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The Media Edge has briefed a firm of headhunters to track down a

"talented and creative" TV buying director as the strategic media agency

takes TV buying inhouse for the first time.

Once the right candidate has been found, The Media Edge will employ at

least another nine TV negotiators to embark on what is previously

uncharted territory for the agency. There are already four negotiators

in place, handling the non-TV buying side of the business.

Following The Media Edge's decision to terminate its TV buying

relationship with Media Planning Group early this year, it was mooted

that the agency would merge with Mindshare as a next step.

Instead The Media Edge is being set up to be turned into a "small,

clever, global super-brand in its own right, adding TV buying to the

strategy and planning agenda", according to one managing partner of a

media agency.

Initially, the TV buying department will pool some resources with

Mindshare's unit - much as OMD and MGM pool some of their TV buying.

It has yet to be decided how the buying practice will be divided between

the agencies, or whether the whole department will eventually be

transferred to The Media Edge after the initial trial period.

It is believed that similar initiatives will be carried out in Media

Edge offices in France and Germany.

It was announced at the end of last week that The Media Edge was merging

its back-of-house operations with Mindshare in Germany.

James Whitmore, MD of The Media Edge in the UK, is believed to be the

man behind this latest initiative.

One Media Edge insider said: "WPP is looking at strengthening the agency

so the group can have two strong global-media brands outside the US. The

Media Edge's sister agency in the US - Media Insight - is a massive

full-service media powerhouse."