National News Roundup

New York
McCann Steals Sprint from JWT
By Hank Kim
McCann-Erickson and J. Walter Thompson swapped a couple of accounts last Friday, leaving the former with the better end of the deal.
Sprint shifted its estimated $150 million consumer account from JWT in San Francisco to McCann here, while JWT in Chicago was awarded McCann's $20-30 million in Nabisco crackers business. JWT in New York retains Sprint's broadcast media buying.
JWT had been fighting speculation that the account was in danger. An agency representative denied reports the San Francisco office would be closed, but confirmed there will be layoffs as a result of the shift. Sprint accounted for more than half of that office's $250 million in billings.
McCann had been introduced to Sprint by fellow Interpublic Group of Cos. unit Draft Worldwide, which handles direct duties for the client, sources said. McCann was given a TV project for the Sprint Sense Anytime caller program, set to break soon. Sprint was impressed by the effort as well as McCann's work on AT&T, an account it lost last year.
"Sprint's decision is reflective of this agency's knack for getting business based on ideas and the strength of our creative work for other clients," said Donald Dillon, North American chief executive.
As for Nabisco, McCann had handled crackers for 12 years. JWT will now take over all duties on such brands as Ritz, Triscuit, and Air Crisps. The move reunites JWT with chief executive James Kilts, who worked at longtime agency client Kraft Foods. Separately, Nabisco's $8 million A-1 steak sauce account is moving to Foote, Cone & Belding here, which handles cookies. --with staff reports

Boston
Courts Side With Tobacco Again
By David Gianatasio
Yet another local court has quashed tobacco advertising restrictions, a decision that could affect similar cases now being litigated in New York and Tacoma, Wash.
U.S. District Court Judge William Sessions in Burlington, Vt., last week threw out a recently-enacted City Council ordinance banning tobacco ad signs within 1,000 feet of schools and prohibiting cigarette promotions at athletic, musical and artistic events. Point-of-purchase materials were also covered in the law, which was challenged by local store owners.
Sessions' decision is significant because he asserted the ordinance not only ran afoul of federal statutes, but violated the First Amendment, said Dan Jaffe, executive vice president of the Association of National Advertisers in Washington, D.C., which has opposed restrictions on tobacco and spirits advertising.
"If the reasoning behind this case is accepted by other courts, it places significant limits on what legislatures can do," Jaffe