Spokeswomen from both companies say it's too early to tell whether TWA's 10-member corporate communications staff will receive lifejackets in
the deal, however.
MTV has a dream. The music network launches the ultimate PR campaign in honor of MLK's birthday: a 17-hour, commercial-free memorial to hate crime victims, during which voice-
over narration recounts hundreds of racially-motivated attacks and murders. Skeptics have accused the network of using the campaign as a ploy to counterbalance its airing of
artists such as Eminem, whose lyrics have been called misogynistic and homophobic. But network officials say the campaign is intended only to generate awareness of a social ill.
Peter Fleischer becomes managing director of Ketchum Chicago. Michael Hatcliffe replaces him as office director...David Brain leaves eLogistics to become CEO of the UK
operations of BSMG Worldwide (owned by True North)...MaryEllen O'Donohue and Stephanie Marchesi are promoted to co-directors of the U.S. healthcare practice of MS&L Global
Health...Dawn Dankner-Rosen joins Richard French & Associates as GM in its New York offices, after running her own firm for 11 years.
