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Sischy Out as New Editorial Directors Take Over at Interview (NYP)
Peter Brant hasn't been on the scene at Interview in years, but yesterday he was back as the soon-to-be-100 percent owner of the magazine, introducing to the staff the company's new editorial directors, Glenn O'Brien and Fabien Baron. His ex-wife Sandy Brant, who had operating control for two decades, and Ingrid Sischy, the editor-in-chief of Interview for 18 years, tendered their resignations the day before. NYT: The departure of Sischy, who took the magazine through a period of growth in advertising revenue and circulation, sent some shock waves through the fashion and publishing community. WWD: "The vision is to carry on the legacy of what it meant to [Warhol], interested in the performance arts, the visual arts, and very interested in fashion and the glamorous side of fashion," said Brant. MIN: Sischy cited Sandra Brant's desire to sell her 50 percent stake in Brant Publications as her reason for leaving, calling it "appropriate" that she go at this time.

WSJ to Continue Charging for Web Content (NYT)
The Wall Street Journal will continue to charge readers for access to much of its Web site, Rupert Murdoch said Thursday. For months, Mr. Murdoch, who took control of the paper in December, has vacillated publicly over whether to maintain its subscription firewall. But officials at his company, News Corporation, say that this time, a decision has actually been made to keep it — for now, at least.

Newspapers See More Online Users in '07 (AP)
U.S. newspapers' online audiences grew about 6 percent last year, an industry group reported Thursday, a rare bit of good news for an industry struggling to adapt as readers and advertising dollars continue to migrate online. Web sites run by newspapers had an average of 60 million unique U.S. visitors per month in 2007, up from 56.4 million the year before.

NY Times Endorses Clinton and McCain in Primaries (NYT)
Editorial: The potential upside of a great Obama presidency is enticing, but this country faces huge problems, and will no doubt be facing more that we can't foresee. The next president needs to start immediately on challenges that will require concrete solutions, resolve, and the ability to make government work. Mrs. Clinton is more qualified, right now, to be president. NYT: Senator John McCain of Arizona is the only Republican who promises to end the George Bush style of governing from and on behalf of a small, angry fringe. With a record of working across the aisle to develop sound bipartisan legislation, he would offer a choice to a broader range of Americans than the rest of the Republican field.

So Far, Marketers Have Stuck With Networks (NYT)
Nearly three months into a strike by Hollywood screenwriters that has suffocated network television schedules, a large portion of prime time is now made up of reality competitions and untested new scripted shows. But so far, advertisers have remained sanguine. Most have opted not to cancel their upfront advertisement commitments for the second quarter of 2008, and some are even making new outlays.

Fox Won't Sell Super Bowl Ads to Candidates (TV Week)
There may be ads for beer, cars, and computers on the Super Bowl, but there won't be any for presidential candidates. Fox has put an end to speculation that one or more of the presidential candidates might use the highest-rated TV broadcast of the year to air a national campaign spot two days before more than 20 states hold presidential primary and caucus votes.

Advertiser Sues Don Imus for Unscripted Comments (Reuters)
A book publisher that bought an ad on Don Imus' radio show is suing the shock jock and his former bosses at CBS Radio for more than $4 million, saying Imus insulted the book he was paid to promote. It was the latest controversy to follow the radio personality, who was fired by CBS Radio in April 2007 for insulting a women's basketball team with a racial slur.

NY Press Sex Columnist Out After Just One Column (FishbowlNY)
New York Press sex columnist Claudia Lonow resigned from her job one day after her first column was released. Moe Tkacik of Jezebel caught the journalist directly plagarizing from fellow sex columnist Dan Savage. In a statement issued by the New York Press, editor David Blum says that Lonow was "unaware that using questions from Savage's column was a breach of journalistic ethics."

CNN's Super Tuesday-Plus (Hollywood Reporter)
CNN is going around the clock with political coverage in the hours leading up to and past Super Tuesday in early February. The network plans to devote an unprecedented 40 consecutive hours of live coverage to the primaries and their aftermath beginning at 6 a.m. EST Feb. 5. "It won't really stop," said Sam Feist, CNN's political director who is coordinating the coverage. TVNewser: CNN's tuesday drop after record Monday night.

Perez Hilton Wins in Lohan Friend Defamation Suit (AP)
Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton is entitled to nearly $85,000 to pay his legal costs in a defamation lawsuit brought by a friend of Lindsay Lohan. Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, also can receive an additional $2,000 if he requests it, Superior Court Judge Elihu M. Berle ruled Wednesday.

Entertainment Weekly Joins the Heathstakes (Radar)
Following People, Entertainment Weekly has also beat the rush to come out with a Heath Ledger cover this week. EW's "Special Tribute Issue" was already up on eBay yesterday morning. A rep for EW said the magazine always closes on Tuesdays, and did so this week as well. The issue is expected to come out today. EW has yet to answer further questions on how the issue might have ended up on the auction site.

Is the TV Guide Deal in Trouble? (Folio:)
Gemstar TV Guide's announced $2.8 billion sale to Macrovision Corp. faces an uphill battle for shareholder approval and ultimately may not go through, industry observers said this week. Gemstar's declining stock price and questions surrounding Macrovision's plans for the company have led to serious speculation that some stockholders may vote against the deal.

In Praise of Horse-Race Coverage (Slate)
Jack Shafer: No presidential campaign would be complete without self-flagellation by the press about its overreliance on "horse race" coverage. Critics of horseracism complain that it isolates on poll results and reports from campaign rallies to the exclusion of discussions of political "substance." But that's hardly ever the case.

Wall Street to Daily Papers: 'Drop Dead' (The Nation)
Eric Alterman: In James O'Shea's final remarks to the LA Times newsroom, he correctly identified "the biggest challenge" facing the industry: "to overcome this pervasive culture of defeat, the psychology of surrender that accepts decline as inevitable." The dude, alas, is dead-on. Newsmen and -women are supposed to go down fighting.

Ron Rosenbaum Is Slate's Ace in the Hole (Marketwatch)
Jon Friedman: I hoped that Rosenbaum could help class up the Internet, which is home to so much nonsense. (For a prime example, check out some bloggers' shameful rumor-mongering about actor Heath Ledger's death this week.) For the record, Rosenbaum has succeeded. The secret to Rosenbaum's success is that he exhibits a journalist's two greatest qualities: courage and curiosity.