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Media Shocked by Time Inc. Cave-In (NYT)
Norman Pearlstine, Time Inc.'s editor in chief, said that he concluded after much reflection that, "We are not above the law." USAT: Move may keep Matthew Cooper out of jail. WaPo: Time's decision spelled a kind of surrender to many reporters and editors. CNN: Novak says he will reveal all. WSJ: As a longtime media executive, Pearlstine may have factored in the potential costs of getting into a knock-down, drag-out fight with the federal government. WaPo Editorial: It's time for Congress to acknowledge that the cost of good journalism shouldn't be prison. LAT: Some say the decision confirms fears that corporate ownership is a threat to press freedom. Others contend the magazine had no choice. LAT: Bob Novak's decision to play it cagey in the Plame case is helping no one, writes Jonathan Turley. NYT: Pearlstine made the difficult decision on his own. Chicago Sun-Times: Media are lax as the feds go on a free press attack, writes Carol Marin. Seattle Times Editorial: It's open season on journalists—and by extension, information the government doesn't want people to know. WWD: Carter, Moss, Granger, and Nelson on the decision.

Inside Woodward's 'Deep Throat' Book (USAT)
Secret Man is not supposed to be in bookstores until next Wednesday, but USA Today was able to buy it Thursday at a store in Fairfax County, Va., that had put copies out for sale. WaPo: Felt nearly gave away identity in '76, according to Woodward book. WaPo: Parking garage where Felt met Woodward is revealed.

CPB Programming Bias Appraisals Released (NYT)
Sen. Byron Dorgan released 50 pages produced by the researcher hired by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to monitor political bias. Dorgan pronounced the work "a little nutty" and a sham. WaPo: Critics say the consultant's work was biased and riddled with errors.

TBS Really Loves Raymond (Mediaweek)
The cable network is keeping Everybody Loves Raymond in the family for the next 11 years, paying a whopping $650,000 per episode for cable rerun rights to all nine seasons.

Clear Channel Would Consider ABC Radio Buy (Marketwatch)
Disney is widely believed to be interested in selling the stations, which could attract additional suitors such as Emmis, Entercom, Cox Radio, and Citadel Broadcasting. Variety: Disney hires two for strategy unit. NYP: Iger gets Disney options windfall.

Reality TV Finally Determined to Be Good for Something (Economist)
For the British government, reality television is the ultimate focus group. The medium suggests an almost infinite number of public policy ideas.

Chinese Media Resist as Beijing Tightens Grip on News (Guardian)
The Communist party's propaganda department lists stories which must not be published. Journalists confirm such lists exist, but warn that providing copies could be considered a breach of state security.

Publisher Plans Massive Harry Potter Ad Campaign (FT)
U.K. publisher Bloomsbury is poised to launch its biggest ever advertising campaign to coincide with the launch of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

FCC to Revisit Broadcast Ownership Rules (Mediaweek)
Federal regulators are set to begin their court-ordered re-examination of media ownership rules next month, launching a process expected to take at least eight months.

10 Newspapers That 'Do It Right' (E&P)
Editor Greg Mitchell explains that the list doesn't honor the "10 Best" newspapers, but 10 papers that can serve as a model for others in important areas.

End Comes Quickly for G+J Prez (Folio:)
After Gruner + Jahr's exit from the U.S. magazine biz, Russell Denson has told staffers he is leaving the company. Denson became the face of G+J's attempts at restoring confidence in its circulation.

Times Gets Classy (Slate)
Jack Shafer: The idea that class is vague and amorphous is something you encounter only in newspaper series like the current one in the paper and in ninth-grade civics textbooks.

American Heritage Founder Oliver Jensen Dies (NYT)
With Joseph Thorndike and James Parton, Mr. Jensen founded American Heritage in 1954, aiming to create a publication that presented American history in the style of popular newsmagazines.

Sy Hersh Picks Up Big Payday for New Tome (NYP)
The New Yorker's muckraker snagged a deal worth as much as $1 million to jump to the Knopf imprint of Random House for a book on the war in Iraq and President Bush's foreign policy.

6732nd 'Death of Print' Prediction (Folio:)
"If there's a future in print, it's in decline as an advertising supported medium," said Jason Pontin, EIC of MIT's Technology Review, who claims the demands of media buyers are changing media.

A G.I. Joe for Your Alienated, Misanthropic Child (Gawker)
Studio 360 demonstrates Highly Flammable Toys' products by making a custom action figure of media maven Kurt Andersen. (Single figures are priced at $475. A set of three is $1200—the perfect Mormon wedding gift!)

On the Deterioration of Athlete-Media Relations (USAT)
Gary Thorne: The sports media landscape has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, and increasing numbers of sports stars are lashing out at writers and photographers.

137-Year-Old Brit Biz Mag on the Block (The Times)
The classic title Exchange & Mart was put up for sale yesterday as part of publisher United Business Media's attempt to focus on trade media.

—David S. Hirschman

IN YESTERDAY'S MB BLOGS:

CNBC Sees 130 Percent Increase for eBay[TVNewser]
CNBC may have discovered a path to higher ratings: business documentaries. The premiere of their latest program, "The eBay Effect," led to a 130 percent ratings increase on Wednesday night.

More on Novak, Matt & Judy [FishbowlDC]
As first reported here yesterday, CNN's Ed Henry gave an obviously uncomfortable Bob Novak a well-deserved and long-overdue grilling yesterday on Valerie Plame, Matt & Judy. The NYT's Jacques Steinberg picks up the story today.

Fox and Friends: "Women Tend to Be a Little Nutty" [FishbowlNY]
Fox News has a segment right now on "How not to be a Bridezilla," with some helpful tips from a WeddingChannel.com rep like "remember that this is a happy thing" and "use the Internet." While these helpful tips are being dispensed, brides in full regalia are being taught a lesson, dammit, by dunking each other. Except that the dunk tank has a see-through panel on the front so they have inadvertently created a peep-show on Sixth Avenue...

Who Will Be the New Wasserman? [FishbowlLA]
Publishers Weekly discusses the LAT's search to replace Steve Wasserman at the Book Review. Leading non-internal candidates are said to include: David Kipen from the SF Chronicle and NPR, LA literary type David Ulin, and the Atlantic's Benjamin Schwarz.

Tricycles, Transporters and Rectal Thermometers, Oh My! [UnBeige]
BusinessWeek announced this week the global winners of the Industrial Design Excellence Awards, sponsored by BW and run by the Industrial Designers Society of America. There are a whopping 158 winners, and we went through every single one so you don't have to.

Pure Poetry [mbToolbox]
MBToolBox cannot lie: It knows nothing about the art of poetry. Fortunately, however, it knows people who do. Eve Wood is the author of two books of poems, Love's Funeral and Six (both published by Cherry Grove Collections), a chapbook entitled Paper Frankenstein (Beyond Baroque Press), and Correspondence (Gegensatze Press, Austria). And she has some advice for you.

Gone to Confession [Galleycat]
Over at LustyLady, Rachel Kramer Bussel's been collecting examples of Confession Of ... titles