Online Book Industry Business News, Industry News Headlines & Business Articles Site - iHaveNet

Complete coverage of Business, Industry, Finance and Economic News from iHaveNet

. Bonnie Fuller Steps Down at AMI.

Bonnie Fuller , former editor of Flare, YM, Marie Claire, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and US Weekly magazines, has now stepped down as Executive Vice-President and Chief Editorial Director at American Media ... via Second City Style

US pop art giant dies aged 82

"It's very rewarding. I'm still discovering things every day."

Yellow Pages Zooms in on Online Advertising

YELLOW GOES DIGITAL: Directories firm Yellow Pages Group has created a new digital media business unit to target the growing online advertising market. via Stuff

Times' Arthur Sulzberger Jr. Splitting With Wife

"She was forceful and self-assured - the very strengths he tried to cultivate in himself, though his way of expressing them tended to be cocky and confrontational."

Growing Deficits Threaten Public Sector Pensions

"In a world where people are living longer and inflation is certain, those promises will be anything but easy to keep."

Publishers consider dropping old standby: the paper catalog

"It's not brain surgery to come up with this idea"

Richard Boehne

E.W. Scripps Co. on Monday announced the makeup of the boards of directors after the company splits into two publicly traded entities July 1. After that date, E.W. Scripps will encompass the current company's ... via Cincinnati Business Courier

News Corporation Names Tom Mockridge Chief Executive, European Television

News Corporation announced today that Tom Mockridge, Chief Executive of Sky Italia, has been appointed to the additional role of Chief Executive, European Television. via Business Wire

Survey: Audi, Cadillac Brands Improve Most

"The results of this Brand Watch study demonstrate how quickly consumers can change the way they perceive brands when exciting new products and marketing campaigns enter consumers' consciousness."

Faux bois gives the look of wood, no splinters

"One of our favorite things is to use it in places you wouldn't expect, like hi-tech items. Many people are contact papering their lap tops or cell phones with woodgrain"

Bloomberg taps Norman Pearlstine
Publishing News: Former editor named chief content officer -- Norman Pearlstine is jumping back into the news biz as Bloomberg's chief content officer.

Cablevision nabs Newsday
Publishing News: Cable operator prevails in bidding war -- Cablevision confirmed Monday its unlikely pickup of Newsday, which gives the Gotham media company a major print outlet and gives Tribune chief Sam Zell a bit more breathing room.

Walden, Harper team up
Publishing News: Duo to acquire, publish kid books -- Walden Media is becoming a publisher, partnering with HarperCollins Children's Books to launch Walden Pond Press.

News Corp. withdraws Newsday bid
Publishing News: Cablevision is front-runner to buy newspaper -- News Corp. is out of the running for Newsday, leaving Cablevision as the front-runner to buy the Long Island-based newspaper from Tribune Co.

Iraq journalists still in the line of fire
Publishing News: Abdul-Wahab's murder latest in series of deaths -- What with one reporter killed, a group of reporters booted out of parliament, another facing censure for writing a "critical" story and a new report on the harassment of journalists in Kurdistan, it's been another tough week for media in Iraq.

Craig Ferguson set to pen memoirs
Publishing News: HarperCollins to publish 'Purpose' in fall 2009 -- Latenight talker Craig Ferguson is taking his act to the page. Ferguson has inked a deal with HarperCollins to write his memoirs. "American on Purpose" is set to be published in fall 2009.

Tribune taps Randy Michaels as COO
Publishing News: Exec will be clear No. 2 to Sam Zell -- Tribune Co. has upped Randy Michaels to chief operating officer and given him oversight of the company's two largest newspapers, the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune.

Murdoch confident on Newsday bid
Publishing News: Exec unworried about Cablevision's offer -- Rupert Murdoch all but claimed victory in the three-way bidding for Newsday during a conference call with analysts and reporters to discuss News Corp.'s third-quarter results.

Ted Key, cartoonist, dies at 95
Publishing News: 'Hazel' strip ran on TV and in Saturday Post -- Cartoonist Ted Key, whose comic strip "Hazel" about a bossy maid went from magazine page to TV screen, died May 3 in the Philadelphia suburb of Tredyffrin Township after a 1 1/2-year battle with cancer. He was 95.

Newspapers seek to regain film ads
Publishing News: Dailies help stimulate word of mouth -- As the beleaguered newspaper biz struggles to sustain market share, some of its new, cross-platform approaches to movie-section advertising are being embraced by studios and readers alike.

Dolans reportedly join Newsday fray
Publishing News: Murdoch's deal complicated by third bid -- A handshake deal for Rupert Murdoch to acquire Newsday has been shaken up by reports of a third bid by Cablevision and the New York Observer's Jared Kushner for the Long Island newspaper.

Peter Bart gets RAAM Intl. Award
Publishing News: Editor-in-chief honored for contributions -- Daily Variety editor-in-chief Peter Bart, center, received the RAAM Intl. Award on Tuesday from RAAM Management's Rob Arthur, left, and Tony Meehan.

Murdoch sees print's big picture
Publishing News: News Corp. mogul takes another shrewd step -- Most of my high finance knowledge comes from movies, and Rupert Murdoch's absorption of newspapers evokes the 1951 classic "A Christmas Carol," when Scrooge and Marley seize control of a struggling company with an offer the board can't refuse: Let us take over, or go bankrupt.

Writer, editor Susan Kaminsky dies
Publishing News: Worked on 'Glow,' 'Talent,' 'The Twelve' -- Novelist and editor Susan Kaminsky died on March 31 of respiratory failure in New York. She was 70. 

Zuckerman offers rival Newsday bid
Publishing News: Daily News vies with Murdoch for Newsday -- Tribune Co.'s bid to unload Newsday appears to be turning into a fight between Rupe vs. Mort.

Los Angeles Times edits masthead
Publishing News: John Arthur and Davan Maharaj are promoted -- The Los Angeles Times has made some more changes on the masthead under the direction of newly appointed editor Russ Stanton.

Editors get branded
Publishing News: Manhattan magazine honchos heed Hollywood's call -- One need only watch television or scan the bestseller list these days to see magazine editors are the new media stars. With each appearance on "Oprah" and every insight offered on "Project Runway," today's ink-stained wretches have buffed their images -- and those of their magazines -- into a camera-ready high gloss.

Murdoch closes in on Newsday
Publishing News: Deal reported to be worth $580 million -- Rupert Murdoch had a busy Tuesday even by his standards, drawing closer to a deal to buy Newsday from Sam Zell's Tribune Co. and waving goodbye to the managing editor of the Wall Street Journal.

Combs gets star on Walk of Fame
Publishing News: Morton's Tom Cruise biography shelved in U.K. -- They gave Diddy, Puff Daddy, Puffy, Sean Jean Combs his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame the other day. And far from shucking and jiving around, here's what he said to reporter John Hiscock...

Lee to create superheroes for Virgin
Publishing News: Comics co. signs icon to development pact -- Just as adaptations of his creations Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk are set to unspool this summer on the bigscreen, Stan Lee is going back to his roots, namely comicbooks, inking a deal with Virgin Comics to create 10 superheroes he'll unveil early next year.

Book Publishing - Sponsored Link
Ad - Book.Publishing.AllTheBrands.com May 14 2008 12:50AM GMT

Einstein letter up for auction by Bloomsbury
Business Week May 14 2008 12:50AM GMT

Bantam Dell Goes With Webisodes for Koontz's Odd Thomas
PublishersWeekly.com May 14 2008 12:12AM GMT

Random House Acquires Watson-Guptill
PublishersWeekly.com May 14 2008 12:12AM GMT

Barnes & Noble to Open New Michigan Store
Chain Store Age May 13 2008 10:34PM GMT

PW Morning Report, May 12, 2008 ">The PW Morning Report, May 12, 2008
PublishersWeekly.com May 13 2008 10:29PM GMT

Experimenting Pays Off, BISG Panelists Say
PublishersWeekly.com May 13 2008 9:25PM GMT

Barnes & Noble names chief merchandising officer
Datamonitor May 13 2008 6:22PM GMT

PW Talks with Stephenie Meyer: A Web-Exclusive Q&A" class="topstory">Searching for Universal Love PW Talks with Stephenie Meyer: A Web-Exclusive Q&A
PublishersWeekly.com May 13 2008 5:49PM GMT

Letter up for auction by Bloomsbury reveals Einstein's views on 'childish' religion
Canadian Business Magazine May 13 2008 4:40PM GMT

Publisher, bookseller close the book on alliance
Haaretz May 13 2008 4:05PM GMT

Barnes & Noble Increases Effort to Filter Web 2.0 From 'How to' Content
CIO May 13 2008 3:56PM GMT

Digital Book 2008 Showcases Emerging eBook Standard & Global Marketplace
TMC Net May 13 2008 3:13PM GMT

Barnes & Noble Signs Lease for Kentwood, Michigan, Store
Earthtimes.org May 13 2008 1:10PM GMT

Digital Book 2008 Showcases Emerging eBook Standard & Global Marketplace
Yahoo! Canada May 13 2008 11:35AM GMT

HarperCollins to launch online only catalogue
M2 May 13 2008 10:20AM GMT

Harcourt to collaborate on FTSE hedge index series
Alternative Asset Adviser May 13 2008 6:10AM GMT

Quebecor and Simon & Schuster Ink Contract Extension
TMC Net May 13 2008 5:27AM GMT

eBooks About Medicine - "Desperate maladies require desperate remedies"
Business Portal 24 May 13 2008 4:59AM GMT

Word on the Street issues call for official booksellers
Quill & Quire May 13 2008 4:35AM GMT

HarperCollins and Walden Media Launch Walden Pond Press
Broadcast Newsroom May 13 2008 3:28AM GMT

Quebecor and Simon & Schuster Ink Contract Extension
Macro World Investor May 13 2008 2:59AM GMT

PW Morning Report, May 9, 2008">The PW Morning Report, May 9, 2008
PublishersWeekly.com May 13 2008 2:04AM GMT

HarperCollins to Launch Online Sales Catalog
PublishersWeekly.com May 12 2008 11:48PM GMT

Bright Shiny" class="topstory">James Frey's Quiet Press Approach for Bright Shiny
PublishersWeekly.com May 12 2008 11:48PM GMT

Barnes & Noble Names Chief Merchandising Officer
Chain Store Age May 12 2008 10:59PM GMT

Barnes & Noble Names Jaime Carey Merchandising Chief
Morningstar.com May 12 2008 9:28PM GMT

Bantam ElectronicsTM Awarded JBM Electronics Compact Wireless Router Manufacturing
DBusinessNews.com May 12 2008 9:05PM GMT

Barnes & Noble (BKS) Promotes Jaime Carey to Chief Merchandising Officer
Street Insider May 12 2008 7:29PM GMT

Barnes & Noble Names Jaime Carey Merchandising Chief (DJ)
Easy Bourse May 12 2008 7:18PM GMT

Barnes & Noble names Jaime Carey as chief merchandising officer
Interactive Investor International May 12 2008 6:39PM GMT

Learn How Kids Can Be Published Authors Too
Kenton Verhoeff is a 12-year old homeschooled boy who has written and published his own book. He offers advice to other young aspiring authors here.

The Rise of Self Publishing
Not long ago, self published books were considered just a few steps above pamphlets run off on a Xerox machine. How did this big change come about?

How To Find A Fashion Magazine Internship
If you are looking to get into fashion magazines as a career, an internship is one of the only ways to break into the business, especially if you want to work for a top level fashion magazine like Allure, Elle or the highly regarded Vogue.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Bill Stoller offers his advice on tapping into the holiday publicity bonanza.

10 Ways to Monetize your Author Blog
If you’re an author who realizes the importance of having a blog to develop a relationship with your existing readers and to find new readers but also needs to write in ways that produce more direct and immediate revenue instead of just tiny blips in the royalty check, then perhaps you need to find a way to make your blog make money for you while it builds your readership.

Tribune Media Services Launches Magazine For Amazon's Kindle
Tribune Media Services (TMS) has announced the launch of a new political commentary magazine called Opinionated: Voices and Viewpoints on America and the World. The weekly magazine will be distributed exclusively on the Amazon Kindle eBook, the wireless reading device recently launched by online retailer Amazon.com. The first issue is currently available on a free trial and subscription basis on Amazon.

"Opinionated was created to give readers some of the best political and social commentary from the right, middle and left of the political spectrum in one place, with no other distractions," said Steve Tippie, TMS vice president of marketing and licensing and the magazine's publisher and editor. "Amazon's Kindle platform is the perfect vehicle for publishing a magazine like Opinionated -- fast, easy and very efficient. TMS provides the weekly content and Amazon formats, posts and distributes it electronically."

Opinionated draws its material from columnists syndicated by TMS. Their commentary covers domestic and international politics, economics, world affairs, social issues, pop culture and other topics. The lineup includes Ian Bremmer, Nathan Gardels, Jonah Goldberg, Carl Hiaasen, Arianna Huffington, Jesse Jackson, Garrison Keillor, Paul Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, Clarence Page, William Pfaff, Leonard Pitts, Cal Thomas, and Jules Witcover.

Opinionated will be published weekly on Mondays and will cost $.49 an issue and $1.49 for a monthly subscription. TMS said they are planning to develop several other magazines for the Kindle on topics including personal finance, travel, food and popular culture.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

Hearst Acquires Answerology
Search Engine Watch reports that Hearst is entering the answer fray with the aquisition of Answerology.

With Google becoming more of a destination site than a portal, companies like Hearst need to compete online by offering a robust destination site of their own. Hearst is poised to do just that with the addition of Answerology, which allows users to post questions anonymously and select specific demographics in which to seek answers from.

"Service journalism is all about helping people find answers to their questions, from trusted experts. That's what we do in our magazines and on our magazine-branded web sites every day. Answerology offers us a new type of service journalism, using a 'wisdom of the masses' model built on the expertise of users who are like you," said Chris Johnson, VP, content and business development, Hearst Magazines Digital Media.

Search Engine Watch also reports that the traffic to answer websites soared last year. Yahoo Answers currently dominates the U.S. answer market with 74.5% of the marketshare. WikiAnswers is second and Answerbag is third.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

CNET Cuts 120 Jobs
The Associated Press reports that tech publisher CNET is cutting 120 positions - all in the U.S.

All the layoffs - about 4.4 percent of CNet's work force - will involve employees in the U.S., according to a document CNet filed Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

CNet's suite of popular websites commands a huge worldwide audience, but its investors have long complained the company's profits haven't kept pace with the growth of Internet advertising.

The company indicated in the filing that the layoffs would be effective immediately and cost at least $3.8-million in severance pay, outplacement and other expenses.

The AP says CNET employs 2,700 people. (via Adotas)

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

ESPN Buys Hoopgurlz
EPSN has acquired Hoopgurlz, a girl's college and high school basketball website. Broadcasting & Cable reports that the site's founder Glenn Nelson will continue writing for the website.

Glenn Nelson, founder of the site, and Chris Hansen, national director of scouting for women's basketball, will both continue to manage and write the site.

"ESPN's acquisition of HoopGurlz represents our continued commitment to providing our core fans with compelling high-school-sports content," said James Brown, senior vice president of new program development, in a statement announcing the acquisition. "The site showcases the kind of student-athletes we strive to serve and will help us continue to grow our 12- to 17-year-old audience."

Hoopgurlz.com's founders hope the acquisition will lead to more coverage of girls' and women's basketball on the ESPN networks.

"ESPN is built upon a foundation of the highest journalistic standards, the same that HoopGurlz has used in covering girls' basketball," Nelson said in a statement. "HoopGurlz is excited to expand and improve ESPN's coverage of one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, as well as to complement the site's coverage of women's basketball."

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

Financial Times Relaunching FT Wealth
The Press Gazette reports that the Financial Times is relaunching its FT Wealth supplement as a quarterly tabloid targeting at the wealthiest 1% of the population.

As a high-quality magazine it will target people with personal assets of more than £1 million on top of the value of their property and will cover asset allocation, new and exotic investment products, real estate, emerging markets and investment alternatives including art and wine.

Advertising director EMEA and global display Dominic Good said FT Wealth is "designed for a unique audience, making it the ideal advertising proposition for our wealth management banking clients. FT Wealth will be read by the top 1% of the population in terms of wealth, an audience which no other publication can claim to reach."

FT Wealth will also include issues such philanthropy, succession and family planning, education, matrimonial, security and social issues.

FT Wealth can also be read online here.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

Mr. Magazine Picks Most Notable Magazines of 2007
Mr. Magazine Samir Husni has announced his picks for the Most Notable magazine launches of 2007. Included in the list of 30 magazines are Portfolio, Organic Spa, Hot Wheels Magazine, Hooah, 0-60, Urban Ink, Our Iowa, Antenna, American Drive, Aromatherapy Times, Bond, Eldr, Everywhere, Garden and Gun, Home Gym, The Journal of Life Sciences, Medical Tourism, Men's Health Living, Mob Candy, Outside Go, Russia, Science Illustrated, Scientific American Body, Se7en, Sew Stylish, Artful Blogging, Thoroughbred Style, Victoria, Wag and Heal. There is quite a variety of magazines represented in that list.

Mr. Magazine says there was a total of 715 new titles launched in 2007. Husni also notes that only only two of every 10 magazines will make it to a tenth anniversary issue.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

Jazz.com Web Portal Debuts
Jazz.com has launched an online jazz portal which contains thousands of pages of reviews, interviews, features, discographies and photos. A team of more than thirty writers, photographers and artists has been working for almost two years in preparation for the website's launch. Ted Gioia, author of The History of Jazz and West Coast Jazz, had led the team in creating content which includes over 1,000 new reviews and a jazz encyclopedia. Here are some features of the website:

• New reviews of Jazz albums.
• The Jazz.com Jazz Blog.
• Interviews with leading figures in the jazz world, including Billy Taylor, Manfred Eicher, Ron Carter, Maria Schneider, Stefon Harris and others.
• Visual Jazz galleries featuring the work of the greatest jazz photographers and artists, including Ray Avery, Herb Snitzer, Michael Symonds, Jos Knaepen and Suzanne Cerny.
• Lewis Porter's Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians with more than 1,400 entries on currently active jazz performers.
• The Song of the Day and A Jazz Classic Re-visited .

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

Jackassworld to Build Community Around Jackass Films
The world really didn't need the Jackass movies: Jackass, Jackass Number Two and Jackass 2.5. That was plenty. But now NMA.co.uk reports that there is an entire world centered around Jackass called Jackassworld.

TV Networks, Paramount Digital Entertainment and Dickhouse Productions have launched Jackassworld.com as a global destination for all Jackass content.

The international roll out follows the success of the US site and will now be available in more than 30 languages and launches in UK, Italy and Spain from today, with Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands and the Nordic territories to follow.

One of the stars of Jackass recently found himself in trouble. Starts getting into trouble may not be the kind of thing that hurts this brand. The goal of jackassworld.com is to build a community and social network around the content from the films.

Gideon Bierer, senior vice-president at MTV Networks International, said, "The Jackassworld community engages and connects these audiences worldwide with a deeper experience, allowing fans to relive favourite moments, explore behind-the-scenes footage and unprecedented access to the cast."

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

National Geographic Launch Green Guide Print Magazine
National Geographic is launching a new quarterly magazine called The Green Guide. The Green Guide website has been around since 2002. They answer a few questions here on the website about the decision to launch a print publication instead of a digital one.

Wouldn't it be more green to go digital-only?

We've always had a digital version of the Green Guide. So for the magazine, we partnered with Texterity to create an online edition, which gives all the text and ads in the print version, but in some ways is better because everything is hyperlinked. It's a very dynamic, paper-free version of the magazine. And it will be available February 28, a week before the print issue! See www.thegreenguide-magazine.com for details.

As for print, there's a debate about the paper that should go into magazines. Ours is Forest Stewardship Council-certified, which means the wood pulp comes from well-managed forests and is tracked at every step on the way from harvesting through processing until it reaches the printer. Ten percent of our paper content comes from post-consumer-waste recycled content-there is paper with higher recycled content, but we value FSC's commitment to forest conservation. The ink, which contains no heavy metals, was created by Quad graphics and derives from renewable sources including soy, corn and linseed.

Why did National Geographic launch such a different magazine?

National Geographic's mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. It's the mission of the Green Guide to provide people with the tools to do this. We are a research-based service invested in our reporting and we set high standards for ourselves that are consistent with National Geographic's approach. They, like us, take the tough science and make it available for lay people. We're a natural addition to the National Geographic team; you see the Green Guide is just a part of an NG-wide initiative to provide more green content in books, on television or in magazines, all working together to inspire and engage people in positive ways to protect the planet.

As the Q&A explains they also have a digital version of the magazine which can be read here.

Some of the stories in the premiere issue include Lose 142 pounds (of Carbon) in a Week, Save $60 a Week-and the Planet, Green Your Car, Greener Is Cleaner and Quiz: Is Your Salad Safe?

A subscription to the Green Guide will cost $15.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

Moorshead Magazines Launches Discovering Family History
Moorshead Magazines has launced a new print magazine called Discovering Family History. They also publish two other genealogy magazines: Family Chronicle and Internet Genealogy. Moorshead also publishes History Magazine. Discovering Family History is a bimonthly magazine targeted at people who are starting their genealogy, need a refresher course or are tackling a new aspect of genealogy.

Moorshead publisher Halvor Moorshead says in the debut issue's editorial that he realized there was a need for a genealogy basics magazine when he was sending people to websites like Cyndi's List for beginner's resources.

We sold plenty of subscriptions to both magazines, but I found that I was continually explaining to new subscribers some real genealogy basics - steering them to Cyndi's List and other places that listed beginner's courses. These people were smart enough; they just needed something more basic than what we were selling. It was sobering to realize that there might be a big market for a genealogy magazine that dealt with the basics.

Discovering Family History's editor is Ed Zapletal. You can see a website for Discovering Family History here. They have made a free preview of the publication's first issue available on the website.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

MTV Networks Buys Babunga
MTV Networks recently acquired Babunga, a network of baby and family websites including BabyNamesWorld and 3DPregnancy. Babunga claims to have 1.9 millionm monthly visitors. Mediaweek.com reports that MTV's Nick division will use the network to establish a family ad network using a community they acquired in 2006 called ParentsConnect.com.

Nick plans to use those acquisitions to establish a parents-centric ad network anchored by ParentsConnect.com, a community site the company launched in 2006. As part of the venture, the company will sell ads on a handful of smaller, non-Nick-owned sites, including ParentPreviews.com and Smartmomma.com, mirroring a recent trend wherein traditional media players aim to sell ads across the Web's long tail.

At the heart of Nick's parent trap is a revamped ParentsConnect.com, a site MTVN created as a Facebook-like environment for moms and dads. The new version of the site retains community elements but now offers more portal-esque navigation and editorial with a distinct Nick voice. The site's tagline is "We're not perfect, we're parents."

Steve Youngwood, executive vp, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids & Family Group, said that since ParentsConnect.com went live, the company found that facilitating community was not enough to keep parents engaged: "We learned that content is the spark to build community." The site features polls designed to start a dialogue between parents, with questions ranging from "Were you raised to respect different races?" to "What would you do if your partner got you a blender for Valentine's Day?"

With advertising continuing to move to the Internet media companies are trying to acquire properties and establish niche advertising networks. MTV Networks is trying to set-up a niche to capture lucrative baby and parenting ad revenues.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

Reed Elsevier to Cut 1,000 Jobs. Sell RBI Unit
The Telegraph is reporting that Reed Elsevier plans to cut 1,000 jobs. Reed Elsevier publishes scientific, health and legal information - they own LexisNexis. They also publish a number of business-to-business titles under Reed Business Information including Variety, Broadcasting & Cable and Publisher Weekly. Reed Elsevier plans to sell this business unit leaving employees at the publications somewhat uncertain about their future. The Telegraph article says the job cuts will take place over the next couple of years.

The company, which owns the LexisNexis information service and the medical journal, The Lancet, is understood to be preparing to cut the jobs over the next couple of years as it centralises functions such as procurement, human resources and IT across the group. Analysts expect the job cuts - the majority of which will take place outside Britain - to contribute to a restructuring that will shed as much as £100m from Reed's annual costs bill. It is unclear whether the cuts will be acknowledged formally in its annual results announcement on Wednesday.

Reed, which is listed in London and Amsterdam, employs nearly 37,000 people around the world. The proposed job reductions are thought to be focused on functions that have previously operated separately across the disparate parts of Reed's empire, which includes units specialising in science and medical, legal, and business publishing, the last of which includes a large exhibitions division.

Sir Crispin Davis, Reed's chief executive, told analysts last July that the cost cuts would be "fairly spread" across the group and that the efficiency programme, dubbed "One Company", would continue for the next two to three years. He said at the time: "We've taken the low and mid-hanging fruit. It's why we put in [train] this programme and I think it's been very effective in identifying new areas. Over the last six months we've taken that a step further... with the objective of continuing to deliver meaningful cost reductions across the business."

This news follows the company's recent $4.1 billion purchase of ChoicePoint, a U.S. risk-management information business. It seems they just want to get out of the b2b print magazine business. Some other articles on the story can be found here, here, here, here and here.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

New York Times To Cut 100 Jobs
The New York Times plans to eliminate about 100 newsroom jobs this year. Executive Editor Bill Keller said the publisher plans to offer buyouts but layoffs will occur if needed.

The cuts will be achieved by "by not filling jobs that go vacant, by offering buyouts, and if necessary by layoffs," said the executive editor, Bill Keller. The more people who accept buyouts, he said, "the smaller the prospect of layoffs, but we should brace ourselves for the likelihood that there will be some layoffs."

The Times has 1,332 newsroom employees, the largest number in its history; no other American newspaper has more than about 900. There were scattered buyouts and job eliminations in The Times' newsroom in recent years, but the overall number continued to rise, largely because of the growth of its Internet operations.

Shares in The New York Times Company rose almost 5 percent Thursday after the newsroom staff reductions were reported, closing at $18.84, up 86 cents.

The Times Company has made significant cuts in the newsrooms of some of its other properties, including The Boston Globe, as well as in non-news operations. Company executives say the overall head count is 3.8 percent lower than it was a year ago.

This new follows closely on news that the L.A. Times is also going to be reducing jobs. It also comes shortly after news that the media work force has hit a 15-year low. If cuts like these continue it will shrink even more in 2008.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

L.A. Times to Cut 100 to 150 Positions
The L.A. Times reports on job cuts of 100-150 positions at its newspaper in a recent article. The article follows the discovery of an email that broke the news of job cuts to L.A. Times employees.

Tribune Chief Executive Sam Zell broke the news in one of his frequent "Talk to Sam" e-mails to all employees. The job cuts are focused on the corporate staff and the company's nine newspapers. Besides The Times, they include the Chicago Tribune, Newsday in New York, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel, the Baltimore Sun and the Hartford (Conn.) Courant.

The decision was reached in meetings of senior executives Monday and Tuesday at Tribune's Chicago headquarters, said Hiller, who was among them.

For now, Tribune's broadcast division, consisting of nearly two dozen stations around the country, including KTLA-TV Channel 5 in Los Angeles, will be spared. Fox TV veteran Ed Wilson, hired last week to run the broadcast operation, will be given time to evaluate his business and make his own personnel decisions later, according to a Tribune executive familiar with the situation.

The job cuts will come swiftly. Hiller said all the people affected would be out of the company by the end of March. The Times has 3,544 employees, 887 of them in the newsroom.

40 to 50 of the cuts will be from the Times newsroom. The cuts are part of larger job cuts at the Tribune Company of 400 to 500 positions.

Posted in Editorial Dead Zone

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

CNN to Launch iReport.com
CNN is going to expand its citizen journalism website onto a new web property called iReport.com. The website is not yet live but Mediaweek previewed the website. They say that the website will be wide-open for "Wannabe Anderson Coopers" to upload anything they want.

That's all about to change. Time Warner's CNN this week will enter YouTube territory with the launch of iReport.com, a new Web site built entirely on user-produced news. And unlike CNN's own properties-where only iReport submissions that have been handpicked by editors and checked for accuracy ever make it online or on air-the new site will be wide open, allowing users to post whatever content they choose, CNN said.

The new site looks and feels much like YouTube and other video-centric destinations. Wannabe Anderson Coopers can upload videos, photos and audio files through an easy-to-use interface. Visitors to the site can search for specific clips or sift through various news categories, such as politics or weather. Users also can rate and share clips, and even embed them on personal Web sites.

CNN executives acknowledge that iReport.com's openness is something of a departure for a news organization that prides itself on accuracy and editorial judgment. But iReports have become increasingly popular, and in many cases have even proved beneficial in the reporting of breaking news. Some of the most compelling footage from last April's shootings on the Virginia Tech campus came from the 420 user-gen video clips CNN received, while last year's California wildfires yielded more than 11,000 submissions.

This does create some new competition for YouTube which is home to millions of user-generated videos. YouTube also has lots of California wildfire videos as well as citizen coverage of other newsworthy events. CNN may be hoping that some of these people might decide to upload their video reports to both YouTube and iReport.com - or just drop YouTube in favor of CNN's citizen journalism brand. CNN started the iReport service back in 2006.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

New West Publishing Launches Quarterly Print Magazine
New West Publishing LLC is launching a quarterly print publication called The New West. The magazine will focus on the big story of growth and change in the mountain landscapes and high plains of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington and Oregon. New West Publishing is also the publishing team behind the successful online website at NewWest.net, which has been online since 2005 and has won awards for its online journalism.

Features in the preview edition of The New West include "From Rubble to Riches," an in-depth look at how Western communities are turning old industrial sites into vibrant neighborhoods, and "The LEED Shade of Green," which examines the mounting controversy over sustainable building standards. Regular departments of the publication include Project Watch, which spotlights notable new developments; Design Showcase, which features innovative design solutions; and Metrics, a fascinating compendium of development-related data.

"Ever since we launched NewWest.Net back in 2005, our community has been asking us for a print magazine," said Jonathan Weber, founder and CEO of New West Publishing. "The New West, with its tight focus on the big story of growth and development in the region, is a logical complement to both NewWest.Net and our growing conference series."

New West produces the annual Real Estate and Development in the Northern Rockies conference, which takes places in the fall in Missoula. The company recently announced its second major conference, Designing the New West, which is scheduled for April 25 in Bozeman, MT.

NewWest.Net, a local and regional online publication, covers the culture, economy, politics and lifestyle of the Rocky Mountain West. With a wide range of writers from around the region and an active community of commenters and contributors, NewWest.Net was the winner of the 2006 Online News Association award for general excellence. "Wild Bill" Schneider, NewWest.Net's outdoors columnist, was honored with the 2007 Online Journalism Award for best commentary.

The editor of The New West is Robert Struckman, an award-winning reporter and editor with more than a decade of experience covering Western issues for national and local media. Marshall Hibbard is the Design Director. Contributors for the Preview Edition include well-known Western journalists such as Richard Martin, Dan Whipple, and Bill Vaughn, and photographers Anne Medley and Chris Lombardi.

New West Publishing was founded in 2005 by Jonathan Weber, who was the co-founder and editor in chief of The Industry Standard, and before that a reporter and editor at the Los Angeles Times. Courtney Lowery, a former writer and editor with the Associated Press and Lee Newspapers, co-founded the company. New West Publishing is backed by a group of angel investors, including Boulder-based venture capitalist Brad Feld, former Microsoft CFO John Conners, and television personality Maury Povich.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

Advertisement:
Find flowers, greeting cards, candy, gift ideas and more in ShoppersShop.com's Valentine's Day Shopping section.

FCC Fines ABC Over NYPD Blue Nude Scene
Reuters reports that the FCC has fined ABC for an NYPD Blue scene that repeatedly showed a woman's nude buttocks. The actress was Charlotte Ross and the scene was from five years ago.

The Federal Communications Commission on Friday said it plans to fine the Walt Disney Co's ABC network $1.4 million for airing an episode of "NYPD Blue" in 2003 that showed a woman's nude buttocks.

The company said it opposes the fine and plans to appeal.

In a notice filed on Friday, the agency said 52 television ABC stations in the Central and Mountain time zones had aired the scene at 9 p.m. in violation of federal restrictions against broadcasting "obscene material" between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

The agency said it received "numerous complaints" about the scene, in which a young boy walks in on a nude woman about to take a shower.

Stations in the Eastern and Pacific time zones were exempt because they broadcast the February 25, 2003, episode at 10 p.m. local time.

TV Guide reports that part of the ruling include the FCC stating that "buttocks are a sexual organ."

ABC - which unsuccessfully argued against the FCC's contention that buttocks are a "sexual organ" - has responded to the ruling by noting that NYPD Blue came with parental warnings, was V-chip-enabled, and because it had been on the air for a decade at the time, "the realistic nature of its storylines was well-known to the viewing public."

"ABC feels strongly that the FCC's finding is inconsistent with prior precedent," says the network in a statement, "and we intend to oppose the proposed fine."

ABC is going to oppose the fine and we will see where this goes. Meanwhile, people are searching YouTube for the NYPD Blue scene which is from five years ago. There are several versions currently on YouTube if you search for Charlotte Ross.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

Mansueto Ventures Plans to Launch New Business Publication
Mansueto Ventures, the publisher of Inc and Fast Company is planning a new publicatio nfor entrepreneus called Upstart. MediaWeek reports that Adam Platzner will be the magazine's publisher.

Mansueto Ventures-Inc. and Fast Company parent company-seems to think so. It is working on a new magazine, aptly titled Upstart, aimed at entrepreneurs, sources there confirmed. Publisher of the new title is Adam Platzner, who has held sales positions at music Web site SpiralFrog.com and the defunct Cargo, published by Conde Nast. Heading up the editorial side is Scott Medintz, product development editor, who was formerly a senior editor at Time Inc.'s Money.

Once scheduled for a May newsstand debut, the title's launch date is undetermined. Mansueto, which bought Inc. and Fast Company in 2005 from G+J USA, has also been spending money to build up its digital offerings. It announced plans for FastCompany.tv, an online video network, to go live in March.

With two business-oriented titles already it seems like Mansueto will be competing with its own publications by launching Upstart. The Mediaweek article said a launch date for Upstart has not been set.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

DEC Launches Conservationist for Kids Magazine
New York State has launched a new nature magazine for kids called Conservationist for Kids Magazine. The magazine includes photos, articles and tips on activities designed to encourage children to reconnect with the outdoors and the natural world.

Conservationist for Kids will be published three times annually. It is written for students at or around fourth-grade level, an ideal time for children to develop an interest in the outdoors and experience it first hand. The magazine will be sent to fourth-grade classes in public schools statewide. Conservationist subscribers also received copies of the first edition.

Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis said, "In a world full of iPods, Xboxes and 500-channel digital cable, our youngsters are spending more and more time indoors on the couch, disconnected from the natural world. Conservationist for Kids gives children across the state a reason to venture outside, offering fun and informative activities that we hope will spark a connection and concern for nature that lasts a lifetime."

The magazines's website at www.cforkids.org includes additional resources for teachers. Newsday has an article about the publication that says the spring issue of the magazine will tackle climate change.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

Oprah and Discovery to Launch OWN
Oprah Winfrey is getting her own television network in a partnership with Discovery Communications. Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications have announced plans to create the OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. OWN will debut in 2009 in more than 70 million homes, on what is currently the Discovery Health Channel. The press statement says Oprah Winfrey will have full editorial control over the joint venture and will be responsible for OWN's programming, branding and creative vision. Winfrey will serve as Chairman of The Oprah Winfrey Network, LLC and the venture will be 50/50 owned by Discovery and Harpo.

Discovery Communications will contribute to the venture the Discovery Health Channel as well as handle distribution, origination and other operational requirements for the proposed venture. Both organizations will contribute advertising sales services to the venture.

The companies said the search for OWN's Chief Executive Officer to oversee day-to-day venture operations will begin immediately.

Photo: Discovery Communications President and CEO David Zaslav and Oprah Winfrey

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

Twitter and Politics
Politics are a big topic on Twitter just like they are on social networks, forums and chat rooms. Hopefully, they don't have as many flame wars on Twitter as web forums have. A new website called Politweets is showcasing some of the political tweets with Democrats on the left in Republicans on the right. This may help measure candidate popularity -- think of it as a political buzz tracker. Politweets was created by Character140, the people who created Twittertale.com.

Politweets rose up from all the great publicity twittertale got (and is still getting). We knew we had to take the same technology and use it for something a little more practical. Dan Croak of thoughtbot reached out with an idea to track the presidential election. This was one of the many ideas we had come up with but now that people were asking for it, we put it on top of the priority list. There was a definite need and I wanted to be the one to help provide that solution to the twitter users. Dan also offered his rail's expertise to help us get it out the door quickly (in time for the New hampshire primary). In three short days we came up with the concept, designed and delivered a product that we are all very proud of. This evening we made some minor tweaks, one being a better iphone experience (in case any one out on the trail needs up to date info), another in preparation for next steps/features.

The tweets posted on the PoliTweets come from any Twitter user who mentions one of the candidates names. There are also many news Twitters dedidicated to politics such as Politics, RedState, techRepublican and PolitcalLunch.

Some of the candidates themselves also have Twitters including Barack Obama (6,667 followers), John Edwards (4,148 followers), Fred Thompson (816 followers), Ron Paul (685 followers) and Joe Biden (120 followers). Hillary Clinton's campaign has a possible Twitter here but it isn't active. John McCain doesn't have a Twitter but there is a Blogs4McCain Twitter. Mike Huckabee doesn't have an official Twitter (yet) but there is a Huckablog supporting him. John Edwards' has thousands of Twitter followers but oddly hasn't updated his Twitter in a month. A relatively unheard of candidate named Keith Sprankle also has a Twitter account at sprankle2008.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

AllGreen Magazine Debuts
AllGreen Group LLC has announced the launch of AllGreen Magazine (CT Edition) and a new website at AllGreen.com. The new magazine and website provide environmental news, events and information. The quarterly publication will be printed on recylced paper.

The quarterly magazine-printed on a blend of recycled paper-is Connecticut's first definitive consumer guide dedicated to eco-friendly living. "Connecticut has the potential to be a leader in guiding the world toward solutions for a better planet," says editorial director Heather Burns-DeMelo. "There is a buzz in the air. From universities to government to corporations to small businesses and nonprofit organizations, there isn't a sector that's not bubbling up with innovative green initiatives. AllGreen Magazine aims to be a galvanizing force and to bring eco-friendly living into the mainstream."

The inaugural (Winter) edition of the magazine is currently being distributed to homes and businesses throughout Connecticut. Subsequent editions will appear in the spring, summer and fall, with a total circulation of approximately 100,000 copies per issue, and an estimated readership of 250,000 per issue. The Web site, currently in its beta version, will officially launch in the coming weeks.

AllGreen Group LLC's publisher is Michael J. Guinan, managing partner, who is also the principal of Hartford-based Marketing Resource Consultants (MRC), co-publisher of Hartford Magazine and publisher of CT Business Magazine, Home Living CT and The Greater Hartford Charitable Events Guide. AllGreen's senior editor is Carol A. Latter, who also serves as editor of CT Business Magazine and oversees several of MRC's other publications. AllGreen's creative director is David E. Frith, who heads up creative for MRC.

The new eco-friendly magazine is produced and published under the direction of MRC, and will be mailed quarterly with Hartford Magazine and CT Business Magazine. It will also be distributed to government officials, legislators, town chambers, hotels and eco-friendly businesses statewide, and will be available at prominent consumer events, including Sun WineFest, the Original Connecticut Home & Remodeling Show and two AllGreen-sponsored expos, scheduled for 2008 in Hartford and Fairfield County.

The premiere issue can be read online here.

Permalink | Archives | News Feeds

Few Watching Fox Business So Far
The New York Daily News reports that a mere 6,000 people a day are watching Rupert Murdoch's Fox Business News cable channel during the work day. At prime time