To anyone following this, and to visitors from the future, here is how I solved it.

I extracted my existing text from the PowerPoint file to a spreadsheet, using the method suggested here http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/powe...tion_text.html . It works, I used the PDF method with copy/paste, the extract to text method didn't work.

The spreadsheet becomes the new master. Wish I had started with a spreadsheet, it's easier to enter data there anyway.

Then, I bought the PPT Merge tool from http://www.pptools.com/, which gives PowerPoint the same functionality of Words mail merge. I placed an identical field in three locations on my slide, and imported all of the data from the spreadsheet. Works great, and each of my three locations can be formatted independantly.

Thanks all. And good luck, visitors from the future.