NAMES IN THE NEWS

          Wieden & Kennedy's GARY KOEPKE, TOM BLESSINGTON and
     STACY WALL, who each work out of W&K's N.Y. office, are
     featured in NEW YORK magazine's "Innovators" section.  NEW
     YORK calls W&K's "SportsCenter" ads "TV advertising's most
     persuasive argument against the MUTE button" (NEW YORK,
     12/29 issue)....Chicago-based publishing exec BOB NIENHOUSE,
     co-founder of Merrill Corp., has purchased RICK GALLES' team
     of cars, equipment and crew for the '98 IRL season (STAR-
     NEWS, 12/16)....ROCK NEWMAN has signed on to manage the
     Cubs' SAMMY SOSA (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 12/17).....ANDRE AGASSI
     and BROOKE SHIELDS purchased a new home in Pacific
     Palisades, CA, for a reported $6M (SUN-TIMES, 12/17).