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McCain Turns Tables on Times (Politico)
Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign claimed vindication Thursday night after a sophisticated 24-hour counterattack turned a potentially lethal story in The New York Times into a conservative call to arms. The reaction may have said as much about the mindset of the conservative movement on the brink of the general election as it did about McCain and his team. CJR: Five questions for Bill Keller about the McCain story. AJR: Sorting out The New York Times' McCain blockbuster. E&P: Keller defends the story on NPR, while the paper asks readers to question its reporters. E&P: Gabriel Sherman of The New Republic, whose online piece yesterday detailed months of backroom maneuvers that led to the bombshell story, does not believe his piece prompted the Times to run its story early. Forbes: Will the Times allegations hurt, or help, McCain? WaPo: Times gets flak from all sides for the McCain story. The Nation: Defending McCain from adultery, corruption, and the Times.

Behind the Reed Business Sale (Deadline Hollywood Daily)
Nikki Finke: Who wasn't gobsmacked by Reed Elsevier's announcement that it plans to sell Reed Business Information, the magazine publishing division that includes Variety and Daily Variety, Broadcasting and Cable, Multichannel News, and Publishers Weekly. Well, everyone except RBI-U.S. CEO Tad Smith who sent a memo reassuring his staff that "the announcement this morning neither surprises nor worries me". NYT: Last year, the unit had revenue of $1.76 billion with an adjusted operating profit of $233 million. Most of the revenue came from advertising, and in a statement Reed said it was seeking to reduce its exposure "to advertising markets and cyclicality." LAT: Charlie Koones, who until Dec. 31 oversaw Reed Business Information's entertainment division as the president and publisher of Variety, said the decision to sell illustrated the difficulties facing print publications.

Time Appeals $100 Million Suharto Libel Ruling (IHT)
Time filed an appeal Thursday in Indonesia of a court ruling awarding former President Suharto more than $100 million in damages over an article about what the U.N. calls one of the most gargantuan thefts of our time. The court said that Time had libeled Suharto by reporting that he and his family had amassed a fortune of least $15 billion in money and assets stolen from his country.

ABC Pays NYPD Blue Fine, Appeals Decision in Federal Court (B&C)
ABC appealed the Federal Communications Commission's proposed $1 million-plus NYPD Blue fine to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit — the same court that said the FCC's fleeting profanity policy was arbitrary and capricious. But first it paid $1,237,500 in fines for its two owned stations and the 43 other affiliates cited. ABC said it needed to pay before it could appeal the decision to the court.

With Strike's End, Oscars Regain Marketing Allure (NYT)
The end of the strike, which meant that nominees like George Clooney would attend the show rather than honor a picket line, was deemed noteworthy enough that one Oscar sponsor was considering producing a special commercial to celebrate the settlement. But logistics could not be worked out and the spot was scrubbed. USAT: Jon Stewart takes his role as Oscar host seriously.

Meredith President: 'We Don't Hire Editors Anymore' (Folio:)
The period of "discontinuous change" and upheaval in the magazine industry has forced virtually every magazine publisher to tear up its playbook, Meredith publishing president Jack Griffin says. And perhaps, with the exception of technology magazines, no publisher has been forced to tear it up faster than Meredith.

More Hollywood Writers Doing an End-Run Around the Studio System (CSM)
While the striking writers had their pens down and union hackles up, many were seeking creative new ways to rewrite the rules of engagement with the industry. That means scores of adventurous, often-angry film and TV scribes reaching out to find new partners who can promise greater ownership, control, and independence within the new media world. The trend includes various ways to skirt studio bosses to reach consumers directly on the Web. Hollywood Reporter: At the end of the first full post-strike week, development deals and script sales have been slower than many in the film world anticipated. But is it the calm before the storm or the calm before more calm?

NBC Might Keep Friday Night Lights Alive on Cable (Variety)
Friday Night Lights may shine on for another season — and on more than one network. NBC Universal execs have decided they want to go the extra yard to ensure the drama returns for a third season. To make sure that happens, conglom is having serious conversations with several networks about a plan to carve out multiple broadcast windows for the show. TV Week: Did Viacom put the kibosh on a "Save Friday Night Lights" petition?

An Outsider Fights for a Vote at NYT Co. (WaPo)
Scott Galloway was unknown to the Times Co. two weeks before Christmas. Since then, he has purchased more than 15 percent of the company's stock and proposed a slate of four directors — including himself — that was effectively shot down by the company yesterday. He now appears girded for battle.

Armani Slams Wintour at Press Conference (Guardian)
Air-kissing and back-stabbing were abandoned at Milan fashion week when Giorgio Armani, one of the most powerful fashion designers in the world, publicly criticized Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue. Addressing the international fashion press, including Wintour, Armani drew gasps when he wondered aloud why so many people disliked Wintour. WWD: Was there a chill between Anna Wintour and Carine Roitfeld during the Milan shows this week? Speculation bubbled up that the editor-in-chief of Vogue was ruffled by a profile of her Paris counterpart in New York that carried the title "The Anti-Anna" and had Roitfeld commenting on the celebrity editor phenomenon.

Campaign '08: The Hottest Show on TV (BusinessWeek)
Jon Fine: Surely I'm not the first to think that Election '08 should sweep all awards for best dramatic series. There's dynasty, gender, race, and war. A prominent spouse has a well-documented wandering eye. The fresh-faced are butting heads with establishmentarians. The basic setup aims straight for the viscera: wrest power from your foe and spend however many hundreds of millions of dollars it takes.

David Sedaris on Why He Keeps Changing the Title of His New Book (NYO)
Publisher's Weekly reported earlier this month that David Sedaris had changed the title of his forthcoming book of essays. Originally it was listed as All the Beauty You'll Ever Need. Then it popped up as Indefinite Leave to Remain. Then, just a few months before its June 3rd publication date, it became When You Are Engulfed in Flames. What happened?

SI's Swimsuit Issue Gets Kid-Friendly (Portfolio)
That imaginary guy who reads Playboy for the articles now has a great excuse for buying the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue: for the picture puzzles, of course! This year's edition contains a five-page "find the hidden image" feature that seems more appropriate to Highlights for Kids than to a magazine filled with buxom women wearing nothing but paint or strategically-placed mud.

Friendly Ghost or Pope?: Varieties of Reality TV Hosts (LAT)
Not all hosts are made the same. The modern era has turned out many different theories of hosting — be it the "Friendly Ghost Host" method evinced by Ryan Seacrest or the more dynamic "Hosting as Performance Art" practiced by Hulk Hogan on American Gladiators. USAT: Dennis Miller is the latest game show funnyman.

Mag Sites Add Video, but Not Much Expertise (AdAge)
Larry Dobrow: A solid 85 percent of magazine Web sites are way out of their depth when they turn their attention to video. Maybe the mere creation of these clips, the fact that they exist, is cause for celebration in magazineland. But outside its inky gates, the standards are a bit higher. All most magazines are accomplishing here is further scuffing their already diminished brands.