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Feds Set Sights on Mag Circ Fraud (NYP)
Time Inc. was hit with a subpoena in late July, but the Post could not determine if the probe also extended to other publishers. Mediaweek: Time Inc. to reclassify sponsored subs six months earlier than ABC mandate.

Networks Bring in Big Guns for Rita (Hollywood Reporter via Reuters)
Both the networks and cable channels have deployed their top stars to cover Hurricane Rita, which is predicted to hit the Texas coastline by the weekend. CJR Daily: Media overhyping Rita's possible affect on gas prices.

OK! Scores Britney Baby Pix (Access Hollywood/MSNBC)
"We've got Britney and the baby this week," the mag's chief Richard Desmond revealed, but editor Sarah Ivens coyly refused to comment on the existence of photos of the littlest Federline.

Oprah's Book Club Makes Corrections (NYT)
Oprah Winfrey said yesterday that she was expanding her highly influential television book club to include the works of contemporary authors, reversing a policy of choosing only classic novels.

Too Much Martha (NYT)
It is not yet clear how well Martha Stewart's new television shows will do, but a lot of investors in Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia have been selling. NYDN: Martha return boosts Living ad sales. Slate: Martha's fantastic on TV. Too bad her apprentices are so loathsome, writes Henry Blodget. WaPo: How bad was Martha's prime-time series debut? Lisa de Moraes explains.

Groups Want More Transparency at CPB (MediaChannel)
As controversial chairman Kenneth Tomlinson steps down, the corporation is coming under pressure from media groups to make its operations and programming decision-making process more transparent. B&C: Tomlinson defends PBS balance. CSM: The future of public TV might be up to Congress.

Hurricanes May Affect Ad Budgets (AdWeek)
Media agency executives expressed concern that the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on oil prices could force some advertisers to cut their marketing budgets in the coming months.

News Corp. Set To Unveil Web Strategy (FT)
Rupert Murdoch said he was still weighing whether to buy companies to search and provide voice service over the Internet, two obvious gaps that have not yet been filled by News Corp's recent acquisition spree.

FCC Commish Warns Against Cable TV Indecency Regulation (Mediaweek)
Courts likely would strike down efforts by the Federal Communications Commission to regulate indecency on cable TV, but Congress might succeed, FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said.

Semper Fi (Al Jazeera)
Former U.S. Marine Captain Josh Russell, who served in the United States Central Command media office during the invasion of Iraq, has joined Al Jazeera International in an undetermined capacity.

Tabloids: Bad Business... Or Not? (BusinessWeek)
Jon Fine: AMI's CEO David Pecker, used to grandiose talk, is now in a position where he is preaching modesty to investors because of the company's massive newsstand-sales erosion. WaPo: Over the past year, Us Weekly and its competitors have soared in popularity even as the circulations of newspapers, business weeklies, and practically every other print publication have been falling.

Economist: Blog This Way (Folio:)
Economist.com is giving influential bloggers free subscriptions to their site in the hopes of referring would-be subscribers.

Murder by the Handbook (Washington City Paper)
A recent discrepancy between two articles in the Washington Post highlights a longstanding news formula for deciding why one murder story merits 18 times the coverage of another.

Guide Aims to Help Bloggers Duck Censors (AP via USAT)
A Paris-based media watchdog has released a free guide with tips for bloggers and dissidents to sneak past Internet censors in countries from China to Iran. AP via MSNBC: Political bloggers lobby against regulation.

Storm Trooper (Slate)
Bryan Curtis: Who was the voice of Hurricane Katrina? Allow me to nominate Tom Joyner, who has out-hustled Anderson Cooper and out-sloganeered Kanye West.

Game Theory (Boston Phoenix)
Forget cable news and the Drudge Report, some of the most powerful political messages can now be found in video games, writes Chris Dahlen.

Newspaper Journos, Underclass in Peril (IBD)
Jon Friedman: If newspaper publishers use their financial woes as an excuse to cut back on the coverage of disenfranchised people in America, it's going to be a very bad time to be poor.

The Downside of Citizen Journalism (Publish)
David Coursey: Lack of editorial oversight opens door for unfounded allegations that damage credibility, harm reputations and waste time.

—David S. Hirschman

IN YESTERDAY'S MB BLOGS:

Zucker Tells NBC Newsers: "There Will Likely Be Layoffs" [TVNewser]
Only on TVNewser: Jeff Zucker and Steve Capus spoke to NBC News employees at 30 Rock today. Zucker addressed NBC's budget crunch, and said the "rebuilding" in primetime is causing the company to pinch the bottom line in other divisions.

Hey Bush, Wanna Beer? [FishbowlDC]
In today's White House Briefing, Dan Froomkin hits on several interesting topics: Apparently, Scott McClellan wasn't sufficiently humiliated when he uttered "blame game" far too many times a few weeks back.

Everybody Loves All About Geraldo! [FishbowlNY]
Geraldo Rivera's career just got a nudge: a new half-hour version of his "Geraldo At Large" will replace "A Current Affair" on Fox-owned TV stations.

The Finke Prophecy Cometh [FishbowlLA]
Last month, Nikki Finke made waves by reporting that at least two major studios were about to cut back on advertising in the NYT, LAT, and other papers. Well, it's too early to tell for sure, but it's looking like Nikki nailed it, and that the Nikki naysayers were just engaging in reflexive skepticism.

Design Apparently Not Just For Dollars, Fame [UnBeige]
Back in the day, when we were young and idealistic, ambitious and starry-eyed, it occurred to us that design could change the world. We really believed it. Until we grabbed a toe-hold on the fringes of the industry, and came to realize the typical level of concern for anything aside from paychecks and fame was, ultimately, far below par.

Help Desk 9.22.05: Fight for Your Rights [mbToolbox]
Q: If a newspaper pays you less for a recurring column but gives you the rights to handle your own syndication, then what?