Media Bubble

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Media Bubble

Tiny Dynamine

  • Lockhart Steele: Elizabeth Spiers invented the Internet. [MarketWatch]
  • British magazine publisher Emap in play? [WSJ]
  • It's Ron Burkle vs. Kent Brownridge in the battle for Dennis Publishing's titty mags. [AdAge]
  • Is Village Voice Media slowly selling itself off? [SF Gate]
  • CollegeHumor's Ricky Van Veen: Sophomoric, rich, and one fine looking man. Seriously, we've met the dude, and we would totally do him. [BW]
  • Don Imus wants to get back on the air. Why not, this is America. We all deserve third acts. [NYP]

    • FRI MAY 18
    BY BALK
    515 views

    12 comments

    Latest by Cheap Shot: Is that Elizabeth Spiers or Rachel Dratch? ... more

    Media Bubble

    Will You Buy Tunes From Amazon?

  • Amazon to open digital music store that will only sell DRM-free music—so copy away, as often as you like! Our heroes! Suck it, iTunes. [LAT]
  • Should Conrad Black get off at his fraud trial, expect his "hellish vengeance." [The First Post]
  • Charlie Gibson to stick around at ABC News for a while; new "NBC Nightly News" producer hopes it's not for that long. [NYT]
  • Dow Jones board to wait and see what the Bancroft family wants to do about Rupert Murdoch's bid for the company. [WSJ]
  • The 50-year-old bimonthly American Heritage suspends publication; just like your mom, however, it still has a website. [NYT]
  • "Live plus three" is the new digi-mobile-webby-pod-demand Nielsen viewership measurement weirdness. [NYT]

    • THU MAY 17
    BY BALK
    158 views

    Comment

    Media Bubble

    Is Ron Burkle Playing Supermarket Sweep?

  • Will Ron Burkle make a play for AMI? Will he bid on Dennis Publishing? And would he merge his recently-acquired Primedia Enthusiast titles with those companies, particularly for AMI's distribution arm? And will he admit to (allegedly!) owning Radar? [WWD]
  • Forbes.com staffers leaving "page-view sweatshop" in droves. Sounds about right; though, you know, from inside our page-view sweatshop it doesn't look so bad. [NYO]
  • The results of that New York Times memorabilia auction. [NYO]

    • more »

    WED MAY 16
    BY BALK
    411 views

    Comment

    Media Bubble

    Ron Burkle Into Rough Trade Mags

  • Ron Burkle buys the Primedia Enthusiast Group (Hot Rod, Practical Horseman, Motorcycle Cruiser, Dressage Today, Lowrider Arte) for a staggering $1.18 billion. [NYP]
  • Thomson buys Reuters for $17.2 billion. [Reuters]
  • Richard Branson's Virgin Media losing long fight against Murdochian U.K. cable market ownership. [Guardian]
  • Conrad Black's Lady-wife stripped their apartment of its light fixtures before new owners moved in. [NYP]
  • Jack Shafer explains the Monday crap newspaper-filler to you. [Slate]

    • TUE MAY 15
    BY BALK
    171 views

    Comment

    Media Bubble

    Matt Drudge Was Poked By Mitt Romney

  • We are all tools of the 2008 campaigns' opposition research punks. (Yay! Gawker will so do your laundry, bring it on!) Also, Matt Drudge Hearts Mitt Romney. (Mini-Mitt Guide: Likes abortions, loves death penalties, no longer supports the gay marriages.) [Salon]
  • More shock jocks fired! CBS radio just won't stand for any more of your casual entertainment racism. What will America do? [NYDN]
  • Someone made poor Katie Couric talk to the Times' TV-Biz jerkface Bill Carter for some damage control about her rotten ratings. How long will she seek the guidance of Matthew Hiltzik? [NYT]

    • MON MAY 14
    BY CHOIRE
    398 views

    3 comments

    Latest by NYCF: And when Mitt Romney says "Who`s your Daddy?" it`s not meant to be rhetorical. ... more

    Media Bubble

    Ari Emanuel And Chris Albrecht Are Now Friends.

  • Google will only buy your company if it hosts "user-generated" content—so newspapers are out, as Google could only buy their "tool-generated content" (we made that phrase up! Oh har!) and then only "own" it. Funny company plan, to only buy amateurism and ephemera. [Reuters]
  • Umm, apparently there is "controversy" over former HBO chief Chris Albrecht's firing? Agent and liberal Ari Emanuel jumps to his defense: "Chris Albrecht is my friend." His only good point—if Sheila Nevins, HBO doc queen, is a representative example, the company doesn't let every woman get treated like garbage. [Variety]
  • Speaking of HuffPo (QUERY! Is HuffPo the International House of Have Axe To Grind?), Jonathan Alter lays into Radar about some minutia involving him paying for Mike Gravel's entourage's lunch or something. [HuffPo]

    • FRI MAY 11
    BY CHOIRE
    413 views

    8 comments

    Latest by Dick Malone: Why do I bore you with this? Only to reinforce the point to be careful of believing everything you read. Thanks, ... more

    Media Bubble

    Everybody Talks About The Weather, But CNN Covers The Hell Out Of It

  • Harry McCracken, who resigned as EIC of PC World in a dispute with the mag's CEO, has been reinstated. The CEO has been reassigned. [Wired]
  • The prosecution's key witness in Conrad Black fraud trial? Somewhat duplicitous. [NYP]
  • CNN is giving Matt Drudge a run for his money in the area of obsessive weather coverage. [TVNewser]

    • more »

    THU MAY 10
    BY BALK
    434 views

    3 comments

    Media Bubble

    The Big Con

  • Conrad Black's second-in-command turned star government witness serves up Lord Black on a platter. [WSJ]
  • Katie Couric rapidly approaching total viewership comprised solely of her own family; maybe she should cover Paris Hilton. [AP]
  • Time Warner chief Dick Parsons to Google: Bring it on, bitches, we will kick your ass. [Reuters]
  • If Thomson-Reuters merger is successful, Bloomberg faces some actual competition in the financial data market. [NYT]
  • Macy's ad chief not buying that whole "but people are reading online" excuse. [AdAge]
  • Of all the people from whom Susan Sontag could have plagiarized, she chose someone from Salon? (Italics indicate both publication title and severe shock.) [NYO]

    • WED MAY 9
    BY BALK
    227 views

    6 comments

    Latest by Seeräuber Jenny: I have no idea what happened here, but want to point out that is possible for a person to have ... more

    Media Bubble

    $2 Mil Journo Libel Verdict Upheld

  • Supreme Judicial Court in Mass. upholds $2 mil guilty verdict against Boston Herald and its reporter David Wedge in lawsuit brought by judge. [NYT]
  • Tranny sportswriter Christine Daniels not sure about surgery, sexual orientation. [SPORTSbyBROOKS]
  • Former right-hand man: "I did not make a major financial decision without consulting Conrad Black." [NYT]
  • If Thomson's takeover of Reuters is successful, Reuters head will become CEO of combined organization. Whirr. [WSJ]

    • TUE MAY 8
    BY BALK
    176 views

    1 comment

    Media Bubble

    Oprah Cancels Presidential Election

  • Oprah Winfrey endorses Barack Obama. Hell, if she can move copies of The Road she can probably sell anything. [NYT]
  • Both the News and the Post have padded their circulation numbers. [AdAge]
  • Jeff Bewkes, likely successor to Time Warner's Dick Parsons, sees a bright future for HBO, noting popularity of OnDemand. [B&C;]
  • HBO CEO Chris Albrecht on demand with Las Vegas PD after domestic violence incident following DeLaHoya/Mayweather bout. [LAT]

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    MON MAY 7
    BY BALK
    1,488 views

    1 comment

    Media Bubble

    Merger Fever And Rampant Speculation

  • Thomson Corp. has made an overture to take over Reuters. Will they? Is good for stock price so far! [Globe & Mail]
  • Microsoft wants to take over Yahoo! But will they? [NYP]
  • Did the NYPD leak documents concerning the city's surveillance of protesters at the Republican national convention to Judy Miller? Could be! [VV]
  • It's deadline time for bids on the Primedia Enthusiast Group. Could the titles go to Ron Burkle? Possibly! [NYP]
  • Did former Illinois governor and Hollinger International board member Jim Thompson approve millions of dollars in payments to Conrad Black? Stranger things have happened! [NYT]
  • Is Campbell Brown really going to leave NBC for CNN? Today is so Friday! All questions, no answers! [TVNewser]

    • FRI MAY 4
    BY BALK
    308 views

    Comment

    Media Bubble

    The $40 Million Question: Define "Nappy"

  • Don Imus' contract with CBS said: "Services to be rendered are of a unique, extraordinary, irreverent, intellectual, topical, controversial, and personal character." Legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin thinks that makes Imus's $40 million lawsuit against CBS a bit more plausible. [CNN]
  • Grocery store magnate/alleged Radar investor Ron Burkle in talks to merge with American Media Inc. (Star, National Enquirer, etc.). [NYP]
  • Former Maxim EIC Keith Blanchard has left Wenner Media, where he's been since October. [WWD]
  • Time Warner's cable business is carrying the can for its sorry publishing component. [NYP]
  • Details douchebag Dan Peres rises a bit in our estimation. His take on Mark Whitaker's branding Adam Moss "the new David Remnick": "Remnick is beloved, as you know. It would have been much funnier if it had been about someone we all can't stand." [WWD]

    • THU MAY 3
    BY BALK
    859 views

    8 comments

    Latest by Twizzlers For President: I could totally see Jessica Simpson in that outfit. No, seriously. ... more

    Media Bubble

    Lindsay Lohan Live On 'Radar'

  • Post calls out News' circulation figures: The "paper's overreliance on bulk sales is propping up a single-copy sales disaster." Expect some lame News response involving the phrase "New York area" tomorrow. [NYP]
  • The Dolan family may finally be able to take Cablevision private. [NYT]
  • Former Newsweek editor Mark Whitaker jumps to NBC News. [WWD]
  • The Times has chosen an ombudsman to succeed Byron "Barney" Calame, may announce name within days. [E&P;]
  • Steve Rattner's Quadrangle Group supposedly the front-runner in the bid for Dennis Publishing tiles Maxim, Stuff, and Blender. [NYP]
  • Lindsay Lohan gives Radar's busy Photoshop department this month off as she becomes the first real live person to pose for the cover. [R&M;].

    • WED MAY 2
    BY BALK
    818 views

    Comment

    Media Bubble

    The Circulation Game

  • Newspaper circulation falls pretty much everywhere. Here on the home front, though, both the Post and the News saw increases. Other (slight) success stories: USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. [WSJ]
  • Those numbers would be better if the Audit Bureau of Circulation included website visits. [E&P;]
  • Conrad Black trial gets even more contentious. [NYT]
  • Christopher Hitchens charms ASME panelists; calls women "humorless bitches" and refers to Anna Nicole Smith as "that fat slut who died." [WWD]

    • TUE MAY 1
    BY BALK
    171 views

    Comment

    Media Bubble

    Guns & Blammo

  • Garden & Gun has less than auspicious debut, arriving as it did just a few days before decidedly unpicturesque massive gun violence at Virginia Tech. [NYT]
  • Big media looking to buy the shit out of keywords for internet search terms in an attempt to drive traffic. [WSJ]
  • Radar feels ripped off, as Chilean mag runs with something resembling one of their stories. Somewhere Kurt Andersen has a laugh. [NYT]
  • Selfless Tribune execs decline bonus money, content themselves with the mere $65 million they'll get when Sam Zell completes purchase. [Trib]
  • Jon Friedman slavishly praises Dave Zinczenko's brand management, gives Men's Health editor lesson in non-subpar oral. [MarketWatch]
  • Vogue publishing director Tom Florio claims Men's Vogue "launched" Barack Obama. Take that, David Axelrod! [WWD]

    • MON APR 30
    BY BALK
    388 views

    6 comments

    Latest by schvitzatura: Guns N' Roses? Expect to see Ted Nugent on the cover soon... ... more

    Media Bubble

    Loose Balls: The First Tranny Sportswriter

  • LA Times sportswriter Mike Penner to become LAT lady sportswriter Christine Daniels. Expect plenty of stupid headlines like the one above. [LAT]
  • Those missing Observers? Printing press problems, says Keith Kelly, who works for the New York Post, PR-managed by the Rubensteins, who also represent Jared Kushner. [NYP]
  • Richard Burt, former diplomat and Conrad Black adviser, to take stand today in Conrad Black's fraud trial. [Canoe]
  • AMI names acting editor for Men's Fitness while EIC/Jann Wenner-kisser Neal Boulton recuperates. [NYP]

    • THU APR 26
    BY BALK
    2,100 views

    16 comments

    Latest by AwBigHug: "To my everlasting amazement, friends and colleagues almost universally have been supportive and encouraging..." It's amazing, all right. Those LA Times ... more

    Media Bubble

    Media Bubble: The Devil Is Actually Kind of Lame and Boring

  • Fashion magazine editor in chief documentary fever has risen to such a pitch that there are even cameras following around Marie Claire's Joanna Coles. Where will it end, Life& Style?? [NYT]
  • Related: will anyone care about the Courteney Cox as Bonnie Fuller show? [WWD]
  • You've been waiting for it: in-depth analysis of the Gerald Ford-related SNL sketches on YouTube. Best quote: "Ford is the first former President to die in the YouTube age (the last to pass away was Reagan in 2004, before YouTube was even invented)." [ETP]
  • A 23-year-old WSJ assistant editor's deep thoughts on the state of journalism. [Tristram Shandy]
  • What it was like to interview the man who was for some reason known to his intimates as "Jerry" Ford. [Poynter]
  • "Scoop War" between National Enquirer and InTouch re: Carrie Underwood and . . . we've already lost interest. [Jossip]
  • Great Moments in James Brown Journalism, from the Philadelphia Daily News: "Brown estate has her bewildered, in a cold sweat." Hey, at least no one has made the "he wasn't feeling good" joke yet. Uh, til now. [FishbowlNY]
  • Editorial director of UK's Telegraph papers bids adieu. [MediaGuardian]

    • THU DEC 28
    BY EMILY
    84 views

    2 comments

    Latest by the earl grey: thanks for getting the red bulletpoints properly aligned with the first word of each new item. thats an improvement over ... more

    Media Bubble

    Media Bubble: Ford Obits Omit 'When Sally Met Joe', Other Stuff

  • Mention of famous NYDN headline 'Ford to City: Drop Dead' was glaringly omitted from obit coverage -- as was, somewhat less glaringly, mention of Ford's son Steven's small but pivotal role in When Harry Met Sally. [ETP]
  • More news that doesn't bode well for newspapers: McClatchy Co. has sold the Minneapolis Star Tribune to private-equity firm Avista Partners, for less than half of what they paid to acquire it in 1998. Large staff cuts are feared. [WSJ]
  • Advertisers in Hallmark Magazine (?) can stick their logos anywhere they want. [NYT]
  • In the wake of its pilot program's success, Google plans to expand its print newspaper ad sales initiative, though newspapers are still skeptical. [WaPo]
  • A Times correspondent was punched in the face by Pakistani government agents. [FishbowlNY]

    • WED DEC 27
    BY EMILY
    29 views

    1 comment

    Latest by GodWarrior: I can't believe no one's done "FORD DROPS DEAD" as a headline yet. Perhaps because he didn't drop? ... more