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Claim: Novak Told Rove About Plame (AP)
Presidential confidant Karl Rove testified that he learned the identity of a CIA operative originally from journalists, then informally discussed the information with Time's Matthew Cooper. NYT: The previously undisclosed telephone conversation, which took place on July 8, 2003, was reportedly initiated by Robert Novak. Huffington Post: Democratic partisans are not supposed to get weepy watching the Bush team wilt under Plamegate, but allow me a little sympathy for Scott McClellan, writes Mike McCurry. WaPo: Information suggests Rove could not have been Novak's original source but may have been a secondary source. Radar: Beltway insiders say special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald learned of Miller's involvement from Novak himself. The Nation: The issues at stake would seem to be critical to anyone who cares about the ability of the press to gather and publish the information a democracy requires, writes Victor Navasky. Marketwatch: Jon Friedman feels no sympathy for Time editor Norm Pearlstine. Center for American Progress: It's unclear whether Karl Rove can be prosecuted, but there's a larger question than just the legal one, and that's the moral one, writes Eric Alterman. NYT: Karl Rove understood, long before the rest of us, that we're not living in the America of the past, where even partisans sometimes changed their views when faced with the facts, writes Paul Krugman.

2.4 Million Dollar Min (NYP)
Many said it could not be done, but US Weekly Editor Janice Min and Wenner Media Chairman Jann Wenner have finally inked a new two-year deal.

Harry, Again and Again and Again (NYT)
Perhaps no group today rereads more faithfully (make that compulsively) than the young fans of Harry Potter. And nothing inspires them to look backward more than the prospect of a new volume. LAT: Like a film's box-office numbers, publishing observers are waiting to see how much of the new Harry Potter tome's initial press run will sell this weekend. Economist: The latest volume in J. K. Rowling's series is set to break all publishing records, but it is an oddity in an industry that is growing slowly and rarely sees bumper profits. NYT: How I missed out on Harry and became a fish-scaler (parody).

Major GOP Donor Favored as Next CPB Chair (WaPo)
A leading Republican donor who once suggested that public broadcasting journalists should be penalized for biased programs is the top candidate to succeed Kenneth Tomlinson.

Arnold Defends Mag Deal (LAT)
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger dismissed criticism of his consulting deal with a magazine publisher, saying the work takes up little time, poses no conflicts and may even be saving tax money.

ABC Deploys Trojan Horse to Rock Center? (Lowdown)
To acknowledge Today's 500 consecutive weeks of morning-show wins, the GMA crew sent the NBC team 500 blue and yellow balloons, charming and disarming the competition.

Journos Probe Klebnikov Slay (WSJ)
Investigative journalists from around the world are joining forces to try to uncover more evidence about the murder of Paul Klebnikov, a former Forbes Russia editor in chief.

Tribune Earnings Way Up (AP via Yahoo!)
Tribune Co. which owns the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times, said second-quarter earnings more than doubled from a year ago despite a 2.3 percent decline in revenue. MSNBC: Knight Ridder reported a 14 percent slide in second-quarter profits.

FCC Delays Media Ownership Decision (CNN)
U.S. communications regulators have unexpectedly put off launching an effort to revise media ownership restrictions, unable to agree on several issues, including how many public hearings to hold.

Emmis Eyes Blighty (Guardian)
The American radio giant is seeking to acquire British radio stations, which would make it the first foreign investor in the market since it was deregulated two years ago.

The Mind of Mansueto (Folio:)
Billionaire Joe Mansueto talks about the purchase of Fast Company and Inc., the distinction between his mags and Morningstar, and what compelled him to place a Times ad defending the buy.

Penn. Papers Turn Reporter's Notes Over to Judge (AP via The Patriot)
A lawyer for The York Dispatch and the York Daily Record/Sunday News said he would turn over notes, story draft and emails from correspondents Heidi Bernhard-Bubb and Joe Maldonado.

New ABC Series in Emmy Spotlight (NYT)
Two series that helped pull ABC out of a prime-time ratings slump—Desperate Housewives and Lost—led the list of nominees for the 57th annual prime-time Emmy Awards.

TV Lets Viewers Watch Two Shows Simultaneously (AFP via Yahoo!)
Japanese electronics firm Sharp Corp has unveiled the liquid crystal display (LCD) set that can simultaneously display different images into the right and left sides of the screen through a backlight.

The 'Mystical Hold' of TV (Business Week)
Jon Fine: Broadcast TV keeps losing audience, but despite the rightful hype about fragmentation and TiVo, the hold on its share of the ad pie still bests other big-media competitors.

They Want Their Gay TV (Slate)
With the advent of Logo, gays take another step toward being sought out not only as the subject matter, but as the consumer base for mass entertainment—just another niche demographic.

Only in L.A. (L.A. Independent)
Kevin Roderick's journalism background makes L.A. Observed unique, and has possibly made him the "most respected" journo in La La Land.

VF Softball Win Over New Yorker a Rout (Gawker)
While Graydon Carter's troupe again bested their Conde sister mag this week, New Yorker staffers still have plenty of season to prove their prowess against other NYC publications.

Splitting the Difference (WaPo)
Washingtonpost.com launched separate home pages—one for locals, and one for national and international users—in an effort to make the paper more relevant to readers and advertisers.

—David S. Hirschman

IN YESTERDAY'S MB BLOGS:

Shuttle: Notes from Cape Canaveral [TVNewser]
Today's scene in Cape Canaveral, according to NBC News producer Jay Blackman, blogging on The Daily Nightly: "The crush of media has thinned significantly. Those of us still here in this much quieter press room just stare at a monitor with a shuttle on it that says 'look here periodically for start time.'"

McClellan's Credibility Problem [FishbowlDC]
Howard Kurtz writes this morning that the now-daily sight of Scott McClellan being grilled by the press is causing strong reactions on both the right and the left.

Jim Kelly Speaks [FishbowlNY]
We were pleased to read in yesterday's Observer and NYT that Time Magazine managing editor Jim Kelly was still around. After all, he's been virtually silent about the Norm Pearlstine notes-disclosure-not-above-the-law decision.

Arnold's Media Job [FishbowlLA]
So this is why the mediabistro salary survey figures skew high! The LAT looks at Governor Schwarzenegger's consulting deal with Weider Publications, the subsidiary of American Media which publishes Muscle & Fitness and Flex.

Where's the Porn, Nicky? [UnBeige]
Our favorite New York Times architecture critic totally copied us and wrote a story on the PS1 installation Sur, by California-based architect Hernan Diaz Alonso. While he managed to avoid the word undulate, he did get a little too saucy for our typical Gray Lady comfort when describing the installation we kinda thought looked like a beached alien skeleton.

Agent Blonde [Galleycat]
Martha Stewart, everyone's favorite Kitchen Nazi, has just scored a $2 million book deal with Rodale, the publisher morally culpable for the South Beach Diet series.

Doctor, Doctor [mbToolbox]
How do you establish yourself in the health and medical writing marketmarket and get a piece of the (cholesterol-free) pie? How do you find story ideas? How do you find sources, and, more important, how do you translate their interviews into readable English?