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AOL to Cut Global Work Force 20 Percent (AP)
AOL is eliminating another 2,000 jobs worldwide to cut costs and build its strength as it transforms from an Internet access provider to an online advertising company. This 20 percent slice comes after several rounds of layoffs, including a cut of 5,000 jobs last fall. "This realignment will allow us to increase investment in high-growth areas of the company," CEO Randy Falco told employees Monday. NYT: Most of the new job cuts will come in the form of 1,200 layoffs to be announced today, an AOL spokeswoman said. Most of the remaining cuts will be in Europe and India, but more in the United States will be announced later. NYP: In his internal memo, Falco said that the departing employees will receive "generous severance packages."

Imus Preps Radio Revival, Eyes TV (Variety)
Embattled radio jock Don Imus is close to inking a multimillion-dollar deal to return to radio with Citadel Broadcasting, owner of ABC Radio Networks. The deal, expected to be finalized this week, would put Imus back on the air on New York City's WABC-AM, the nation's largest talk radio station, as of Dec. 3.

WaPo Editor Downie: Reporter's Death Won't Affect Iraq Coverage (E&P)
The Washington Post's executive editor, Leonard Downie Jr., said journalist Salih Saif Aldin, killed Sunday in Iraq, regularly took risks for assignments. "We count on the Iraqi staff — in terms of the knowledge of risk," Downie said. "His colleagues in the bureau talked to him about this. Up until now, he had been able to avoid it." WaPo Editorial: [Salih Saif Aldi's] death reminds us once again of the central role Iraqi journalists and others have played in our coverage of the war," said David E. Hoffman, the Post's assistant managing editor for foreign news. "They have often borne the risks and made the sacrifices in pursuit of truth. We grieve at Salih's loss, and that of all journalists killed in this conflict, and salute their determination and courage." CJR: "Salih insisted that I use his real name in a piece I was writing [last year] about the Iraqis who risk their lives working as reporters, stringers, fixers, and translators for Western news organizations," writes Paul McLeary. "This seemed significant, since no other Iraqi I spoke to wanted his real name in print."

Perky Debut for the Fox Business Network (NYT)
Alessandra Stanley: This is not a network that caters to money managers or day traders. FBN provides economic news for people who don't follow the economy very closely and hate to hear bad news. Sunny, informal, and downright perky, Fox Business Network comes off as a blend of CNBC and a fifth hour of the Today show — with the underlying political drumbeat of Fox News. NYT: Dow Jones drops CNBC ads from Web sites in favor of Fox links. Guardian: On its debut morning, Rupert Murdoch's business channel was eager to ram home the importance of its subject matter. AdAge: Biz-news outlets grow, but will ad dollars? TVNewser: Full FBN coverage.

YouTube Unveils Copyright Protection Plan (LAT)
To help keep their videos off YouTube, media companies may need to give their videos to YouTube. YouTube parent Google Inc.'s long-promised method for reducing piracy, unveiled Monday, relies on TV networks, movie studios, and other content owners to provide the video-sharing service with master copies of their videos.

Revenues Climb, but Pages Dip for Consumer Magazines (Folio:)
Given the beleaguered state of print advertising, any increase is good news, so consumer magazine publishers should be thrilled at this: The Magazine Publishers of America's Publishers Information is reporting that total rate-card-reported advertising revenue increased 5.6 percent for the first nine months of 2007. Total ad pages, however, dipped 1 percent over the same period.

Residual Resentment Slows Hollywood Talks (LAT)
Residual fees are at the center of labor talks underway between the Hollywood studios and the union that represents movie and TV writers. The major studios want to revamp the decades-old system, citing soaring production costs and fragmented audiences amid today's digital revolution. But the writers say these payments help them weather Hollywood's feast-and-famine work cycles. Variety: WGA strike rules bashed.

In Bob Barker's Shoes, Drew Carey Doesn't Stumble (WaPo)
Tom Shales: Drew Carey got through his first morning as new host of CBS' The Price Is Right without, as they say, "incident." Actually, a little incident might have helped. For all the hype surrounding Carey's selection as host, his debut in the role yesterday was conspicuously lacking a sense of event. TV Guide: Carey is the right Price host.

Investigating the Funders of Pro Publica, the New Investigative Journalism Outfit (Slate)
Jack Shafer: Pro Publica will soon hire 24 reporters and editors to create one of investigative journalism's largest staffs, so what do the Herbert and Marion Sandler want for their millions? Perhaps to return us to the days of the partisan press. The couple made their fortune, which Forbes estimates at $1.2 billion, at Golden West Financial Corp. In recent years they've spent millions on politics. E&P: Former Wall Street Journal managing editor Paul Steiger says he passed up interest in his services from journalism schools and corporate boards so he could launch Pro Publica.

Discovery Buys HowStuffWorks (Guardian)
Discovery Communications has acquired online knowledge repository HowStuffWorks for an estimated $250 million. HowStuffWorks, set up nine years ago by Professor Marshall Brain of North Carolina State University, attracts more than 11 million users a month. It covers everything from how lightning is created and how to remove blood stains from a carpet to more esoteric topics such as "quantum suicide."

Time-Shifting Viewers Stay Tuned — Days Later (USAT)
As expected, Nielsen's numbers reveal that many of the most frequently recorded shows air in intensely competitive time slots: Wednesday's Private Practice, Bionic Woman, and Criminal Minds added about 2 million viewers apiece to their "live" audience; Thursday's faceoff between Grey's Anatomy, CSI, and The Office led nearly 10 million to watch one or more of these shows later.

Travel + Leisure Publisher Stepping Down (WWD)
Julie McGowan is stepping down as publisher of Travel + Leisure after just over a year in the position. She will also leave American Express Publishing after 12 years, which included a successful run as publisher of Food & Wine. Ad pages at Travel + Leisure were down 16.4 percent year to date through September, and the magazine has been losing market dominance to Condé Nast Traveler.

Death by YouTube (Adweek)
Andrew Keen: Is the Web 2.0 cultural revolution of user-generated content good news for the ad industry? Can the YouTubification of professional creative content and the wikifying of mainstream authoritative media benefit advertisers and advertising companies? The answer to these questions, I'm afraid, is unambiguously negative.

Odd Magazines Found at the Gym (WaPo)
Peter Carlson: Your major magazine honchos never mention it, but a sizable portion of American magazines are read by people who are panting, gasping, and sweating all over the pages. Many of these magazines end up on the gym's magazine racks, and can constitute a wild roller-coaster ride through the netherworlds of America's subcultures.

Suit Against Joe Francis Halted (NYDN)
Girls Gone Wild jailbird Joe Francis had his first good news in a while yesterday. Although Francis is still incarcerated on tax evasion charges, two young women who were suing him over their appearance in one of his famous flesh-baring videos dropped their case and apologized Monday.