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Million Dollar Steal? (BBC)
Simon Cowell and ABC are developing The Million Dollar Idea, which will reward contestants who come up with the best business schemes. Roaring Entertainment says the plan is a "patent rip-off." NYT: The producers said that they had pitched a national version of Million Dollar Idea in March 2004 to Andrea Wong, executive vice president for alternative programming at ABC.

Mark Set to Go (NYP)
In a move that would have a huge impact on the television industry, ABC Sports/ESPN big Mark Shapiro may leave the networks to work for Daniel Snyder.

Kelly Promoted to ELLEgirl EIC (Mediaweek)
Christina Kelly was promoted to editor in chief from executive editor of the Hachette Filipacchi Media title, replacing Brandon Holley, who was tapped to succeed Jane Pratt as editor in chief of Jane.

News Corp. Earnings Jump 40% (AP via USAT)
The company posted a net income of $2.1 billion for fiscal year 2005. Revenue was $23.9 billion, up 15 percent from $20.8 billion a year earlier. NYT: Murdoch blocks Liberty Media inroads with "poison pill." WSJ: News Corp. said that extension of the poison pill was aimed at stopping "potential future acquisitions of significant amounts of News Corp. voting stock by Liberty without consultation with the board." Dow Jones via SmartMoney: No bigger priority for News Corp. than the Internet. Guardian: Murdoch said the company expects to invest another $1 billion or so in online properties and disclosed that News Corp. is in discussions to acquire an online search business. Bloomberg via Globe and Mail: Investors laud News Corp.'s $30 million man.

Proposed Breakup May Boost Time Warner Value (Bloomberg via NYDN)
Time Warner could be worth about 46 percent more if disgruntled shareholders led by Carl Icahn force a break-up of its assets, according to analysts. WSJ: Icahn's big ideas for Time Warner are a tough sell. Marketwatch: Analysts not sure Time Warner needs Icahn. Reuters: Icahn offensive is a wake up call for big media, writes Diane Mermigas. Marketwatch: Icahn Turning up the heat on Parsons, writes Jon Friedman.

Get Novak (WaPo)
Art Buchwald: Novak used an obscenity on CNN while debating James Carville. It came as a surprise to me because I have never heard him use an obscenity, except when talking about liberals, left-wingers and Democrats. Salon: For nearly 50 years, Robert Novak badgered and bullied his way to the top of Washington. His disgrace in the Valerie Plame affair has brought him crashing down—and he has only himself to blame, writes Sidney Blumenthal. SF Weekly: In your top-secret heart of hearts, are you a Bob Novak supporter? Take this quiz and find out. Tribune Media Services: Novak's on-air outburst was off-color but not off-base

Jennings Was a 'Gold Standard Anchor' (LAT)
Andres Martinez: Americans mourn the passing of the era of mediated, shared news. Today, the notion of making an appointment with an interlocutor to fill you in on the day's events seems quaint.

It's Gonna Be the World's Greatest, Most-Popular, Best-Selling Blog (TechNet)
Real-estate mogul Donald Trump has launched a new eponymous blog connected to Trump University, an online education website begun in late May.

American Morning Moving to CNN Newsroom (NYDN)
The show is moving out of its street-level studio and into the network's newsroom at the Time Warner Center. The new, now-windowless program will launch Aug. 22.

U.S. Drops Subpoena Against NYT, Writer (Miami Herald)
Federal prosecutors have agreed to withdraw subpoenas against The New York Times and writer Ann Louise Bardach in a case involving Cuban exile militant Luis Posada Carriles.

Veteran Brit Broadcaster May Join Al-Jaz (Guardian)
Arabic satellite television news channel al-Jazeera, keen to boost its profile as it gears up for the launch of its global channel, al-Jazeera International, is in talks to sign up Sir David Frost.

Journalism's Next Big Battle (Boston Phoenix)
Mark Jurkowitz: The Wen Ho Lee case could deal a harsher blow to investigative reporting than Plamegate did.

Knight Riddance? (New Times Broward-Palm Beach)
Bob Norman: Columnist Jim DeFede was fired because of corporate cowardice. Was the CEO of Knight Ridder secretly holding the ax? Seattle Weekly: The likelihood that Knight Ridder got three Northwest papers from among Gannett's holdings as some long-term Seattle strategy would assume an awful lot of forethought, writes Chuck Taylor.

The Lost Literary Heyday of TV Guide (Slate)
Bryan Curtis: TV Guide is a petrified magazine; like its doddering cousin, Reader's Digest, little remains in working order other than the title. But it once had something to say.

Furor Over Ad Attacking Roberts (NYT)
A leading pro-choice organization has begun running opposing the Supreme Court nomination of John Roberts as one "whose ideology leads him to excuse violence against other Americans."

TV, Dinner (NYT)
In some ways, the increasing number of restaurants with tabletop televisions are simply part of technological and lifestyle changes that have expanded the reach of personalized entertainment.

Got Peas on His Head, But Don't Call Him a Pea-Head (WaPo)
He looks like a kid, but merry prankster Andy Milonakis, who gained fame for a seemingly-embarrassing Internet clip, is MTV's funnyman of the moment.

Tracing the Air America Scandal (CJR Daily)
Paul McLeary: The blogosphere has been buzzing of late over $875,000 in "loans" that Evan Cohen, the former director of Air America Radio, directed to himself.

Entertainment-History Buffs Re-Enact Battle of Network Stars (The Onion)
Parody: "We dedicate our re-enactment to the brave souls who fought it," said Network TV Historical Society co-founder Drew Kamen, who played the part of CBS team wiseacre Jimmie Walker.

Yahoo! Takes Stake in Chinese Auction Site (Reuters)
Yahoo! Inc. will pay $1 billion for 40 percent of Chinese Web auctioneer Alibaba.com, taking on eBay and search firm Baidu.com as it extends its reach in the world's second-biggest Internet market.

Malibu to Investigate Britney Spears Paparazzo Shooting (Malibu Times)
Celebrity photographer Brad Diaz was hit in the thigh with a small, plastic projectile outside a Malibu home that singer Britney Spears was visiting.

—David S. Hirschman

IN YESTERDAY'S MB BLOGS:

What Happened To "Stand Up To The Heat?" [TVNewser]
Does anyone else think it's odd that Robert Novak has been sidelined by "bullshit," but not by the CIA leak investigation? We haven't heard any news about his status on CNN, so to the best of our knowledge he's still "taking some time off."

Novak Schmovak [FishbowlDC]
It's been a while since we wrote about Bob Novak, so here's a little post about all things Novak. With his expletive-laden departure from the penultimate "Inside Politics" still ricocheting around Washington, Jay Rosen weighed in, summarizing the encounter as: "Old Novak rules: sorry fellas, can't talk. New rules: Novak chooses.

Maureen Dowd: It is the evening of the day [FishbowlNY]
Maureen Dowd returns from her hiatus, scorning Iraq fatigue and reclaiming her place atop the Op-Ed pages -- and MEL -- by asking a simple question: why is President Bush ignoring the woman camped out at the end of his Crawford driveway? PLUS: Lunch at Michael's

What Do Susan Estrich and Tom Cruise Have in Common? [FishbowlLA]
Answer: They've both employed uber-lawyer Bert Fields to write letters. Defamer reports receiving a missive from Fields demanding that he correct his misleading suggestion-- really just a link to this-- that Tom Cruise struggled with his faith before completely accepting the tenets of Scientology.

Putting the Link in Punk [UnBeige]
Steve Heller, the almost inhumanly prolific art director of the Times Book Review and author of approximately nine trillion books, is our new unilateral best friend ever since a) he was very nice to us and b) we discovered that he totally rocks punk.

Speak Up! [mbToolbox]
I wanted to dig up some advice on how to break into speechwriting, but the catch was, I know nothing about speechwriting. Fortunately, the MB Freelance Marketplace has tons of experts who helped me—and you—out.