While it was a bit more subdued than usual at Michael’s today with some of the glitterati off to Cannes and a few others up in Greenwich watching Prince Harry play polo (our invite must have gotten lost in the mail),  the usual mix of editors (Anne Fulenwider, Lucy Danziger) and media moguls (David Zinczenko) were in full power lunch mode celebrating each other’s successes and hatching their next big deals.

I was joined today by Kimberly Cherebin and Alaska Gedeon, stars of the new docu-series Newlyweds: The First Year, which premiered May 6 on Bravo. Also in attendance were the network’s PR marvels, Jennifer Geisser and Julia Nietsch, as well as the happy couple’s manager, Camille White Stern. The show is a hit, having snagged over 1 million viewers for the first episode. With Kimberly stuck in traffic en route from the studio where she was styling Justine Skye‘s new video, I got a chance to chat with Alaska first. I asked him what in the world would possess anyone to allow cameras to follow them during their entire first year of marriage. He told me he’d been absolutely opposed to doing the show at first, and Kimberly asked him “about six or seven times” before he finally agreed. Looking back on the experience (shooting wrapped earlier this year), Alaska said having the details of your daily life play out for all the world to see “forces you to raise the standard of who you are: how you treat others and especially how you treat your wife.” He then added brightly, “It’s like a mirror and like therapy.” So did he like everything he saw reflected back at him? “I just don’t think I’m that big of a jerk,” he said with a laugh. (After meeting him, I’m inclined to agree). “My sarcasm doesn’t always read well on camera.” He also told me that it wasn’t until after he viewed the scene where he and Kimberly discussed their bi-coastal marriage that he realized just how “heartbroken” Kimberly was at the prospect of their separation.

Alaska Gedeon, Kimberly Cherebin and Diane Clehane

When Kimberly arrived, I asked her why she was so enthusiastic about  doing the show, and she admitted that she didn’t exactly know what she was getting into. “At first, I thought it was one of those David Tutera>-type ‘planning your wedding’ shows, and I thought that would be fun, but it was nothing like that,” she explained. Once she did understand that she and Alaska would be agreeing to 10-hour shooting days over the course of year and be required to use their ‘Couples’ Cam’ on each other to capture intimate moments (not that kind, silly), she remained undaunted. “It seems like when you see marriages on TV you either see these fairy tales or something pretty terrible. We have really ‘extreme’ careers, and this was a chance to show how you balance it all.” 

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I’ve been looking forward to today’s Michael’s lunch for quite a while. David Zinczenko, who I met in this very dining room many years ago, was joining me with his business partner Stephen Perrine and Patrick Connors, the new publisher of Men’s Fitness. As most faithful readers of this column know, Dave, arguably one of the highest profile editors in history during his tenure as EIC of Men’s Health, and Stephen, head of Rodale Books, were unceremoniously fired from their positions at Rodale last November. The news shocked industry insiders and made headlines all over the media landscape, most notably in a piece penned by Keith Kelly for The New York Post where Maria Rodale cattily commented that David could now go on living his “high-profile life.” When asked if his departure would hurt the brand, she sniped, “It’s not Dave’s Health –  it’s Men’s Health.” Jealous much?

I was thrilled to score the exclusive first sit-down with Dave and Stephen to get the real story behind their firings, an overview of their new venture, Galvanized Brands, and the first look (which Patrick brought along hot off the presses today) of the June issue of Men’s Fitness, the result of their collaboration with their first client, AMI. Dave and Stephen are co-founders and CEO/president and chief creative officer, respectively, of their new firm. Stephen describes Galvanized Brands as a “broad-based brand building and media company that helps other companies unlock their hidden value specializing in health and wellness,” and the duo is positively euphoric about the company’s prospects.

Patrick Connors, David Zinczenko, Diane Clehane and Stephen Perrine

Not surprisingly, it turns out Dave’s living a “high-profile life” that made millions for his former employer has its advantages. (The highly successful Eat This, Not That series he wrote while at Rodale sold 7 million copies in North America.) Last month, it was announced Random House gave Dave distribution and a multi-million dollar deal for his own imprint, Zinc Ink, through its Ballantine Bantam Dell division. As part of the deal, Dave will pen three health/fitness books, the first of which will be published in 2014.  Zinc Ink will publish six to 12 non-fiction and lifestyle books annually — and Dave will share in the profits. He explained that, in addition to Zinc Ink, Random House is prepared to create a series of imprints, like say, AMI/Galvanized, tied to media brands which Random House will publish and distribute. There are currently “half a dozen” AMI/Galvanized book idea percolating, and Stephen told me the first book will be published some time this summer.

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AMI’s top man — David Pecker — is being considered for the top spot at Time Inc. According to the New York Post, Jeff Bewkes has met with Pecker about becoming Time Inc.’s CEO when it spins off. Bewkes has indicated that he wants the new CEO in place before the summer.

As you might expect, Time Inc. staffers aren’t that excited about Pecker. He has kept AMI afloat for so many years through multiple, massive cuts, which won’t exactly inspire confidence in him.

One Time Inc. insider told the Post that if Pecker took the job, there would be plenty of people who would voluntarily depart the publishing house. The source added, “It would really rock the journalists in the company.” We assume the person meant rock in the bad way, not the Slash way.

David Zinczenko is joining AMI as a consulting editorial director. The New York Post reports that the connection was formed via Zinczenko’s new company, Galvanize Media.

At AMI, Zinczenko will advise titles such as Fit Pregnancy, Natural Health and Shape, while also helping David Pecker, CEO of AMI, enter into the book publishing market.

Zinczenko left Rodale in November under less than ideal circumstances. Maria Rodale said that “It was time for him to move on” and rather pointedly noted that “It’s not Dave’s Health. It’s Men’s Health.”

‘Tis the season for power lunches disguised as holiday celebrations, and this afternoon at Michael’s it was SRO as the moguls (Harvey Weinstein, Tommy Mottola), a perennial party giver (Peggy Siegal and her indefatigable minions) and boldface names (Star Jones, Muffie Potter Aston) poured into the dining room for one head-spinning scene. While Bonnie Fuller and company shoe-horned 14 people comfortably into Table One, Peggy presided over a lunch for 34 in the Garden Room honoring “The Untouchables.” (Although I didn’t see them, I did spot — I think — Malcolm Gladwell and Stu Zakim in the crowd). The rest of the dining room was full of table hoppers and gladhanders — Harvey Weinstein works a room like nobody’s business — and I noticed there was plenty of glasses of red and white wine all around. Cheers!

I was joined today by Anne Fulenwider who has plenty to celebrate these days having  “come home” to Marie Claire in September. She was tapped for the top job after Joanna Coles departed for Cosmo when Kate White left to write her best sellers full-time. I know, you need a score card for all this, but do try to keep up. Anne’s extraordinary rise to the top of the masthead is a master class on how to succeed in publishing by being very smart, working hard and staying grounded amid all the glitz and glamour (yes, to civilians and the uninitiated this is a glamorous business). The Harvard graduate came to New York in the mid-nineties and landed her first job in magazines working for David Lauren at Swing. An internship at The Paris Review turned into a gig as research assistant to George Plimpton when he was working on his book on Truman Capote. Anne got quite an education diving into boxes of fascinating transcripts, fact checking scores of Plimpton’s interviews and, occasionally ”chopping carrots” at his home and pitching in whenever needed. All in a day’s work.

Diane Clehane and Anne Fulenwider

When the book was done, she went on to become senior editor, moved to Vanity Fair where she was editor of the magazine’s popular “Fanfare” section, and wound up editing the work of Leslie Bennetts, Buzz Bissinger and Dominick Dunne. Except for a brief sojourn to San Francisco, she spent a decade at the magazine where, she said, she “grew up” and was “inspired” by Vanity Fair’s great reporting and writing and learned that “maintaining quality” and upholding the highest journalistic standards (“There were armies of fact checkers and researchers!”) were critical to the vitality and relevance of a successful magazine.

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Many of you probably never even realized there was a Shape France, but it’s too late now to get to know it. The New York Post reports that the title is folding; the current issue being its last. Shape France launched almost exactly one year ago, but it never gained any traction with readers.

“The international market, based on the economy, is very challenging, especially in France,” an AMI spokesperson told the Post.

Shape France’s shuttering coincides with the departure of Sue Yein Butcher, a veteran of AMI. Butcher had been with the company since David Pecker purchased it in 1999.

Congratulations America, Reality Weekly is officially a flop. The New York Post reports that the magazine hasn’t been selling on newsstands, so its being yanked and turned into a tablet only publication due late this summer.

When Reality Weekly debuted in December of last year we were worried for our nation. Would you accept such a bad idea into your lives? After all, you already made Flo Rida a success. Then, after some time went by and there were mixed reports about its success, we started to feel hopeful. Now we feel energized to hear that the print version of the magazine has been denied.

David Pecker, AMI’s CEO, told the Post that he was confident the tablet version would work, because he only needed to guarantee 25,000 downloads to advertisers. But Pecker is underestimating you once again.

Rise up America! Stand up for your right to not read dumb things. We believe in you, dammit.

Deborah Mignucci has returned to AMI to become Publisher of Fit Pregnancy and Associate Publisher of Shape. Mignucci rejoins AMI from a stint with Meredith Corporation, where she most recently worked as the Vice President, Sales, Group Publisher, U.S. Magazine Group for the company’s FamilyFun Group. Prior to Meredith, Mignucci was at AMI for five years as Vice President, Group Publisher of Fit Pregnancy and Mom & Baby magazine.

“Deborah has a proven and impressive background in being creative and driving revenue across multi-platforms in the important category of pregnancy and parenting,” said David Pecker, Chairman, President and CEO of AMI.  ”We’re thrilled Deborah is rejoining AMI’s Women’s Active Lifestyle Group, which reaches over 9 million women who are at the peak of their spending power.”

Mignucci will report to Kristen Elliott, Vice President, Group Publisher of AMI’s Women’s Active Lifestyle Group, which includes the Shape, Fit Pregnancy and Natural Health.

Robbie Durand has been named Editor-in-Chief of AMI’s Flex. Durand was most recently Senior Science Editor of Muscular Development magazine.

“Robbie’s impressive background speaks for itself and he’s a great addition to Flex,” said David Pecker, CEO of AMI. “Robbie has the right combination of a passion of bodybuilding and nutrition that is perfect for readers of FLEX magazine and those who log onto the web site.”

Durand’s new position is effective immediately.

David Perel has been named Executive Vice President of Digital Content for AMI. Perel is also the Executive Vice President and Managing Editor of RadarOnline.com and the Editor-in-Chief of Star. Perel previously worked as Editor-in-Chief of the National Enquirer, and during his tenure the magazine was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of John Edwards’ affair.

“David Perel is an elite journalist with extensive expertise in both print and digital,” said David Pecker, AMI’s Chairman, President and CEO. “From breaking major world news exclusives to his vast understanding of the digital marketplace, Mr. Perel was the natural fit to expand exclusive and compelling digital content for AMI’s core brands.”

In his new role, Perel will oversee the digital expansion of AMI’s brands.