EXCLUSIVE: I’m told Nicole Chabot is moving to BNC (Bragman, Nyman, Cafarelli) after six years at BWR (Baker Winokur Ryder). She’ll be a director in media relations. The reason this is interesting is because it puts BNC into the hot young comic business bigtime, adding to the flackery’s already heavyweight list. “This is potentially a significant shift in the personal PR business especially in the comedy marketplace,” my insider tells me. Chabot at Beverly Hills-based BWR (a cog in the big wheel of Ogilvie PR Worldwide) helped handle Rainn Wilson, Chris Rock, Jason Segel, Rob Corddry, Danny McBride, Jason Biggs, Andy Richter, Nick Swardson, Robert Hoffman, Clarke Duke, Craig Robinson, Sean Avery, Jay Hernandez, Jody Hill, Michael Rosenbaum, Dan Fogler, Terry Crews, Diora Baird, JR Bourne and others.

I’m hearing that Rainn Wilson, Rob Corddry, Clarke Duke, Craig Robinson, Jay Hernandez, Diora Baird and Michael Rosenbaum are probably moving with her to the Interpublic-owned ghetto of flackeries inside West Hollywood’s Green Whale. No word yet on the others, but more are expected to follow. BWR sent this statement to me this afternoon: ”BWR wants to clarify that Nicole Chabot was assigned day-to-day to many clients as she was recently promoted from her junior publicist position last year. She did not sign, nor is she taking, Chris Rock, Jason Segel, Danny McBride, Jason Biggs, Jody Hill or Dan Fogler.” 

Her move is considered a coup for BNC which has been growing this segment of their business over the past few years under Lewis Kay and Amy Zvi. They already rep funnymen (and funnywomen) Jimmy Kimmel, Sarah Silverman, Michael Cera, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Jay Baruchel, Will Forte, Jenna Fischer, Carter Bays and Craig Thomas (How I Met Your Mother EP’s). In fact, their client list has grown so fast they’re actually looking to hire — at a time when most flackeries are firing personnel. But here’s the downside: I’ve always been told that the problem with personal PR is that the clients pay next to bupkis and that ain’t funny at all. TV series, movies, production companies and corporate companies — now they pay for PR through the nose.

Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.

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