In Toronto, Donovan Vincent reports that Toronto
business exec and former Raptors President John Bitove Jr.
will be officially named CEO of Toronto's bid group for the
2008 Olympics at a news conference today. Bitove will be
"responsible" for running the group's day-to-day operations
and "co-ordinating" the group's 10 committees, two working
groups and board of directors (TORONTO STAR, 4/29)....In
Chicago, George Lazarus reports that a "short list" of N.Y.-
based ad agencies are "vying for" the IOC's account worth
between $100-150M. Agencies include McCann-Erickson and
Lowe & Partners, both part of Interpublic Group, Young &
Rubicam, J. Walter Thompson and TBWA. Chicago-based Leo
Burnett also "may be in contention." A new IOC image
campaign is scheduled to be launched in mid-September
(CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/29)....A SALT LAKE TRIBUNE editorial
states that the "pressure is on" SLOC CEO Mitt Romney, who
emerges as the "highest-profile figure in the OPUS
sponsorship-raising effort with [John] Krimsky gone."
Romney must use a "more successful sales pitch" to focus "on
the Olympic athletes rather than on SLOC's budget problems."
Utah companies must also "step up and support the Games"
(SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 4/29)....In Salt Lake, Linda Fantin
reports that the Salt Lake bid scandal has made it "more
difficult" for Romney to go after federal aid for the 2002
Games. U.S. Rep. Merrill Cook (R-UT): "Members of Congress
are whispering. They don't want to be seen as rewarding bad
behavior. I would be less than forthright if I didn't admit
there was that undercurrent" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 4/29).
