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U.S. Supermarket, Newsstand Magazine Sales Tumble (Reuters)
Newsstand and retail sales of U.S. magazines fell 11 percent in the second half of 2008, with celebrity and women's titles taking a hit as supermarket and drugstore shoppers cut back on their spending. Total paid and verified U.S. magazine circulation fell a bit less than 1 percent, the Audit Bureau said. Folio:: Bauer's celebrity magazines In Touch Weekly and Life & Style were among the hardest hit at newsstands. NYT: Sales of People, which only loosely fits the celebrity category, increased 2 percent, to almost 3.7 million, and even single-copy sales rose slightly. WSJ: When their newsstand sales fall, publishers generally chase subscriptions to make rate base.
New Media Breaks In, but Tradition Lives On in White House Press Room (NYT)
President Obama on Monday evening became the 10th American president to call on Helen Thomas at a White House news conference. And he was the first to call on Sam Stein, a reporter for The Huffington Post, whose Internet publication sprung to life during Mr. Obama's candidacy.
Yahoo in Talks to Buy Tumblr (Gawker)
Yahoo is in talks to buy Tumblr, a blogging startup run by David Karp for "low-to-mid eight figures" -- which would translate to a small fortune for the entrepreneur. And a quick one, too, without the troubles of figuring out how to make money off of Internet hipsters' self-indulgent ramblings.
Burkle's Source Interlink Sues Over Mags Distribution (NYP)
The ongoing battle between magazine publishers and wholesalers took a turn yesterday after Ron Burkle's Source Interlink Cos. sued several publishers and rival wholesalers claiming they're trying to drive Source out of business. Folio:: In the suit, Source alleges that the defendants "conspired" to force the company to sell its distribution business at a steep discount to rivals Hudson News and News Group.
Wall Street Journal Expands Asia, Europe Web Sites (AP)
The Wall Street Journal on Monday unveiled expanded Web sites dedicated to news about Asia and Europe, and launched a regional home page for India. The publication, which is owned by News Corp., has added to its news teams in Hong Kong, London, and New Delhi, India as a result.
Cablevision to Write Down Newsday Investment (NYP)
For Cablevision, Newsday has been nothing but bad news. The Long Island-based cable company's foray into newspapers is proving to be an ugly one after the firm said it would write down its newspaper assets by between $375 million and $450 million.
Calif. Artist Sues AP Over Image of Obama (AP)
The artist who created a famous image of Barack Obama before he became president sued The Associated Press on Monday, asking a judge to find that his use of an AP photo in creating the poster did not violate copyright law because he dramatically changed the nature of the image.
Local TV Stations Face a Fuzzy Future (WSJ)
Now, with their viewership in decline and ad revenue on a downward spiral, many local TV stations face the prospect of being cut out of the picture. Executives at some major networks are beginning to talk about an option that once would have been unthinkable: eventually taking shows straight to cable.
OK! Having Trouble Attracting New Management (P6)
Richard Desmond is having a tough time trying to find someone to run OK!. After the British millionaire fired managing director Kent Brownridge and EIC Susan Toepfer, former editor Sarah Ivens stepped in for a week. But now she's gone and "no one wants the job. No one will return their calls."
Hachette Filipacchi Drops Out of Magazine Publishers of America (AdAge)
Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., publisher of magazines including Elle and Car and Driver, has dropped out of the Magazine Publishers of America, the magazine industry's association for promoting the medium, lobbying in Washington, and supporting magazine publishers.
Tony Robbins Lands NBC Reality Show (TV Week)
NBC is teaming up with self-help guru Tony Robbins and Biggest Loser producer Reveille for a reality show that aims to radically transform the lives of participants -- in most cases without surgery, million-dollar prizes, or drill sergeant-like personal trainers.
NY Times Self-Review a Balancing Act for Reporter (E&P)
Richard Perez-Pena wrote a lengthy 1,500-word story for Monday's paper that appears to do the job of laying out the company's problems, but offering both optimistic hope for its future and clear criticisms of where it went wrong. He said taking on his employer was just a simple result of the news.
My Network TV in an Overhaul (NYT)
MyNetworkTV, a unit of the News Corporation, announced Monday that it would refashion itself, beginning in September, from a broadcast-network model to a "hybrid" service that would continue to supply programs to its affiliate stations.
Random House Snags Diane Keaton Memoir (NYO)
A long competition over Diane Keaton's memoir, which compelled some of New York's busiest editors and publishers to clear their schedules last week and fly to Los Angeles, drew to a close Friday night. The winner was the flagship imprint of Random House.
Forbes Shutters MountainTime (FishbowlNY)
Forbes Media has shuttered MountainTime, which was focused on luxury recreation and adventure in the West. Editor Philip Armour said "The credit collapse and poor ad sales have led the Forbes family to lose the stomach for enduring the necessary losses that could eventually get the magazine into the black."
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