CIA deal brings IDK boss to TV arm

CIA Group has bought IDK Media managing director Tony Kenyon’s 25 per cent share in IDK Media in order to get him to run its new TV buying operation.

Kenyon will be chief executive of The Negotiation Centre, a new subsidiary of CIA Group. It will handle 300m of TV buying for six CIA Group subsidiaries – about 10.5 per of the TV market. Previously CIA Medianetwork and IDK Media’s TV buying was negotiated separately.

The Negotiation Centre will also negotiate for 20/20 Media, Media Solutions London, CIA Media Solutions Manchester and Morgan CIA Scotland. CDP Media’s TV buying will stay separate.

Negotiations between Kenyon and CIA chairman Chris Ingram started last year, but were given impetus by

CIA’s airtime dispute with ITV sales house Laser.

IDK staff will dominate The Negotiating Centre’s board. Kenyon will be joined by Edward Lloyd-Barnes, Nigel Almond and Tim Nelligan from IDK. CIA Group financial director Johan Denekamp and Simon Cox, broadcast director of CIA Medianetwork, will also sit on its board.

Kenyon is one of the most respected TV negotiators in the media buying industry and is known to have been approached by a succession of agencies last year. IDK’s clients include BT, Heinz and Pizza Hut.

“This is not just about increasing buying muscle,” says Mike Tunnicliffe, managing director of CIA Medianetwork. “This is about investing in a resource and keeping and attracting the best people.”