PR Firms BNC And PMK/HBH To Merge

LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Two high profile public relations firms, BNC and PMK/HBH, have announced that they plan to merge early next year to form the largest public relations company in the entertainment industry.

The merger will complete in January and the emergent company, to be called PMK-BNC, will maintain offices in both New York and Los Angeles. BNC chairman-CEO Michael Nyman will retain his title of Chairman/CEO at the post-merger company and oversee the company with a focus on media relations, while BNC CEO Chris Robichaud will also have a CEO title and oversee operations and public relations, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The merger seems like a natural move for both firms. The companies are both owned by advertising/marketing behemoth InterPublic and their portfolios are complimentary as well, with BNC focused primarily on corporate clients while PMK/HBH has a strong celebrity roster.

The news of the merger was not welcomed in all quarters and a number of key execs, including Robin Baum and Stephen Huvane along with Shawn Purdy, Nate Schreiber and Andy Gelb have departed the agency with their clients. Additionally, PMK/HBH execs Melissa Kates and Jennifer Allen have also departed, announcing plans to strike out on their own. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers