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Rage, Rage Against the Dying of the Light (E&P)
Judith Miller's public relations offensive, which had already taken her to Larry King, National Public Radio, and elsewhere, now includes angry published letters to Maureen Dowd and Barney Calame. New York Mag: Miller as right-wing hero.

Another TV-on-Demand Deal (BusinessWeek)
Time Warner's Warner Bros. and AOL units are set to announce an agreement to make the studio's library of old shows available. NYT: The move will give Warner a way to reap new advertising revenue from a huge trove of old programming that is not widely syndicated.

Key Demos Drifting From Networks (Mediaweek)
The $1.2 billion broadcast network daytime daypart is in the dumps once again this season, with ratings for women 18-34 and 18-49 down 13 percent and 12 percent, respectively.

Plamegate Redux? (WaPo)
If prosecutors get involved, Post writer Dana Priest could face the same dilemma that confronted Matt Cooper and Judith Miller: whether to reveal confidential sources under threat of imprisonment. Washingtonian: How did the Washington Post avoid the Plamegate legal problems that cost Judy Miller her job and the Times some of its credibility?

Longer Stay for Schieffer (NYT)
Last Tuesday, during his first week as president of CBS News, Sean McManus took CBS interim anchor Bob Schieffer to lunch and made what Mr. Schieffer considered a modest request: that he stick around a while longer.

Hollywood Writers Protest Product Placement (AP via Seattle P-I)
Hollywood writers and actors are calling for a code of conduct to govern a growing trend of hidden advertising in TV shows and films, and they say they will appeal to federal regulators if studios don't respond.

Google Wants to Rent New Books Online (Reuters via Yahoo!)
The discussion with a book publisher indicates Google may move toward adding a digital service where consumers can rent online copies of new books for a week.

Times Ready to Launch New Sports Mag (NYP)
The paper will begin by publishing the new sports magazine, called Play, four times in 2006, beginning on Feb. 5, Super Bowl Sunday, according to editor Mark Bryant. Guardian: The Times has given newspapers encouragement on how to transform the Internet from a threat into an opportunity.

'Like Selling Meals By the Bite' (NYT)
Richard Siklos: As media companies slice and dice their products into new businesses, the central issue is not so much whether they will work as how well they will work.

The Seat of Power (Page Six)
At a benefit tomorrow night at Times Square Studio, the treasures up for grabs via silent auction include Tom Brokaw's actual anchor chair at NBC Nightly News, donated and signed by Brokaw and Brian Williams.

Index Over and Out? (WWD)
Artist Peter Halley's indie mag may be shutting down. One source said a final issue could follow in February to mark the magazine's 10th anniversary.

Please Won't You Be... Our New Neighbor (USAT)
PBS will announce today the launch of a new five-year initiative called PBS Kids Next Generation Media, the purpose of which is, in part, to try and find the next generation's Mister Rogers.

Newspapers Apparently Have No Future (AP)
Dark days are ahead for American newspapers as sales tumble, a warp-speed news culture leaves lumbering dailies behind and scandals over flawed reporting taint heavyweight titles.

Fox News Goes Green? (LAT)
It's no surprise that environmental activists Laurie David and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are involved in a new documentary about global warming. But the fact that the special was produced by Fox News is more unexpected.

Esquire Tries to Brand Real Estate (NYT)
The magazine has taken over an apartment in the Gwathmey-Siegel undulating building at Astor Place in downtown Manhattan for six months. The apartment has an estimated market value of $12.5 million, but Esquire is paying no rent.

A Problem Like Maria (NYDN)
Anchor Maria Bartiromo chats with Phyllis Furman about Closing Bell, her much-scrutinized hair, Fox News chief Roger Ailes, and the state of business news on television.

Portrait of a Zadie (WaPo)
Jennifer Frey: Zadie Smith is a literary rock star, all of 30 years old and spoken about in the same breath as fellow Brits Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan and Martin Amis.

Salon at 10 (Salon)
Gary Kamiya: From the dot-com madness to our Blackbeard-like refusal to die to making online journalism history, it's been one hell of a ride. A look back at Salon's first decade.

New BBC Reality Show Just for Millionaires (Independent)
The British broadcaster is looking for millionaires to go on television, give up their luxury lifestyles, and compete with each other to build a new business out of nothing.

Run, Catch, Kiss... and Tell (New York Mag)
Five prominent young sex columnists (including mediabistro.com contributor Rachel Kramer Bussel) discuss their careers, love lives, and boyfriends with Amy Sohn.

Blogs' Braunstein Coverage Unfunny? (NYT)
David Carr: In a way, accused rapist Peter Braunstein represents the very sweet spot of Gawker: he is a media writer, he worked at a division of Condé Nast, his publication covered the fashion world and he was convicted of stalking someone else from the same company.

CIA Leak Scandal Blows Others Away (Miami Herald)
Ed Wasserman: By comparison, the spate of newsroom scandals involving fabrication, intellectual theft and punch-drunk fact-checking that got so much attention were watery gruel. There was nothing to chew on.

—David S. Hirschman

IN FRIDAY'S MB BLOGS:

O'Reilly Hammers Mapes On Politics [TVNewser]
Mary Mapes appeared on The O'Reilly Factor Thursday night, and Bill didn't mention CBS News or MemoGate until the second segment.

Miller at National Press Club [FishbowlDC]
On the way to the Press Club's 13th floor, I found myself alone in the elevator with Miss Miller.

That was fast: Gruber rockets out of ICM in only 9 months [FishbowlLA]
EXCLUSIVE: FishbowlLA has it for you first: International Creative Management talent agent Michael Gruber has left the agency after only nine months.

Judith Miller: Do not go gently into that good post-NYT spin zone [FishbowlNY]
Yesterday was the first day of the rest of Judith Miller's post-New York Times life, and she is clearly not planning to slink gently into obscurity.

NYT Drops Leroy from Freelance Rolodex [Galleycat]
The Times travel magazine is killing a J. T. Leroy story since nobody knows who he really is anymore.

Worst Ever [MBToolbox]
On the bulletin boards, I asked folks what their worst assignment ever was.