The Santa Barbara Independent reports that the staff of a surf magazine purchased by the beleaguered Santa Barbara News-Press quit en masse.

For the whole sordid tale, read here.

Marti Buscaglia, who was to assume the role of publisher of the Orange County Register, is going to have to stay in Duluth. The Reg got wind that the publisher of the Duluth News Tribune fudged her educational qualifications on her application.

“Credibility is a hallmark of Freedom and our products,” N. Christian Anderson, current publisher and president and chief executive of Freedom Orange County Information, said on the paper’s Web site. “We agreed that this breach would make it impossible for her to fulfill her responsibilities.”

Buscaglia was supposed to take the reigns from Anderson, who will helm a company-wide effort to move the Register from a print product to a primarily Web-based news source.

Well, for this week anyway. We thought it was cute when the AP tried this experiment, but for Us Weekly to eschew Paris (especially the week of her release) is kinda like Fox News saying they’ve had it up to here with that George Bush character. Without the butter, Us Weekly, there won’t be any bread.

The American Film Institute picked 15-year AFI executive Bob Gazzale for the post of president and CEO, replacing Jean Picker Firstenberg, who led the AFI since 1980.

Coverage in the Hollywood Reporter is pretty bland. The better story is in the LAT, which notes that Sean Connery convinced the board to give the post to Gazzale.

Take note, young scribes, if you really want to land that gig, take Sean Connery to your next job interview.

Comedy is in Oxygen’s DNA–6-2007, press release.
Comedy is Oxygen’s voice–1-2007, at the upfronts.

FBLA guesses if you say it often enough, someone will think it’s true.

Oxygen, in a daring move fresh from five years ago, is searching for female comedy creators by way of a contest, the Create-a-Series Comedy Competition.

The winning series (which Oxygen will own) will run on on its broadband channel SheDidWhat.tv. Molly Shannon, whose own funniness is debatable, will host.

If Oxygen is so committed to comedy, why not just bring back Campus Ladies?

The Story You Wish You Wrote: In high schools all over L.A., influential drama, cinema and music teachers are retiring, after decades of shaping students who grow up to be accomplished industry titans. Shawn Hubler had the sense to profile one of them.

Are There Editors Left At The LAT? And do any of them read the online Photo Galleries before they go live? The Studio Chief Scorecard is a cute idea — and we’re guessing it took more work than the reporters and photographers had initially anticipated, but what’s with the wording? In the entry for former Sony president John Calley, the LAT sums up his future projects this way: “A Da Vinci sequel and a few other projects in development, but Calley is looking old.” Looking old? He began producing films 40 years ago. How’s he supposed to look?

Ben Silverman To Bring More Tetas To NBC: Apparently the new NBC honcho is bringing the tits, and this Meg James story kinda makes him sound like an ass.

Nick Antosca snarls about Miranda July, her book, and all that adoring press. He writes:

I guess what I’m saying is: Miranda July– what the fuck?

We feel sad for anyone who’s jealous of a Radar Q & A.

What’s really going on here: He wants her. Wants her so much, can’t stop thinking about her, wonders if she wants him, wonders how can he get her, and wonders what happens next.

Perez Hilton is seeking disgruntled photogs:

Does X17 owe you money?
If you feel that you have not been adequately compensated by X17 for your time (including overtime) or your photographs, please contact us at help@perezhilton.com immediately.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Didn’t Perez recently say something about criminal backgrounds and/or gang affiliations?

Most people looking for rough trade use craigslist.

And people wonder why kids of celebrities are messed up.

Rosie O’Donnell might want to re-read Mommie Dearest.

The shocking death of film reviewer Anderson Jones last week continues to shake everyone who knew him. FilmStew.com today published what might be the last essay Jones ever wrote. Somehow we think he would have wanted his last essay to be about Star Wars.