Sprint Nextel’s board of directors has begun a search for someone to replace current chairman and CEO Gary Forsee. The board and activist shareholder Ralph Whitworth appear to have lost confidence in Forsee after the $35 billion merger with Nextel two years ago has failed to produce positive growth for the company. Instead, Sprint has struggled as the third largest wireless operator in the U.S., ceding customers to AT&T and Verizon Wireless, and experiencing difficulties with the merger. The search began in August. There is no word on when a replacement will me named.