• by John Gaffney , January 14, 2003

AAAApathy: I have a lot of respect for the Four As as a trade group. Its Washington office especially has done a great job for its members. But now it’s leaving its members hanging by taking a weak stand on the proposed FCC change in media ownership rules. Ad agencies are going to lose leverage out of this deal. Everybody knows that. Let’s look at a simple example of consolidation. When ESPN started showing some NFL games, advertisers had to buy the website and Monday Night Football to gain entry. Disney’s control of all those properties moved the momentum to its side. Planners lost negotiating room. I know that’s a simple, isolated example. But power breeds power in this business. Even if a AAAA legal brief would amount to nothing more than spitting on a brushfire, you have to do it. Agencies need to feel some solidarity on this issue. Because they might need it later.

This Was CNN: Don’t cry for Walter Isaacson. If you had the choice to play politics while trying to run a huge company, or settling your business life in Aspen, CO for a major media think tank, what would you do? I’m sure there was some dissatisfaction at HQ with some decisions he made. But it seems to me Isaacson walks out with a sweet gig.

Parting Shot: Very interesting that the Case-Isaacson departures caused a lot more buzz yesterday than Joe Leiberman announcing he’s running for president. Maybe he should announce it again.