Revolving Door Newsletter: 02.18.11

Time Inc. CEO Fired; Bill Simmons Builds Staff For New Site

February 18, 2011

Jeff Bewkes fires Jack Griffin as chairman and CEO of Time Inc. The move comes as a surprise, but rumors are circulating that the executive's aggressive management style bothered employees. "Although Jack is an extremely accomplished executive, I concluded that his leadership style and approach did not mesh with Time Inc. and Time Warner," Bewkes wrote in a memo announcing the news. Griffin took over from Ann Moore in September and immediately began to make over the company in his own image. He angered senior management with a number of his decisions, and it was this aggregate rather than one individual misstep that got him in trouble. Howard Averill, Maurice Edelson, and John Huey will lead in the interim management transition team. In other news about the company, Fran Hauser will oversee Time Inc.'s digital lifestyle content and its "Digital Labs" project. She's credited with helping People.com gain one billion pageviews in January...

No one really seems to know what to do about Gawker Media's redesign. Traffic tumbled initially, but now they appear to be returning. Keith Kelly finds at least one critic who calls it an "idiotic redesign," but wasn't the whole point to have more space for premium video advertising content? So as long as advertising revenue rises, doesn't Nick Denton win regardless of pageviews?... Katie Baker departs Deadspin (and her full-time finance job) to join Bill Simmons' editorial project, whatever that may be. (Also onboard: Chuck Klosterman and Lane Brown.)...

Newsweek offers buyouts to roughly 30 staffers. They are completely voluntary and fewer than 10 people are expected to leave... The New York Times bumps Sewell Chan up to deputy op-ed editor. The byline king moved to the Gray Lady from the Washington Post in 2004... Andrew Goldman fills the "Questions For" columnist spot at The New York Times Magazine. He has written Elle's "Cherchez La Femme" column for eight years... Scott Alexander is the new editor-in-chief at American Photo... Stephen Gregory Barr takes over as senior vice president and group publisher of Ebony and Jet... Joe Conason leaves the New York Observer after 18 years...

Mara Schiavocampo is promoted to correspondent for all NBC News broadcasts... Adam Verdugo returns to Meet the Press as senior producer. He started at NBC as an intern for the show... Peggy Bunker takes over ABC's World News Now... The MPAA's top antipiracy executive, Daniel Mandil leaves for a position at Viacom... And there are changes at The Hill, MarthaStewartWeddings.com and more...

February 18, 2011: Cari Guittard has been named vice president for global affairs at Howard Consulting Group. She had been executive directer at Business for Diplomatic Action. (mb)

February 18, 2011: Richard Rhorer has been named vice president and associate publisher at Simon & Schuster. He had been director of digital business development at Macmillan. (GalleyCat)

February 18, 2011: Sally Kim has been named editorial director at Simon & Schuster's Touchstone. She had been executive editor at HarperCollins. (GalleyCat)

February 18, 2011: Adam Verdugo has been named senior producer at MSNBC's Meet The Press. He had been producer for Norah O'Donnell. (TVNewser)

February 17, 2011: Sewell Chan has been named deputy op-ed editor at The New York Times. He had been covering the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department at the Washington bureau. (FBDC)

February 17, 2011: Lara Kelley has been named account director at Complex Media. She had been account executive at MTV.com. (release)

February 17, 2011: Luke Blaser has been named account director at Complex Media. He had been senior director of sales and marketing for BNQT Media Group at USA Today. (release)

February 17, 2011: Fran Hauser has been named president of digital at Time Inc.'s lifestyle groups. She will continue to be the president of digital at the style and entertainment group there. (FBNY)

February 17, 2011: Andrew Goldman has been named columnist at The New York Times Magazine's "Questions For" column. He had been columnist at Elle. (FBNY)

February 17, 2011: Scott Alexander has been named editor-in-chief at American Photo. He had been senior editor at Playboy. (FBNY)

February 17, 2011: Mara Schiavocampo has been named correspondent at NBC News. She had been digital correspondent there. (TVNewser)

February 17, 2011: Mark Medish has been named EVP at APCO Worldwide. He had been VP at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. (PRNewser)

February 17, 2011: Paul Fain has been named assistant VP at Widmeyer Communications. He had been senior reporter at The Chronicle of Higher Education. (PRNewser)

February 17, 2011: Peggy Mansfield has been named associate publisher, integrated marketing at Food Network Magazine. She had been executive director there. (PRNewser)

February 17, 2011: Amy Sezak has been named senior manager of corporate communications at Zynga. She had been PR manager at Logitech. (PRNewser)

February 17, 2011: Adam Isserlis has been named director of corporate communications at Zynga. He had been VP and director of digital media at Rubenstein Communications. (PRNewser)

February 17, 2011: Alison Rudnick has been named senior PR director at HLN. She had been director of corporate communications at Discovery. (PRNewser)

February 17, 2011: Lisa Kraynak has been named general manager and senior vice president at TypeF.com. She had been senior vice president of digital media at NBC Universal. (FBLA)

February 17, 2011: Nancy Mors-Ramos has been named Southwest brand director at Dwell Media, LLC. She had been West Coast sales director at Pace Communications. (mb)

February 17, 2011: Cari Wolfert has been named editor at MarthaStewartWeddings.com. She had been associate editor at Brides. (mb)

February 16, 2011: Chris Kissell has been named managing editor at Insurance.com. He had been senior editor at Bankrate.com. (release)

February 16, 2011: Debbie Siegelbaum has been named campus and features beat reporter at The Hill. She had been associate editor at Inside Washington Publishers. (FBDC)

February 16, 2011: Jordy Yager has been named oversight and intelligence portfolio reporter at The Hill. He had been campus and features beat reporter there. (FBDC)

February 16, 2011: Lisa Hsia has been named executive vice president at Bravo Digital Media. She had been senior vice president there. (release)

February 16, 2011: Tom Fugleberg has been named chief brand officer at Olson. He had been executive creative director there. (AgencySpy)

February 16, 2011: Jerry Martin has been named general manager at KPRC in Houston. He had been general manager at WXIN Indianapolis. (TVSpy)

February 16, 2011: Kevin Hayes has been named vice president and general manager at WJAC in Johnstown, PA. He had been general sales manager at KFOX in El Paso, Texas. (TVSpy)

February 16, 2011: Stephen Gregory Barr has been named SVP and group publisher of Ebony and Jet at Johnson Publishing Company. He had been publisher at OK!. (FBNY)

February 16, 2011: Courtney Simmons has been named SVP of publicity for DC Entertainment at Warner Bros. She had been vice president, corporate communications at Disney Interactive Media Group. (FBLA)

February 16, 2011: Will Steinberg has been named director of media relations of Chicago Sky. He had been senior account manager at Wilson McHenry Company. (mb)

February 16, 2011: Jen Doerger has been named western region sales manager at Future US. She had been account executive at SAY Media. (mb)

February 16, 2011: Robin Honig has been named research chief at Budget Travel. She had been a freelance contributor there. (release)

February 16, 2011: Jenna Reed has been named managing editor at Budget Travel. She had been assistant managing editor at Elle. (release)

February 16, 2011: Marc Peyser has been named deputy editor at Budget Travel. He had been deputy editor at Newsweek. (release)

February 16, 2011: Doug Analla has been named director, marketing and creative services at Klutz. He had been associate director there. (release)

February 16, 2011: Anne Kubek has been named executive VP and general manager of the eBook distribution division at InScribe Digital. She had been executive VP of merchandising and marketing at Borders Group. (Publishers Lunch)

February 15, 2011: Meg LaBorde Kuehn has been named VP of business development at Kirkus Media. She had been COO at Greenleaf Book Group. (Publishers Lunch)

February 15, 2011: Roy Harris has been named editorial director at CFOworld. He had been senior editor at CFO. (mb)

February 15, 2011: Rachel Conforti has been named senior marketing communications manager at Definition 6. She had been marketing communications manager at Tremor Media. (mb)

February 15, 2011: Jennifer Marquez has been named health editor at Parade. She had been senior editor, health at O: The Oprah Magazine. (mb)

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