Media News

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Budget Cut (NYP)
Budget Living has apparently run out of time and is shutting down. No one was willing to take over the iconoclastic lifestyle pub and keep it running. In fact, many of the major publishers who watched the mag rack up editorial and reader successes simply entered the market themselves. WWD: No decisions yet about whether the mag will publish its March issue. Mediaweek: About 50 staffers will be affected by the close.

Daily Candy on the Block (WSJ)
Former AOL exec Robert Pittman stands to earn a potential windfall from the sale. With traditional and electronic publishers keen to get their hands on Internet-advertising properties, Daily Candy could fetch more than $100 million, people familiar with the matter say.

Media Mogul's Son to Air Dirty Laundry (NYT)
Brent Redstone, son of Sumner Redstone, the billionaire media mogul who controls both CBS and Viacom, has filed a lawsuit looking to force a break-up of his father's empire, charging that he has not been treated fairly and his sister is being favored.

Fleischer Joins Criticism of Response to Cheney Hunting Accident (E&P)
Ari Fleischer, who served as President George W. Bush's first press secretary, added to the growing criticism of Vice President Dick Cheney's handling of the weekend shooting incident, saying that it "crosses the threshold of news worthiness that ought to be announced and explained." CJR Daily: If the vice president shoots his hunting buddy in the forest and only a Republican supporter and lobbyist is there to see it, did it actually happen?

Travel+Leisure to Spin Off Travel+Romance (Mediaweek)
The publication and companion Web site, travel-romance.com. will cover the best in destination weddings, honeymoons and trips for two. The website will feature original and print content from the magazine, with links to sister sites travelandleisure.com and theknot.com.

Domino Is 'Mag Launch of the Year' for 2005 (MIN)
Samir Husni: Many of the 1,012 launches (348 with a quarterly or greater frequency) that my staff and I compiled for Samir Husni's Guide to New Magazines were "me-too" copycats. But, judging from five criteria, we pinpointed the 30 notable launches of 2005.

ABC News Thrown by Anchor Challenges (NYO)
In December, ABC settled at last on a long-term plan for World News Tonight. The empty desk left by the death of Peter Jennings would be filled by a pair of youthful, globetrotting talents, Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas. Now, two months later, that vision for the future is on indefinite hold.

Dobbs' Outspokenness Draws Fans and Fire (NYT)
Lou Dobbs's recent attacks on illegal immigration is touching sensitive nerves these days as the debate over immigration legislation heats up around the country. DobbsWatch: For CNN's Dobbs, it's always Groundhog Day.

Dateline Roots Out Sex Predators, Gets Attention (USAT)
The program's highest-rated edition in more than a year continues to reverberate with viewers: 15,000 e-mailed the magazine about a recent hidden-camera report that revealed a nationwide epidemic of men who target young teenagers online for sex.

New Atlantic Owner Bradley Cultivating Patience After D.C. Move (NYO)
The magazine still has no editor in chief, despite a months-long search. In the current issue, rather than showcasing a rebuilt masthead, The Atlantic includes no masthead at all.

There's Nothing Like the Smell of Newsprint in the Morning (NYT)
Stuart Elliott: Trade organizations for the newspaper and magazine industries plan to introduce elaborate and expensive campaigns that tackle a daunting task: persuading marketers and agencies to think better of print as an ad medium.

Bruce Willis Defends James Frey, Blasts Celebrity Media (Page Six)
The Hollywood he-man says he's a big fan of the A Million Little Pieces author-turned-literary-pariah, and he's, instead, directing his ire at former Frey booster Oprah Winfrey, the scribes at Entertainment Weekly and celeb gossip magazines.

—David S. Hirschman