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Final Memogate Producer Resigns (Newsday)
The final CBS News executive asked to resign for his role in the network's discredited report on President Bush's military service reached a settlement with CBS and quit Tuesday. NYT: Howard had worked at CBS for more than two decades. E&P: Mary Mapes signs six-figure book deal. NYO: Even with Rather gone, White House isn't sated.

Fox Loses Its Head (NYT)
Gail Berman is expected to leave her job as the chief television programmer at Fox Entertainment to take the top creative position at Paramount Pictures. WaPo: Berman has been the head of programming for Fox since July 2000, a major accomplishment in itself at a network with a reputation for chewing up and spitting out its programming chiefs. LAT: Berman an unexpected choice at Paramount.

LAT Publisher Drops Out (L.A. Observed)
Times publisher John Puerner, who has had his share of battles with the Tribune bosses in Chicago, is leaving. No nice landing, no nothing. The new publisher is Jeff Johnson, who has been executive vice president and general manager. NYT: Puerner told staff he had decided to leave "to take a self-imposed career break."

Newspapers Team Up to Buy Web News Monitor (NYT)
The Gannett Company, Knight Ridder Inc., and the Tribune Company are joining forces to buy three-fourths of Topix.net, a Web site that monitors online news sources. Marketwatch: Topix.net would not disclose the terms of the deal, only to say that the funding was less than $5 million.

Ads in Gay Media Soar (Marketwatch)
In their "2004 Gay Press Report," ad agency Prime Access and media placement firm Rivendell Media said that advertising in gay publications soared more than 28 percent last year, hitting $207 million.

CNN Looking for New Ways to Battle Fox (NYT)
Jonathan Klein, the new president of CNN, wants to increase the amount of time viewers spend watching the network by an average of six minutes a year.

Mary Matalin to Head Publishing Imprint (AP via Yahoo!)
The Republican pundit and strategist also known as the wife/sparring partner of Democratic consultant James Carville, will run a new conservative publishing imprint at Simon & Schuster.

Schiavo Story Crests (USAT)
Peter Johnson: Terri Schiavo's story has been reported on and off again for 15 years, but nothing compares with the current media sensation surrounding her case. Orlando Sentinel: Television news executives repeatedly cite "emotion" as the underlying reason the story commands such attention.

MSO Revamps Body & Soul (NYP)
Next week, Martha Stewart Living's newly redesigned Body & Soul magazine hits the newsstands, which is a new Martha-free offering the company hopes will hit it big.

Stalled FCC Changes Could Be Trouble for Trib (Chicago Sun-Times)
The Chicago-based Tribune company, which owns the Chicago Tribune, has staked its future on owning television stations and newspapers in the same places—something federal law prohibits.

Criminal Investigation Hits Black (Guardian)
The government is looking into allegations that Conrad Black and his former top deputy David Radler committed fraud by diverting funds from the Chicago-based Hollinger International to themselves and to companies they controlled. Daily Business Review: Canada puts lien on Black's Palm Beach estate.

Fox Orders Third Season of The O.C. (Mediaweek)
The drama is first in the time period ratings among adults 18-34 and teens, and has boosted the network's rating in the period by 72 percent over last year among adults 18-49 and 111 percent among adults 18-34.

Holy Greil? (Marketwatch)
Jon Friedman: Greil Marcus is America's rarest pop music critic. He has devoted his career, creeping up on its fourth decade, to the ambitious—and audacious—task of explaining rock and roll's influence on the popular culture. Marcus has no peer when it comes to connecting the dots.

Gourevitch Appointment Softens Paris Review Critics (NYO)
Although Philip Gourevitch's selection as editor has been greeted with general approval, it also took many by surprise, as his name hadn't been mentioned among the handful of contenders.

Mags Battle Over 'Commonwealth' Name (Boston Globe)
Mark Jurkowitz: There are some obvious differences between the luxe-minded Niche Media, and MassINC, a nonprofit think tank that produces a periodical about ''Politics, Ideas, and Civic Life in Massachusetts." But one thing they share is a name—at least for now.

Cooke Puts Stamp on NYDN (NYP)
Michael Cooke the British-born editor has been at the helm of the paper for a little over a month and his handiwork is finally becoming clearer.

New Yorker Drawings' Subtle Shift (NYT)
The tiny "spot" drawings that have peppered the pages of The New Yorker for decades have never had a narrative. That is, until now.

GQ Reject Makes Good a Mile High (NYO)
Maximillian Potter, who abandoned New York in 2003 after being chewed up by the magazine business, is nominated for a pair of ASME awards at the obscure 5280.

FEC to Hit Bloggers? (WSJ)
Editorial: What is the agency to do with blogs that praise candidates? Computers and Web access cost money, which could be construed as a financial contribution to a campaign. Ditto bloggers who link to politicians' websites, or any individual who forwards a candidate's press release to a list of buddies.

How to Succeed as a Citizen Media Editor (OJR)
Mark Glaser: There's a new animal in online newsrooms—the editor in charge of citizen journalism and blogs. These pioneers share best practices and tips.

U.S. Won't Reopen Probe Into Journos' Alleged Abuse (Reuters)
The Pentagon has refused to reopen an investigation into allegations by three Iraqis working for Reuters that they were abused and mistreated by U.S. forces, saying it stood by an initial probe exonerating American troops.

China Battles 'Media Corruption' (BBC)
China says it will introduce new measures barring journalists from reporting if they are found to have made up stories or taken bribes.

—David S. Hirschman