Media News

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A New Signal from the FCC (BusinessWeek)
New FCC chief Julius Genachowski has so far offered few specifics about his regulatory philosophy. But he seems to share with Obama, a former Harvard Law School classmate, a conviction that U.S. communications policy needs to be dragged into the 21st century.

Food Network Mag Is Media's Next Wave (Marketwatch)
Jon Friedman: As media companies compete for advertising revenue during the recession, the key to success will be a company's ability to give a title maximum exposure across many platforms. Hearst's fledgling Food Network Magazine hasn't missed out on these multi-platform opportunities.

Vogue Dips Into the Discount Realm (NYT)
When a magazine features items like a $40 Gap hat, a $50 pair of J. Crew shorts and a $48 Tommy Hilfiger scarf, one might assume that it is a midrange publication like Cosmopolitan or Lucky. But in fact, the magazine is the high-fashion bible Vogue, which has gone budget-conscious in its July issue.

BBC Prepares to Protect Funding (WSJ)
The British Broadcasting Corp. is preparing an aggressive defense against a plan to redistribute some of its funding to struggling commercial rivals -- the opening salvo in a broader budget struggle over one of the world's wealthiest state broadcasters.

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Today on the Morning Media Menu, Politico reporter Michael Calderone explained how he helped break the political story of the week--exposing The Washington Post's plan to host a sponsored salons with editorial staff and lobbyists.

While the newspaper has since canceled the salon and apologized, Calderone explained how he helped land the story and explained how other media organizations handle similar events. The show was hosted by GalleyCat editor Jason Boog and AgencySpy editor Matt Van Hoven. You can listen to all the past podcasts at BlogTalkRadio.com/mediabistro and call in at 646-929-0321.

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WaPo Publisher Apologizes for Planned Pay-for-Access Dinners (WaPo)
Katherine Weymouth: Last week, I let you, and the organization, down. The Washington Post remains committed, now and always, to the highest standards of journalistic integrity. Nothing is more important to us than that, and nothing will shake that commitment. NYT: Weymouth has learned a hard lesson, one that every publisher and owner should study and take note of, writes David Carr.

Conan's Tonight Show Audience a Decade Younger (NYT)
In Conan O'Brien's first month as host, the median age of Tonight Show viewers has fallen by a decade -- to 45 from 55, a startling shift in such a short time. This audience composition means advertisers can now address almost exclusively young viewers on Tonight.

Palin's Attorney Threatens Press With Defamation Suits (Politico)
Ratcheting up her offensive against the news media, Gov. Sarah Palin's attorney threatened on Saturday to sue mainstream news organizations if they publish "defamatory" stories relating to whether Palin is under federal investigation. Mediaite: Palin blames the media (again), and everyone comes out a winner.

Newsweek Reporter Faces Trial in Iran (AP)
Newsweek journalist Maziar Bahari will face trial in Iran, his lawyer Saleh Nikbakht said Saturday. "Bahari is accused of acting against national security, and I still have not been able to meet him," Nikbakht said.

Dan Abrams' Mediaite Launches (Gawker)
At around 1:30am Eastern time, Dan Abrams' Mediaite, his "Huffington Post meets Gawker" Web site, went live. In an email interview, Editor-at-large Rachel Sklar talks about the new site and some of the criticism that Mediaite and Abrams Research have already received. WaPo: "Part of what we're doing is appreciating the celebrity of the media," Abrams says. The site "plays into the vanity of these individuals," says managing editor Colby Hall.

Casey Takes Over at O (NYP)
The short, unhappy reign of Susan Reed as editor-in-chief of O, The Oprah Magazine, ended last week when she was replaced by the very sporty and outdoors-oriented Susan Casey. Casey is a former editor of Sports Illustrated for Women and the former art director of Outside.

NYT Ombud Addresses Rohde Kidnapping Silence (NYT)
Clark Hoyt: Had I been in [executive editor Bill] Keller's shoes, I would have done what he did for [David] Rohde and his companions, even though Keller acknowledged, "I'll never know for sure whether our silence had any impact whatsoever on David's fate."

Obama and Networks: A Symbiotic Relationship (AP)
David Bauder: There's no denying that broadcast networks and the president have occasionally worked for their mutual benefit: Obama gets public platforms for his ideas and the networks get programming that delivers strong ratings at a time when that's hard to come by.

Jackson Media Frenzy Faulted (LAT)
The past week has been filled with breathless rumors and revelations from supposed intimates of Michael Jackson. Ken Sunshine, a veteran PR consultant retained Wednesday by the Jackson family has lashed back at the extensive and error-prone media coverage. AdAge: Jackson's death marks a turning point for media players.

Justice Probes Antitrust Issues In Google Deal With Publishers (WSJ)
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating a settlement between Google and authors and publishers, saying that antitrust issues raised by the deal warrant scrutiny. U.S. District Court Judge Denny Chin, who is scheduled to review the settlement, received a letter notifying him of the investigation.

Silicon Valley PR Firms Take to Twitter (NYT)
In the new world of promoting start-ups in Silicon Valley, the lines between journalists and everyone else are blurring and the number of followers a pundit has on Twitter is sometimes viewed as more important than old metrics like the circulation of a newspaper.

Networks Nervous Over Ad Time Showdown (NYP)
Advertisers and television executives are wondering who will blink first in the stalemate over commercial time for the coming TV season. At this time last year, the TV networks were wrapping up the selling process for primetime spots for the 2008-09 season.

Global Ad Recession Is Forecast to Bottom Out This Year (Guardian)
The global advertising recession will reach its nadir in the second half of this year, with North America and western Europe not expected to return to growth until 2011, according to a report. Media group ZenithOptimedia says the global ad market will drop by 8.5% this year.

Positive Tone Boosts Yahoo Celeb Site (AP via USAT)
For more than a year, one site has attracted more eyeballs than any other in the realm of celebrity gossip: Yahoo's omg. With a staff of just five people, and more than a dozen shared with other Yahoo sites, the company has settled on a formula that Yahoo Media Group head Jimmy Pitaro calls "highly profitable."

How Blogs Changed Everything (Salon)
Scott Rosenberg: The most significant choice we have been making, collectively, ever since the popularization of Internet access in the mid-1990s, has been to favor two-way interpersonal communication over the passive reception of broadcast-style messages.

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MediaJobsDaily: Unemployment Remains High; 467,000 Jobs Lost In June
FishbowlNY: One Last Look At Recent Entrepreneur Departures
First on FishbowlDC: Brauchli Declares WaPo "Newsroom Independence"
FishbowlLA: The Jackson Memorial and the Actual Ringling Bros. Circus
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GalleyCat: SC Governor Mark Sanford Released from Book Contract
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AgencySpy: Current Media Puts Twitter RFP on Hold: But What Will We Talk About Now?
MobileContentToday: Facebook for iPhone 3.0 98% Completed with 15 New Features

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First on FishbowlDC: This morning's Politico story that The Washington Post will sell access to Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and the paper's own reporters and editors to lobbyists and association executives for $25,000+ has sparked an uproar in the WaPo newsroom. FishbowlDC has obtained an internal memo from WaPo's Marcus Brauchli in response: "We will not participate in events where promises are made that in exchange for money The Post will offer access to newsroom personnel or will refrain from confrontational questioning. Our independence from advertisers or sponsors is inviolable."

First on FishbowlDC: Brauchli Declares WaPo "Newsroom Independence"
WaPo Responds to Weymouth Salon Debacle (FBDC)