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GOP Introducing Bill to Condemn NYT for Bank Records Story (The Hill)
House Republican leaders are expected to introduce a resolution today condemning The New York Times for publishing a story last week that exposed government monitoring of banking records. WaPo: Even by modern standards of media-bashing, the volume of vitriol being heaped upon the newspaper's editors is remarkable, writes Howard Kurtz. NYT Editorial: The free press has a central place in the Constitution because it can provide information the public needs, even if it runs the risk of being labeled unpatriotic in the process. CJR Daily: In calling for the White House to revoke the Times' press credentials, the National Review is not just waxing indignant about others in the media, but seeking to actively crush the concept of a free press. E&P: Although editors at both NYT and LAT have written explanations to readers about why they published the stories, the WSJ's editors have remained silent. WaPo: In accusing the press — and specifically, the New York Times — of putting American lives at risk, President Bush and his allies have escalated their ongoing battle with the media to nuclear proportions.

View's Star Jones Quits; Barbara Walters Shocked, Angry (AP)
Creator Barbara Walters said she was "betrayed" by Star Jones Reynolds' surprise on-air announcement of her exit from the daytime talk show Tuesday. Reynolds said in a magazine interview she felt she was fired. Lowdown: "The agreement was made many weeks ago that she would stay on the program till late July, and whatever reasons she wanted to give, I would back her up and give her a wonderful send-off," said Walters, seething, to Lloyd Grove.

Anger Over Fuller's AMI Contract as Mag Sags (NYP)
"People are outraged," said one insider, pointing to American Media Inc. editor Bonnie Fuller's ideas that have flopped.

Tribune's Chandlers Seeking Potential Allies (WSJ)
Among those with whom the family plans to meet are people who have expressed interest in buying individual Tribune newspapers. Among those who have indicated interest in the Los Angeles Times are entertainment mogul David Geffen, supermarket investor Ron Burkle and philanthropist Eli Broad. AP via NYT: Tribune calls buyback program a success.

NBC to Run TV Previews on YouTube (Information Week)
Under the agreement, the TV network would create an official NBC channel on YouTube that would include a "Fall Preview" area. In addition, the channel would be used to promote other programming, such as Saturday Night Live, The Office, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Us Editor Janice Min Dictates: In Raw Times, Jessica, Jen, Jolie (NYO)
The Janice Min-helmed Us Weekly deals in escapism, but an escape into drama and conflict — human-shaped conflict, if not exactly human-sized. The plot lines are coupling and uncoupling, childbirth and divorce, recounted with cynical affability and enthusiasm for minute detail.

Univision Jilts Televisa for Rival Bid (NYT)
After a consortium of private equity firms won an auction for Univision with a $12.3 billion bid, rival suitor, Grupo Televisa, contends it was deliberately shunned in favor of a lesser bid. LAT: How Televisa lost.

McClatchy Announces Completion of KR Deal (E&P)
McClatchy sent out a press release yesterday announcing that it has completed its $6.5 billion acquisition of Knight Ridder after regulatory approval. But Reuters and Marketwatch reported that McClatchy must complete its agreed-upon sale of the St. Paul Pioneer Press before the deal is final.

New Media Luring Money Away From Networks (NYT)
Estimates are that the five networks will sell $8.9 billion to $9 billion in commercial time ahead of the 2006-7 season, in what is known as the upfront market. That compares with an estimated $9.1 billion sold in the upfront market last year and an estimated $9.3 billion in the upfront market two years ago. Mediaweek: CBS upfront nears flat finish.

Sympathy for the Devil (TimesSelect via Donkey O.D.)
Maureen Dowd: Is it so wrong of [The Devil Wears Prada's] Miranda to expect her assistant to know how to spell Gabbana, reach Donatella and ban freesia? Is it so bad to want help getting a warm rhubarb compote for Michael Kors? Or to have an assistant who knows what an eyelash curler is?

Rupe Ready to Make MySpace His Space (Wired)
Twilight of the media moguls? Not for this guy. With the $580 million purchase of MySpace, News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch is betting he can transform a free social network into a colossal marketing machine.

Why Aren't There Mags for Teenage Boys? (Eat the Press)
While Hearst and Condé Nast publish three titles apiece for girls, mags aimed at boys have come and gone. Time Inc.'s Teen People is currently the only top-selling teen magazine designed for both boys and girls, though its frequent beauty and fashion articles shift the focus towards female readers.

Coop's Puzzlingly Poor Numbers (NYO)
Rebecca Dana: By most standards, Anderson Cooper looks like a winner. But there is one pesky measure of victory that Mr. Cooper doesn't quite satisfy: He doesn't actually win. On average, only some 630,000 viewers a night tune in to Anderson Cooper 360.

Bedford Mag Even More Luxe Than Jason Binn's (WWD)
The two-year-old magazine's first style issue features designer and local resident Joseph Abboud guest editing, "exclusive" interviews with fellow residents Vera Wang and Ralph Lauren and stories on Martha Stewart, "party-throwing" and a 7-acre Bedford garden tended by its owners.

Calif. Bill Would Strip Municipalities of Power Over Cable TV (LAT)
California cities and counties would be stripped of most of their power to regulate local cable television operators as part of a compromise that emerged yesterday in a high-stakes legislative battle over local television service.