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Wall Street Journal M.E. to Resign (Time)
Sources at Dow Jones say that Marcus Brauchli, managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, is submitting a letter of resignation, with his departure to be announced as early as this morning. The separation is said to be amicable and Brauchli is likely to stay with the company in a yet-to-be-determined capacity. One source says a search is already underway for the next managing editor. NYT: Friends and colleagues say that Mr. Brauchli has been frustrated with some changes, and with the sense that he did not have the control over the newspaper that he was promised. WSJ: The Journal's publisher, Robert Thomson, may take over as interim managing editor of the paper. WaPo: In an interview last month, Brauchli said Murdoch was "very engaged" with the paper but defended the newsroom's independence, adding that Murdoch sets "broad objectives" and lets his editors figure out how to meet them.

Murdoch, Newsday Close to Deal (Newsday)
Tribune Co. is near an agreement to sell Newsday to New York Post owner Rupert Murdoch for $580 million, according to a source familiar with the negotiations and to a published report. Details on a cash deal between the Tribune and Murdoch's News Corp. won't be final for another three or four weeks, the source said.

CBS Dem Debate Officially Canceled (TVNewser)
CBS' hopes for a primary debate, have been officially dashed. The North Carolina Democratic party is canceling Sunday's debate because they could not get a commitment from Sen. Barack Obama. The face-off was to be moderated by Katie Couric and Bob Schieffer with a plum spot after 60 Minutes. "I'm disappointed, we all are," CBS News senior VP of news coverage Paul Friedman says.

Viacom Chief Trying to Oust Moonves? (NYP)
As if CBS chief Les Moonves didn't have enough to worry about, he now has to contend with Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman conspiring to remove him. Sumner Redstone, who serves as chairman of both Viacom and CBS, has privately expressed frustration to Dauman at CBS' stock price, the negative press related to CBS radio, a dearth of recent prime-time TV hits, and, of course, the fate of Katie Couric. NYP: Viacom's decision to kill Paramount Pictures' output deal with CBS' Showtime network could end up hurting Philippe Dauman's company more than it does Les Moonves'.

New York Post Shrinking (NYT/City Room)
Starting today, the New York Post will be 12 inches high, down from 13½ inches now. "Just like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post will be making the size of the daily paper slightly smaller effective tomorrow," Suzanne Halpin, a spokeswoman for the paper, said in a statement on Monday. Gawker: The new "mini" size is the equivalent of The Wall Street Journal folded in two. So the change will allow the Post and Journal to be printed on the same presses.

Tony Snow: 'I Love the Folks at Fox' (Politico)
Despite joining CNN today, Tony Snow said he still has affection for his former colleagues at Fox News, where he worked prior to his stint as President Bush's press secretary "Everybody is going to try and create a Fox and CNN narrative out of this," said Snow, who also mentioned that he "love[s]" Fox News chief Roger Ailes and would "walk over broken glass" for Bill O'Reilly.

Ominous Signs for American Idol (LAT)
Maybe it's not as shocking as, say, Aussie heartthrob Michael Johns getting voted off the show. But the news still surprises: "American Idol's" ratings are down. Way down, among some viewers. Could it be that the singing smash, which has entirely reshaped television over the past seven seasons, is finally proving mortal? And if so, what will that mean for Fox, the rest of the TV industry, and Ryan Seacrest?

Overhaul for Web Site of Essence (NYT)
Two media units of Time Warner are teaming up in an effort to turn Essence into a multimedia brand. The company announced on Monday that the Warner Brothers Television Group would work with Essence, a Time Inc. publication, to redesign its Web site, share content with the syndicated TV show Extra, and develop new television programming tied to the magazine brand. Folio:: The partnership's first video project will be called Extra on Essence, a digital series hosted by Tanika Ray, weekend co-anchor of TV news program Extra. As part of the agreement, Extra will also contribute content to the entertainment section of the print magazine. AdAge: "Our advertisers, they want more. The P&Gs, J&Js, L'Oreals, and General Motors, they are asking for more content and more video content from us," said Michelle Ebanks, president, Essence Communications Inc. "It helps them create a deeper connection with audiences that they value."

NBC News, MSNBC.com in News Pact With MySpace (Mediaweek)
NBC News and MSNBC.com will be the exclusive news and information provider for MySpace's Decision '08, an online center for in-depth 2008 election-related news, analysis and discussion, under a new partnership between the online social network and the NBC Universal owned news organizations.

FBN Ratings: Private Until Nielsen Resolves 'Accuracy Issues' (TVNewser)
On April 15, Fox Business Network celebrated its six-month anniversary. A day after its October launch, an spokesperson said it would be about six-nine months before FBN has ratings data to release publicly. Now, it appears the wait for ratings will be longer. FBN will remain in Nielsen's Access Stage, which prohibits public release of ratings information (although the network is receiving internal data).

Editors Respond to NYT Revelations About Pentagon Pundits (E&P)
The New York Times' revelations that the Pentagon has been secretly guiding retired military officers — many with links to defense contractors — in their media assessments of the Iraq War has raised concerns about the use of those former military officials in newspaper commentaries, or quoting them in news stories. Andy Alexander, Washington bureau chief for Cox Newspapers, said the report "raises a red flag."

Russian Newspaper That Angered Putin Closes (Independent)
Moskovsky Korrespondent, the newspaper that first reported rumors of a marriage between Vladimir Putin and Alina Kabaeva, a 24-year-old gymnast, has closed, shortly after the President told journalists it was unacceptable to pry into his private life with "snotty noses and erotic fantasies."

Blender Pulls a GQ, Steals From Spin (FishbowlNY)
A day after Page Six breathlessly reported how GQ "ripped a spread" straight from the pages of Maxim comes the news that Blender borrowed a Moby quote from rival Spin. The March 2008 issue of the latter mag features an interview with everyone's favorite vegan in which he says "as far as the very brief affair I had with Natalie [Portman], it's made me the target of a lot of nerd wrath."

Tila Tequila ready for another Shot at Love (NYDN)
Tila Tequila is back for another round of A Shot at Love, and the pint-size temptress is promising viewers a bigger, badder and definitely grosser season. "It's season one times a thousand," Tequila said. Last season, contestants had to devour a bull's privates. This season, the menu includes the genitalia of a female pig. And everyone was cool with that? "Of course not!" said Tequila.

How to Create Killer Niche Web Sites Without Hiring (E&P)
Steve Outing: The trick to succeeding in the future for newspaper managers will include adding on to the traditional news-gathering function (still vital, of course), most likely serving new niches with deep coverage that cannot easily be found elsewhere and thus building new devoted audiences. How the heck are you going to do that? One answer: pro-am journalism initiatives.