Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN named John Skipper to a new role that encompasses programming responsibilities once held by Mark Shapiro. In addition to running programming and production at the cross-platform sports brand, Mr. Skipper is also expected to take on additional responsibilities beyond ESPN at other Disney properties, said one media buyer who was briefed by ESPN.

Coming soon to your local theater: more movies based on blockbuster video games. In another sign of the convergence of popular video games and movies, Microsoft has announced that film director Peter Jackson will be the executive producer of its upcoming "Halo" movie.

Viacom, which is planning to split into two companies next year, named Shari Redstone as nonexecutive vice chairwoman of both units and said investors would receive half a share in each new business for every Viacom share. The boards of the new Viacom and the CBS Corporation will share three other common directors, including Ms. Redstone's father, Sumner M. Redstone, the chairman, Viacom said in a regulatory filing. Mr. Redstone is splitting Viacom to revive its shares, down 10 percent this year after falling 18 percent in 2004. The new CBS will contain broadcast television and Infinity radio and carry …

From the faux-vintage tins with antique typeface to the crisp British-accented voiceover on television ads, Altoids has subtly evoked its British origins since its introduction to the United States in 1918. But the "curiously strong" mints are about to lose their tangential tie to Great Britain. The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, which purchased Altoids from Kraft in 2004, recently announced plans to shutter the factory in Bridgend, Wales, and transfer production to its plant in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Most advertisers are eager to avoid controversy, steering clear of politics, religion and other touchy topics that might turn off consumers. Then there's Svedka vodka, which seems to enjoy pushing pretty much everyone's button. Gay fashionistas, stem-cell baby boomers and - don't tell Tom Cruise - Scientologists are all fair game in a new ad campaign.

Starcom Mediavest and Zenith Optimedia, both units of France's Publicis, have won the bulk of the global media-buying contract of Procter & Gamble's Gillette, a source close to Publicis said on Wednesday. The contract had previously been in the hands of rival WPP's Mindshare media-buying unit. "The bulk of the Mindshare contract will shift by the end of the year to Starcom Mediavest," the source said, confirming a report in the Wall Street Journal.

More than two years after the last public hearing on direct-to-consumer advertising failed to produce any guidelines to regulate the $4 billion ad category, the Food and Drug Administration will try it again. The agency will hold a public hearing Nov. 1 and 2 in Washington to discuss the issue. Some think the hearings could lead to the first-ever formal regulations for DTC promotions.

Auto advertisers are being driven underground. In a quest to reach consumers in a way that stands out from the crowd, both Lincoln-Mercury and Honda have signed deals with Submedia and SideTrack, out-of-home advertising companies that offer motion picture billboards in the major subway systems in five of the top 10 markets of the nation.

Disney, News Corp., Time Warner and Viacom have been market dogs this year. Can they recover?

The Hollywood giants taking sides in the heated next-generation DVD format wars, touting the virtues of the rival Blu-ray and HD-DVD technologies, are dismissing critical truths that could thwart both their plans and adversely effect industry economics. Today's savvy consumers have been empowered by digital-broadband interactivity that allows them to decide the when, where and how of what it is they want. They care less about technology particulars and more about the content and services at the other end. A format war will only keep them from getting what they want at an affordable and value-oriented price.