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Star EIC Dolce Out, Trunzo to to Take Over (Mediaweek)
American Media Inc. named veteran tabloid editor Candace Trunzo the new editor in chief of the magazine, capping weeks of speculation that Joe Dolce [left] would leave the post after his contract expires March 31. FishbowlNY: "I want to thank Joe for all his efforts and contributions towards Star's successful transition from tabloid to glossy magazine," AMI chief David Pecker said in memo to staff. NYP: Sources are wondering why AMI brass would spend so much time trying to carve an identity for Star as an upscale celebrity weekly in a league with People and Us Weekly, and then bring in old supermarket tabloid editors like Trunzo to try to fix it.

Libby Team Reverses Course: Defendant, Cheney Won't Take Stand (NY Sun)
The decisions not to put Scooter Libby and Dick Cheney on the stand were disclosed by the lead defense counsel, Theodore Wells Jr., yesterday afternoon at Libby's trial. "We have released the vice president as a potential witness," Wells said at a hearing outside the presence of the jury. He said the defense team had recommended to Libby that he not testify and the former White House aide agreed. NYT: Putting Libby on the stand would expose him to a cross-examination by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the chief prosecutor, that could be withering. NYO: After all the leadup, Times managing editor Jill Abramson rolled through her testimony, mildly dismissing Judy Miller.

Google Loses Belgian Copyright Suit (AP via San Jose Mercury News)
Google lost a copyright lawsuit to Belgian newspapers that had demanded it remove headlines and links to articles posted on its news site without their permission. The ruling, if it stands on appeal, could set a precedent for how Web search engines link to copyrighted material in the tumultuous arena of online news, according to the Belgian copyright group that launched the case.

Iraqi Journalist Spoils Pentagon-Press Synergy (CJR Daily)
Monday's front pages were ablaze with accounts of the double super-secret briefing that American officials — who insisted on anonymity — held in Baghdad last weekend for members of the press purporting evidence of Iranian complicity in the Iraqi insurgency. But apparently some gung ho Iraqi journalists never got the memo on how the leak game is played.

Secret Hour-Long Nightline Pilots Filmed (NYO)
The test versions were prepared for ABC and Disney executives, who will consider whether to further develop an expanded version of the show. Nightline has done hour-long episodes in the past, as when its founding host, Ted Koppel, conducted celebrated news-breaking panels in Israel and South Africa, but the show has never owned an entire hour of regular late-night real estate.

Couric Still in Third Place — But Working Hard to Move Up (NYT)
Couric, whose move to CBS was hailed as a milestone, recently introduced a segment, "The American Spirit," in which she spiritedly interviews inspiring Americans, hoping to enliven the newscast with some of her trademark early-morning pep and pizazz — the Today-ification of the CBS Evening News. NYT: ABC's Gibson sees rare ratings victory.

TV on the Radio (NYT)
Across the country, radio stations are putting up video on their Web sites, ranging from a camera in the broadcast booth to exclusive coverage of events like the Super Bowl to music videos, news clips and Web-only musical performances. "This is no longer the age of 'having a face for radio,'" said the senior director of marketing and promotions at an L.A. radio station. "This is a visual medium now."

FCC to Examine CBS Newsroom Consolidation (UPI)
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will investigate allegations that CBS Television is seeking to consolidate newsrooms, a congressman says. U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., said the FCC has requested reports from the CBS network and the Writers Guild of America East and West on the situation. The agency will report to the congressman "once we have heard from the parties."

Candidates Take Ad War to the Blogosphere (WSJ)
The advertising war for the 2008 presidential campaign is already under way online, as candidates buy space on search engines, blogs and other sites popular with political junkies and donors. But some online activists get offended if they think a candidate is paying for ads on Internet sites of the wrong political stripe. And some smaller, locally influential blogs have gotten miffed at being passed over.

YouTube Is the Media Outlet of Choice for Iraqi Insurgents (IraqSlogger)
The Google-owned outlet is reportedly the favorite place for Iraqi militants to post online videos of bombings, attacks on U.S. troops, and propaganda. This insurgent Web site contains links to many YouTube posts.

Judith Regan Nemesis Transcends Family Scandal (NYO)
"I think boss-from-hell stories really resonate today," said Bridie Clark, whose novel Because She Can was inspired by her experiences working for fallen publishing mogul Judith Regan. "There's so many women that are so heavily invested in their careers now and dealing with nightmare bosses that it's become such a universal experience." GalleyCat: The scene at Bridie Clark's book party. mediabistro.com: "My dinner with Judith Regan."

Author Cussler Struggles on the Stand as a New Suit Is Filed (LAT)
As novelist Clive Cussler struggled on the witness stand yesterday in a breach-of-contract trial, lawyers for his opponent, billionaire Philip Anschutz, filed a suit in Denver alleging that the author's agent inflated the number of Cussler books sold. The suit says Anschutz would never have made Sahara if it had known that Cussler's agent had "concealed the true facts for several years."

Virtual Journalism in 'Second Life' (E&P)
Brian Howard: Reuters and CNET both have "bureaus" in the online virtual community — staffed with real people who report on events within and relating to the "metaverse." In addition to established news sources, legions of blogs and websites devoted to the metaverse have sprung up, including the leading blog New World Notes. The site is run by real-world journalist James Wagner Au, who works under the avatar name Hamlet Au.

No War on the Press? (Slate)
Jack Shafer: If the government is really "at war" with the press, why hasn't it gone after the journalists and publications that have directly and brazenly challenged its authority? A president intent on making such a war would surely have carpet-bombed Dana Priest and the Washington Post for her secret prisons report. By now, Sy Hersh of the New Yorker would have been executed on general principle.

Barack Obama Has Nothing to Complain About When It Comes to Media (Marketwatch)
Jon Friedman: Taken at face value, this astounds me. I can't remember the last time journalists gave a White House candidate such a supersonic push to enable him or her to capture the public's imagination. But now, Obama is grousing about how he is being portrayed. Talk about audacity! Sometimes the media just can't win — and the public wonders why we seem so cynical at times.

TV Channel to Target Big-Spending Russian Brides (Guardian)
Booming disposable incomes among Eastern Europe's rising middle class have caught the eye of the world's first wedding channel, which plans to launch in Poland, Romania and Russia next month. Wedding TV launched in the U.K. on Sky in December and has been tapping into a buoyant industry, attracting the more obvious advertisers like florists and beauty products as well as mortgage lenders.