Doomsayers may have predicted the decline of the newspaper for years now but the printed word has gone from strength to strength.

The Newspaper Guild/Communications Workers of America union has broadcast an e-mail to "ordinary citizens" asking recipients to "flood the FCC" with comments on its rewrite of media ownership rules.

With its agreement to buy the Grey Global Group, the WPP Group has been placed by its chief executive, Sir Martin Sorrell, in position to rival the Omnicom Group as the world's largest agency company. Perhaps equally satisfying for Sir Martin was that he once again triumphed over the French.

The American Association of Advertising Agencies has changed its mind about barring an Atlanta recruiter called Talent Zoo from taking part in a coming conference. The decision by the association to rescind the invitation was reported yesterday by The Wall Street Journal.

DM shop Grey Direct won't be affected once WPP Group PLC completes its acquisition of Grey Global Group Inc., an official said yesterday. WPP will pay $1.31 billion equally in cash and stock for the world's last major independent advertising agency conglomerate.

M&C Saatchi's chief executive David Kershaw said he does not consider the newly floated advertising agency a potential takeover target in what is a rapidly consolidating market.

After more than 20 years of investing in media companies, Invesco Leisure fund portfolio manager Mark Greenberg knows the industry rap as well as anyone.

Michael Eisner gave his retirement notice last week-he'll step down from his post as Disney's CEO when his contract expires in September 2006. Now the betting begins on his successor. A cheat sheet:

What would you call a magazine with no newsstand sales, just five articles, four ads, and an unknown, very small, number of subscribers? If you are the publishing arm of American Express, you would call it nothing.

Without Michael D. Eisner at the helm of the Walt Disney Company, will Harvey Weinstein and Steven P. Jobs stay as partners?