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Ending Tradition, NBC Dismisses Fall Debuts (NYT)
It soon may be time to retire the phrase "fall television season." NBC Universal took a big step toward undoing one of the television industry's oldest traditions by announcing Tuesday that it would move to a year-round schedule of staggered program introductions. The move is intended to appeal to advertisers, who crave fresh content to keep viewers tuned in. LAT: "We are taking what has been a one-way conversation and turning it into a two-way dialogue with advertisers," said Marc Graboff, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment. The company also plans a trade show-like "expo" in New York on May 12, the day that had been reserved for the presentation of NBC's fall schedule. AdAge: The move comes as networks have launched more programs in January and the summer, and advertisers such as Johnson & Johnson have grown more vocal about wanting to spend money on TV at a time when it suits their business plans, not at an arbitrary period in May.

Judge Holds Reporter in Contempt in Anthrax Case (USAT)
A federal judge held a former USA Today reporter in contempt of court on Tuesday for failing to identify sources who named former Army scientist Steven Hatfill as a possible suspect in the 2001 anthrax attacks that killed five people. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton said he would begin fining Toni Locy $500 per day, escalating to $5,000 per day, until she identifies the sources. NYT: The judge said he would decide in coming days whether a second former reporter, Jim Stewart, should also be held in contempt of court for refusing to reveal the sources for his accounts on the anthrax inquiry, broadcast on CBS News.

Flop for People on $1.5M Christina Aguilera Baby Cover (NYP)
People is estimated to have paid $1.5 million for this week's exclusive photos of Christina Aguilera and her new baby, but sources say early estimates show consumers have had a rather tepid response to the issue so far. Sources say the issue is on target to sell only around 1.3 million copies this week. The title ordinarily averages 1.4 million copies a week.

NBC Reprimands Employee for Using Picture of Bin Laden Behind Obama Story (AP)
NBC News said Tuesday it has reprimanded the employee responsible for mistakenly flashing a picture of Osama bin Laden on MSNBC as Chris Matthews talked about Barack Obama. "This mistake was inexcusable," MSNBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines said. The Obama campaign immediately called NBC to complain, and Matthews apologized on the air a few minutes later.

The Understated Journal Gets Emphatic About Punctuation (WWD)
The Wall Street Journal's new glossy magazine has officially jettisoned the name "Pursuits" in favor of ... "WSJ." That's W-S-and-J — period included. (So, too, let the punctuation wrangling commence.) A spokesman confirmed the name: "Its understatedness suits the personality of the Journal and avoids the pretense and artifice of many bad magazine names."

Questions About Lohan's New York Marilyn Spread (Radar)
The plan to publish the nudes was never made clear, Lindsay Lohan's rep says. Photographer Bert Stern, famous for getting Marilyn Monroe to strip on film six weeks before her overdose, suggested a much less revealing homage for the mag. A rumor suggests Stern dangled the possibility that the nudes would be displayed only in a museum or as part of his book and that the tamer shots would go to New York.

Arianna Climbs Into the Top Tier With 'That Man,' Drudge (NYO)
Nearly three years into its existence, Huffingtonpost.com is getting there, with unique visitors logging on at three times the rate they did just six months ago. In the 30-day period ending Feb. 18, the site has had roughly eight million unique visitors, up from the 2.7 million that were visiting the site as late as May 2007, and up from the 1.5 million that visited the site when it launched in January 2006.

FCC Says NYPD Blue Fines Will Stick (B&C)
The FCC has given about 40 ABC affiliates two days — until Feb. 21 — to pay $27,500 apiece for airing a bare behind in an episode of NYPD Blue. In the process, the FCC reaffirmed its commitment to indecency regulation, saying that the "broadcast media continue to have a uniquely pervasive presence" in American life and remain "uniquely accessible to children."

Deadline Looms for Scribes With ABC Deals (Hollywood Reporter)
The clock is ticking for writers who have projects in development at ABC. Sources said the network has set a Wednesday deadline for all scripts — drama and comedy — to be turned in. That is close to the March 1 mark generally perceived by TV studios as target date for submitting scripts in order to allow time for completing pilots and presentations before the upfronts.

Mag Publishers Resist Rapid-Report Regime (Portfolio)
The magazine business has long been weirdly secretive about circulation data, delaying the release of issue-by-issue numbers until weeks or months after the fact. That was supposed to change this year with the widespread adoption of a new, rapid-reporting system by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, but publishers aren't using it. Or not nearly as much as they could be, anyway.

Will Oscars Grab Big Ratings? (Variety)
Folks in Hollywood are rallying behind Sunday's Oscarcast with renewed passion after prolonged fears about its strike-stricken fate. Last year's kudocast averaged 40.17 million viewers, up from the previous year (38.94 million). The 2007 Oscarcast was the 2006-07 TV season's most-watched entertainment telecast, outdrawing even the highest-rated episodes of American Idol.

Critics Slam FCC Chairman's Low-Power TV Plan (USAT)
A FCC plan to help owners of rural television stations survive the transition to digital broadcasting is great for station owners, bad for cable companies, and of questionable value to viewers, say critics. FCC chairman Kevin Martin's plan is meant to help thousands of low-power television stations across the U.S. that operate in rural and underserved communities hold onto their viewers during the digital shift.

Meet Natalie Bancroft, News Corp's Newest Board Member (Portfolio)
The question now is how this musical child of jet-set privilege will interact with News Corp.'s powerful board. So far, Bancroft has met her future colleagues just once, at a dinner in December. She is the only woman and the youngest by almost a decade; the member closest to her in age is James Murdoch, one of Rupert's sons, who is 35 and heads News Corp.'s European and Asian operations.

Hearst Launches YouTube Channels for Mags (Mediaweek)
Seizing on the growing popularity of online video and community sites, Hearst Magazines has launched channels for three of its popular magazines on YouTube, with another 12 to follow in the near future. Hearst is hardly the first traditional media company to ink a deal with YouTube, but the publisher says that a user-generated approach sets its deal apart from others that preceded it.

Why Foreign Correspondents' Ranks Are Thinning (Marketwatch)
Jon Friedman: Once journalism gets into someone's blood, it can be difficult to leave. (Where else can you get paid for drinking coffee, talking on the phone, and asking powerful people impertinent questions all day long?) But when a journalist becomes disenchanted enough to leave the craft, he or she can talk about it like a betrayed lover.