The Nielsen Company quit pink-slipping staffers for the time being, announcing today that former Discover Card exec Mark Hosbein would step in as its new senior vice president, marketing.

Full release follows...

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"TRIBUNE ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS AND, AMAZINGLY, ONLY ONE IS CONNECTED TO CLEAR CHANNEL COMMUNICATIONS!" blares the headline of a press release that dropped into our inbox earlier this morning. Oh that Sam Zell, such a funny guy. Still, we miss the good old days of two weeks ago when the company's releases were even less serious.

Today's version lacks fake resumes, but is filled with other little gems of corporate humor, including this quote from Gerry Spector, Tribune's chief administrative officer: "[New executive vice president Jerry Kersting] is the perfect fit for this role, even though he spells his first name incorrectly."

It concludes with an appropriate note:

At Tribune we take what we do seriously and with a great deal of pride. We also value the creative spirit and are nurturing a corporate culture that doesn't take itself too seriously.

That about sums it up; Running a struggling business is fun!

When we called Gary Weitman, Tribune VP of corporate communications, for comment, we were told he was in a meeting, no doubt thinking of more witty PR tactics. Can't wait.