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2006: Media's Biggest Bust, Scandal

The O.J. Simpson Book Debacle Made Everything Else Pale, And America Sick

By Dylan Stableford – December 18, 2006
oj_head_scandal.jpgThe votes are in for what was a predictably wild and wooly media year. To cap it off, we'll be unveiling the winners (and losers) of  mediabistro.com's first-ever year-end media awards all week. Today's awards: Biggest Bust and Biggest Scandal.

It only lasted a fraction as long as his trial. But of all the media stories in 2006, none seemed to catch the media-consuming public and world by surprise like O.J. Simpson's book. It approached like a white Bronco and seemed to surrender even faster, leaving Rupert Murdoch, Judith Regan and News Corp. to scramble to hide the evidence. The book, of course, wasn't the only casualty: Regan was axed by HarperCollins over the affair on Friday, capping an unquestionably bizarre series of events for Murdoch and co.

All of which made the Simpson saga sweep mediabistro.com's first ever year-end awards for Media Scandal and Bust of the Year.

If I Did It beat Snakes on a Plane Hollywood's case study of overhype and Office Pirates, Time Inc.'s odd experiment in online toilet humor, in the Bust category. And News Corp.'s announcement and subsequent killing of O.J.'s book made other scandals like Michael Richards, New York Post gossipist Jared Paul Stern's alleged shakedown of billionaire Ron Burkle —  a story that was made for Page Six — and Mel Gibson pale in comparison.

So thank you O.J., Regan, Rupe and company. You truly made 2006 seem like 1994 all over again.

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TOMORROW: Media Sixth Man (Or Woman) of the Year

[Dylan Stableford is mediabistro.com's managing editor, media news. He can be reached at dylan AT mediabistro DOT com.]
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