Bright Meridian International, a paid-for research network recently launched by former Reuters execs O'Hara Macken, Daniel Blank, and Tom Trivella, plans to hire five sales people as soon as possible. Earlier this year, the group left the Independent Research Network, a research exchange run by Reuters and the Nasdaq Stock Market (WSL, 7/24). The sales people would report to Macken.

The additions will support the firm's research expansion. The network finds brokerages willing to provide research on small- and mid-cap companies. Bright won't let companies pick the providers to prevent conflicts of interest.