TORONTO BID GROUP DROPS HILL & KNOWLTON OVER CONFLICT ISSUE

          The Toronto 2008 bid committee has "dropped a
     tentative" plan to hire PR firm Hill & Knowlton, which had
     already been retained by the IOC during the Olympic bid
     scandal, according to Mary Ormsby of the TORONTO STAR.  TO-
     Bid Ethics Commissioner Charles Dubin ruled "there would be
     an appearance of a conflict of interest even though the firm
     intended" to use separate branches to service the two
     clients.  Hill & Knowlton, whose contract was estimated at
     C$2.2M, "agreed to voluntarily withdraw from the Toronto
     operation."  No work had been done on the project, so no
     funds were necessary "to buy them out."  TO-Bid will reopen
     its search for a new PR firm (TORONTO STAR, 4/13).  Hill &
     Knowlton was selected over Grey Advertising and GCI Group,
     Edelman PR and GPC Canada (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 4/13).