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Friday Night Lights Comes Back From the Near-Dead as 'A Brand New Show' (LAT)
Heading into their third season, the cast members of the long-threatened NBC drama Friday Night Lights said today that they acutely feel the gratitude that comes with being pulled back from the brink of cancellation. "It was sort of like we were thrown a life ring," actor Kyle Chandler said of the deal NBC struck with DirecTV to split the series' production costs and distribution rights.

Trib Buries News in Redesign Test (Crain's Chicago Business)
The new face of the Chicago Tribune is taking shape, as staffers at the newspaper put the finishing touches on a prototype set for a test run in the next few weeks. The Tribune Co. will try out some dramatic changes in the 161-year-old broadsheet in a Saturday edition by early August.

Newspaper Companies Should Cut the Dividends (CJR)
Ryan Chittum: It's clear newspaper companies won't be able to keep up dividend payments at their current levels. No industry could when its sales are falling at or near a double-digit rate -- and soaring dividend ratios are often a sign for investors that a cut is in the offing. But why pay dividends at all?

Today's Ann Curry Experiments With Comedy (P6)
Ann Curry has been moonlighting as a stand-up comic. The soft-spoken Today show host shocked the audience when she walked onstage at Caroline's on Broadway the other night and performed a set. "She had a camera crew from the show with her," said a spy. "She was filming a segment on facing your worst fears, and hers is public speaking, so she did stand-up."

New Owners Tap George Lois, Luke Hayman for 02138 Redesign (Folio:)
Manhattan Media, the community newspaper and magazine publisher that acquired irreverent Harvard alumni publication 02138 this summer, has hired legendary Esquire cover designer George Lois and noted Pentagram designer Luke Hayman to help lead the magazine's redesign set to launch later this year.

Is There Any Reason to Be Optimistic About Media? Yep (AdAge)
Simon Dumenco: Oh, hell, it's bad out there. But you don't need me to tell you that. So I'm taking a week off from my usual default mode of creeping dread and swaggering indignation. Instead, I'm delivering an uncharacteristically upbeat edition of Media Guy, highlighting just some of the media I'm happiest about lately.

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