Three of the UK's leading film public relations companies are merging to form an international publicity powerhouse with offshoots in Los Angeles and a new reach into television.

Coming together under the new banner of Premier Public Relations are the well known Corbett & Keene, Falco Ink (London) and Joy Sapieka Associates (JSA). The move was made with the backing of David Willing's Miracle Media Group, which already owns Ginger Corbett & Sara Keene's company and has controlling interests in other marketing firms: Picture Production Company, North Creative and Beatwax.

"By uniting the talent and experience of these three companies, and with the support of the other marketing disciplines within the Miracle Media Group, we are creating a unique new PR and marketing operation that has no parallel within the international entertainment industry," said Willing. "Premier PR is about bringing together companies which are hopefully market leaders, sharing space and philosophy."

The pact is also intended to plug the UK players more into the US entertainment scene. While Chris Paton's operation was a division of New York-based Falco Ink, Premier PR is keen to establish a west coast presence and has brought in Pamela Godwin-Austen, as president, to head a Los Angeles office. A veteran from Dennis Davidson Associates, Godwin-Austen has already hired Magdalen Kennedy from Pathe Distribution to be vice president of marketing and expects to announce several other appointments.

Willing said: "Developments in Australia and Hong Kong could be announced within the next few months. Given that communications are so good, we are unlikely to be opening offices in continental Europe, but will be expanding our coverage in Europe through growth of our group operations."

Building on JSA's broadcast PR, television publicity will be boosted by the hiring of Jenny Secombe, former BBC publicity commissioner, as a consultant and the hiring of Debbie Wilson from the BBC entertainment publicity division.