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Bob Geldof's media events and communications company, called 10

Alps, has bought the advertising group Osprey Communications in a bid to

add advertising to its existing television, radio and event production

capabilities.

The agency will be renamed 10 Alps Communications, ending the Osprey

brand. The enlarged company will combine 10 Alps and the corporate

events company Instant Party and will be worth about pounds 9

million.

Geldof will become a non-executive director on the agency's board. 10

Alps' co-founder, Alex Connock, will become the chief executive of 10

Alps Communications.

Connock said: "We saw that the Osprey agencies are well-managed,

profitable, creative businesses, and we dived in."

The Osprey group sold its London office to Interfocus, leaving a "shell"

company comprising two agencies which are claimed to have made a

combined profit of pounds 600,000 last year.

Geldof's consultancy role with the WPP network, Red Cell, gained in

February with a remit to crack specific creative briefs along with other

"eclectic" consultants, is now defunct.