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Magazine Publishes 100-Percent User-Generated Issue (Folio:)
User-generated content has been buzzed about in magazine circles for a few years, but editors have largely been reluctant to turn over pages to readers. But for its June issue, Budget Travel has allowed its readers to generate all of the text and photography. The magazine elicited some 2,800 pitches from readers. In the end there were 324 contributors for the issue. Folio:: Making a user-generated issue is "neither cheap nor easy."

ESPN to Add Hannah Storm to SportsCenter Lineup (AP)
ESPN will add Hannah Storm to its SportsCenter lineup in August when it will supplant nine hours of taped programming in favor of live sports news. Storm, most recently on CBS' The Early Show, will co-anchor the middle three hours of ESPN's new daytime news block.

Norm Pearlstine Jumps to Bloomberg (FishbowlNY)
Norm Pearlstine, former editor-in-chief of Time Inc and onetime managing editor of the Wall Street Journal, has announced he is joining Bloomberg as "Chief Content Officer." Most recently Pearlstine has been the senior advisor for telecom and media at the Carlyle Group. He also authored a book called Off the Record about the aftermath of Valerie Plame case. NYT: The move suggests that Bloomberg, whose fortunes have been buoyed by the selling of its hugely profitable data terminals to brokerage firms and investment banks, plans to expand the journalism side of its business.

Clear Channel in Settlement Talks, Trial Delayed (Reuters)
Talks are underway to settle a dispute over financing the $20 billion leveraged buyout of U.S. radio operator Clear Channel Communications Inc, the company said in a statement on Monday. A trial over the case was delayed by a day in New York and hearings were postponed in Texas as the discussions went on. NYT: The latest push for a settlement began Wednesday as Highfields Capital Management, one of Clear Channel’s largest shareholders, and Morgan Stanley, one of the six banks involved, urged a settlement to avoid the uncertainties of an impending jury trial.

Penthouse Gets Pious? (Newsweek)
Christian dating web site BigChurch.com's motto is "Bringing people together in love and faith." A quote from the Old Testament precedes the site's Bible-verse search library. Further testimonial from a fresh-faced woman leaves little doubt as to the site's higher purpose. So it may surprise users that BigChurch.com has a decidedly promiscuous corporate parent: Penthouse Media Group Inc.

HBO Shows May Sell on iTunes (NYT)
After years of insisting on standard pricing for digital downloads, Apple is apparently ready to acknowledge that not all television shows are created equal. The company intends to put some episodes of HBO shows up for sale on the iTunes Store at a price higher than the $1.99 that it now charges for all current television episodes.

An NBC Goodbye for Leno After Tonight? (NYT)
After a news conference on Monday introducing Jimmy Fallon as the next host of the 12:35 a.m. Late Night series, Ben Silverman, the co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, acknowledged that the changing late-night landscape at the network would probably mean that Jay Leno would leave it.

WaPo's Baker Explains Jump to Times (E&P)
Peter Baker, who left The Washington Post for The New York Times on Monday, said he did so because the Post's treatment of his wife, Susan Glasser, made it "untenable" for him to stay. "This is the inevitable decision," he said. "I would have happily stayed at the Post for my life. But it became untenable because of the decision they made three weeks ago."

PC World Editor-in-Chief to Step Down (MIN)
PC World editor-in-chief Harry McCracken will be leaving his post June 2 to start his own venture, according to a post on his blog. He will continue to play a role at PC World as contributing editor. "PC World has lots of ambitious things in the works. Even though I won't be on staff, I'm looking forward to seeing them become reality in the coming months," he wrote.

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The Pundit Analyzing Obama? Some TV Upstart Named Rove (NYT)
The bete noire of the Democrats has turned pundit, and his old nemeses do not always know what to make of it. One year ago, when he was still a deputy White House chief of staff in the Bush administration, Karl Rove was more likely than not ducking news organizations. Now, he has joined them, as an analyst for Fox News and a contributor to Newsweek and The Wall Street Journal.

PBS Revives The Electric Company (NYT)
Refitted for the age of hip-hop and informed by decades of further educational research on reading, the 2009 version of The Electric Company is a weekly, more danceable version of its former daily self. The series, which is expected to make its debut in January, faces challenges the original never did as well as familiar ones.

Chuck Todd Keeps the Numbers Flowing in NBC's Election Coverage (WaPo)
For political junkies, Chuck Todd has become all but inescapable. When he isn't shuttling between studios, he is being invoked as an authority by one anchor or another. After a career out of the limelight, the genial 36-year-old is the campaign season's most improbable TV star. The voracious appetite of cable news has given him a huge megaphone and an outsize role in shaping coverage of the White House race.

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Cablevision Buys Newsday After Murdoch Withdraws Bid (NYT)
Cablevision has prevailed in the bidding for Newsday, after the News Corporation, controlled by Rupert Murdoch, pulled out of the running. Murdoch said a week ago that he would not raise his price, and people briefed on his talks with Tribune said that he stuck to that position even after it became clear that he needed a higher offer to beat Cablevision. LAT: Tribune Co. signed a deal Sunday to sell Newsday to Cablevision Systems Corp. for $650 million.

NBC to Give Conan's Late Night Gig to Fallon (AP)
Jimmy Fallon will officially be given the keys to NBC's Late Night franchise following Conan O'Brien's exit. All that's left is an official date for NBC's transition: O'Brien moving out West to take over for Jay Leno on the Tonight show and Fallon following in the next time slot.

In the Age of TiVo and Web Video, What Is Prime Time? (NYT)
In the past TV season, there has been a sharp increase in time-shifting. Some of the six million who have left broadcast television are still watching, but on their own terms, thanks to TiVos and other DVRs, Internet video, and cable video on demand. So while usage of television is steady, the linear broadcasts favored by advertisers are in decline. The mystery, then, is what the networks should do now. LAT: NBC, ABC, and CBS to tone down "upfront" advertising sales events. NYT: Marketers welcome shift to a 52-week television season.

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As Dykstra and Doubledown Wage War, Overtime Watches From the Sidelines (Folio:)
As the bitter legal dispute between Lenny Dykstra and Doubledown Media plays out in a federal court, a publishing company with its own legal troubles may eventually insert itself into the narrative. Watching this case with a keen interest is Maven Media Group, publisher of its own financially-challenged magazine for professional athletes, the 35,000-circ Overtime.

Vibe to Cut Rate Base, Hike Cover Price (Mediaweek)
Vibe, which along with other music titles has seen its ad pages plummet in recent months, will cut its rate base to 800,000 from 850,000 while raising its cover price to $4.99 from $3.99 in the second half of '08. Steve Aaron, CEO of parent company Vibe Media Group, said Vibe tested the higher price this past winter and saw no sales falloff.

'Deafening' Silence in on Military Analyst Story (Politico)
Even with countless media outlets available, a Sunday New York Times cover story could always be counted on to send a jolt through the TV news cycle. But apparently that's no longer the case. David Barstow's 7,600-word investigation of the Pentagon's military analyst program — whereby ex-military talking heads parroted Defense Department talking points on the air — has been noticeably absent from the airwaves.

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Ryan Seacrest in Talks to Replace Larry King (FishbowlLA)
Sources have confirmed that Ryan Seacrest is in talks with CNN to shimmy into Larry King's chair. Now "talks" can mean a lot of things, and our source also says, "I don't think it's going to happen." Why? Well, for one thing Ryan is currently the host of... everything. E! News, American Idol, a popular KIIS-FM radio show — not to mention a producer.

Microsoft Reportedly Disbands Yahoo Slate (LAT)
Microsoft Corp. continued to distance itself from Yahoo Corp. on Thursday, telling the people it had lined up to nominate to the board as part of a prospective hostile takeover battle that their services were no longer needed, according to a person familiar with the conversations. BusinessWeek: Inside Microsoft's war against Google.

Nina Garcia to Marie Claire? (P6)
Project Runway isn't alone in switching allegiance from Elle to Marie Claire. One of the show's three judges, Nina Garcia , who was fashion director at Elle until recently, is said to be going to Marie Claire, too. The show's winning models and designers will now be featured in the Hearst title rather than Elle. A Marie Claire rep said: "We have no personnel announcements at this time." FashionWeekDaily: Currently, Marie Claire's fashion department is directed by Tracy Taylor, but it appears that Taylor will be leaving the magazine. Portfolio: If Garcia does land at Marie Claire sooner than later, it presents quite a quandary for Elle, which has seen a revival in its circulation and advertising performance since the show became a hit.

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MTV Plans to Increase Its Blending of Ads and Shows (NYT)
Every year at this time, networks pitch advertisers on their programs for the coming year in previews called the upfronts. On Thursday, MTV Networks will sell not only the appeal of its programs but of its commercials as well. In the past year MTV Networks, which is owned by Viacom, has produced a series of commercials for its advertisers that look like regular content.

Web Ad Revenue Up Against 'The Wall' (E&P)
Shackling content behind a pay wall may be off the drawing board — or at least a thing of the past — for most big metros. Yet in smaller markets, some papers have had success online with the paid model while others can't pull the wall down fast enough.

Adults Spend Slightly More Than Half Their Media Hours With TV (AdAge)
The results of a survey on consumer media habits commissioned by the Television Bureau of Advertising, out this week after the study was conducted by Nielsen Media Research, show that adults spend a little over half of their media hours with TV. Meanwhile, a recent survey of marketers and advertisers found many were losing confidence in TV as a medium

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NBC Plans 24-Hour News for the New York Region (NYT)
NBC Universal announced on Wednesday plans to start a 24-hour local cable news channel similar to New York 1. It will de-emphasize the identity of NBC's flagship station, WNBC, Channel 4, rechristening it a "content center" and making it one part of a larger media presence. The new channel will provide the first 24-hour local news coverage of the New York region, including New Jersey and Connecticut. NYP: "We think New York represents such a great news market for us, we want to make a statement about how serious we are about local news," said John Wallace, president of NBC's local media division.

Times Ax Falls on 15 (NYP)
The New York Times is laying off 15 journalists after the company acknowledged it fell short of its goal of getting 100 people to take voluntary buyout packages. The company would not confirm the precise number of layoffs, but in a memo executive editor Bill Keller said the ax would fall on "relatively small numbers" of staffers.

Kaplan to Return to Evening News Next Week (TVNewser)
Insiders say Rick Kaplan's days of double duty are coming to a close. Kaplan has been acting EP of The Early Show since early March. He's also kept his day job as EP of the CBS Evening News With Katie Couric, though the EN staff has done most of the heavy lifting. Kaplan's last day at Early will be this Friday. CBS execs are looking at internal candidates to fill The Early Show EP vacancy.

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Buzz: Editor Downie Taking WaPo Buyout (P6)
Rumor is that longtime executive editor Len Downie will be taking the latest round of buyouts. Among those thought to be in the running to replace him are veteran editor and columnist David Ignatius, who served for several years as executive editor at the International Herald Tribune, and Jon Meacham, wunderkind editor of the Washington Post's sister publication, Newsweek. Washington City Paper: The Washington Post's Style section may be saying goodbye to its top editor, Deborah Heard, who has plowed 20-plus years of service into the paper. She is weighing an early retirement package. FishbowlDC: FishbowlDC has learned that the Washington Post's Style arts editor, John Pancake, will take the paper's buyout package.

Chris Matthews Admits: MSNBC Bosses Were 'Basically Pro-War' (HuffPo)
In a speech at Harvard's Institute of Politics on Monday, Chris Matthews admitted that MSNBC bosses were "basically pro-war during the war." The remark came in a larger discussion of top-down editorial control at the network — of which Matthews claimed there was none, citing the fact that many of his bosses supported Hillary Clinton while he has been very vocal for Obama.

Dan Rather Files Amended Lawsuit (Hollywood Reporter)
Dan Rather fired another round against his former network Tuesday, charging in an amended lawsuit that CBS News labeled the anchor "too hot to handle" and prevented him from being hired by other networks following his acrimonious departure. Rather was rebuffed in an earlier attempt when many of his claims were knocked down by a New York state judge. But the judge also allowed Rather to resubmit his claims.

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Hands Still Wringing at Journal As Robert 'Head of Content' Thomson Takes Reins (NYO)
For the past two weeks, Robert Thomson, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, has been busy not being the paper's editor. It hasn't been easy. Since April 22, Thomson, who was forced to describe himself in an interview with The New York Times as the interim "head of content" for the paper, has had nine meetings to soothe the fraying nerves of his orphaned editorial staff.

Yahoo Investors Awaiting Microsoft Word (NYP)
Disgruntled Yahoo shareholders have just eight days to put up a slate of candidates to replace Jerry Yang, but they desperately need some assurance from Steve Ballmer that he is still willing to negotiate a deal. Some of Yahoo's largest shareholders continued to ponder whether to launch a proxy contest to unseat the board yesterday as they watched Yahoo stock become more expensive. LAT: Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said Wednesday the company isn't pursuing other deals following the withdrawal of its $47.5 billion takeover bid for Yahoo. Guardian: Fourteen years after founding Yahoo, Yang has eight weeks to save it.

Weather Channel in Sex Storm (TSG)
As The Weather Channel's owner negotiates a multibillion-dollar sale of the cable outlet, the network's lawyers are angling to keep secret the details of a blistering arbitration ruling in favor of a former anchorwoman who charges that she was subjected to unrelenting sexual harassment by her male co-anchor, who was "romantically obsessed" with her and frequently made crude remarks like, "Will you lick my swizzle stick?"

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Colbert, will.i.am Among Special Webby Award Recipients (AP)
Stephen Colbert's use of the Internet to connect with fans earned the Comedy Central host special recognition as recipients of the annual Webby awards for Web sites and online achievements were announced Tuesday. A special achievement award also went to will.i.am, the Black Eyed Peas frontman behind the popular "Yes We Can" video supporting presidential candidate Barack Obama.

NBC Super Bowl Ads to Cost $3 Million (WSJ)
The Super Bowl has always been a tough ticket, but now NBC is telling advertisers it will cost them $3 million just to get into the game — for 30 seconds. NBC Universal plans to announce next week that $3 million will be the entry price for a commercial at the 2009 Super Bowl. While individual slots have sold at that level before, it's never been the starting point for negotiations.

Economist Raps Up Youth Market (Guardian)
The Economist's bid to appeal to more youthful readers seems to be paying off after two 17-year-olds created a rap about the business title, while a Facebook fan group created by a teenage schoolgirl has enjoyed a surge in popularity. The rap, created by students Ike Edgerton and Chris Misa under the name Psikotic, is a tribute that includes samples of Economist journalists from the title's audio podcasts.

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