Working on a Sunday can be risky Business

Agency boss Paul Simons received a call from Tom Rubython, editor of soon-to-be launched Sunday paper, Sunday Business.

Ruby asked if Simons would contribute a monthly column on the advertising industry to the paper. Simons gave the offer some thought, but turned it down – after all, his agency handles advertising for News International newspapers News of the World and The Sun. This, he reasoned, would constitute a conflict of interest, since NI also publishes The Sunday Times.

But when NI head honchos heard that Simons had been approached they were reportedly livid, even though the offer had been flatly turned down.

Simons adds modestly that the problem for newspapers looking for columnists from the ad world is that there are so few ad bosses who actually know how to write.

The Diary believes Simons should be compensated with the offer of a column in NI’s Sunday Times. Perhaps he could take over as restaurant critic from film director and our old sparring partner Michael Winner.