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Reality Check from the Peacock Throne (LAT)
NBC Universal Television Group president Jeff Zucker says the network "has to do better." Zucker plans to meet NBC's advertisers next week and "acknowledge the reality of the situation."

Sacked Bee Columnist Says She 'Did Nothing Wrong' (LAT)
Diana Griego Erwin, who was fired by the Sacramento Bee this week for making up sources, says she was going through a difficult time and "didn't have the emotional reserves to answer the Bee's questions quickly enough."

Kurtz: If It Bleeds, It's Buried (WaPo)
The Washington Post media columnist asks why editors seem increasingly bored by the continuing carnage in Iraq.

Background Briefings Under Fire at NY Times (NYT)
Outgoing ombudsman Daniel Okrent says criticisms about the use of anonymous sources, voiced constantly by readers and taken up by assistant managing editor Allan Siegal, are unlikely to go down well with the paper's more seasoned news reporters.

Disney Hits Back at Critics (NYT)
An email statement from the company's directors describes the charges levelled by Roy Disney and Stanley Gold as "baseless and inaccurate." LAT: Disney to outsource 1,000 IT jobs.

Struggling Penthouse to Try Going Softcore (NYP)
The ailing publication is down to just a dozen advertisers, and CEO Marc Bell says it's time to clean house. The magazine has hired writers to cover sports, music, and gadgets, while scaling back on sexually explicit photos and back-of-book phone sex ads.

Penn Papers Split on Congressional Back Rub Story (E&P)
Sharp disagreements have emerged between several media outlets in northeastern Pennsylvania over whether to cover Rep Don Sherwood's alleged encounter with a 29-year-old woman.

Nieman Bows Out of China (NYT)
After vocal objections by some of its alumni, the Nieman Foundation has dropped a plan to train Chinese government officials on how to deal with the news media when the Olympic Games are held in Beijing in 2008.

The Media and Mr. Kurtz (MarketWatch)
Jon Friedman: Howard Kurtz is a workaholic who "does more than anyone else to keep the media industry honest."

Jesse Jackson Enters Indecency Debate (NYDN)
The civil rights leader says he wants "bitches" and "ho's" taken off the airwaves.

Viacom Hires Daly as Consultant (LAT)
The former Warner Bros studio chief will take on a part-time advisory role with the company.

Revamped Costas HBO Show to Focus on Sports (NYT)
Costas Now replaces On the Record with Bob Costas, and is expected to trim away light entertainment in favor of a more sports-driven format.

Durex to Buy Time on Podcast (AdAge)
The condom manufacturer says traditional media are just too "prudish" to air their ads, and plans to sponsor "The Dawn and Drew Show" podcast instead.

Economist Group Launches Lifestyle Mag (Mediaweek)
The latest addition to the Economist stable will be called Intelligent Life and target global affluents with features on travel, cars, and fitness.

Boston Globe Ad Auction a Bust (Patriot-Ledger)
The paper's experimental approach to selling prime ad space has attracted only one bidder. The "winning" advertiser now pays $15,000 for a slot that normally commands $39,000.

William Morris Under Hollywood Spotlight (NYT)
The talent agency insists "we're having one of the best years in our history" as it continues to hemorrhage some of its most prominent agents and clients.

PartyGaming's Poker Face (Guardian)
The world's largest online poker company is confident of a $10 billion valuation if it decides to float on the stock market.

Strike to Hurt BBC's Live Output (The Independent)
The Beeb's live programs, including news and sporting events—even Wimbledon—are most likely to suffer at the hands of the three one-day strikes planned by staffers in coming weeks.

The Calm New Voice of A Current Affair (Slate)
Bryan Curtis: Forgive Tim Green if he's still learning the art of muckraking. He comes to A Current Affair with literary ambitions—something that never afflicted the show's former host, Maury Povich.

—John Ghazvinian