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Fox Set to Order More Idol — With or Without Cowell (THR)
Fox is near a deal to order more seasons of American Idol -- with or without its most popular judge, Simon Cowell. A new deal could extend the network's current contract with Idol producer 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia for three more seasons.

Alexis Glick Leaving Fox Business (TVNewser)
At the end of Opening Bell on FBN, anchor and VP of Business News Alexis Glick announced it would be her last broadcast on the network. Glick Tweeted: "I am about to embark on a new venture. Can't give any details :), but I can say that am extremely excited. Thank you all for your support!"

Rupert Murdoch's Rivalries (New York/Daily Intel)
If nothing else, Rupert Murdoch loves a good fight. Lives for it, really -- it might even help keep him alive, at 78. Few people have sustained wars as long, or as consistently, as Murdoch, who from the age of 22 has thrived on publicly sticking it to his enemies. And very few have ever managed to get one over on the mogul. GQ: Dozens of people -- including reporters, Bancroft family members, and executives -- recreate News Corp's acquisition of The Wall Street Journal in 2007.

A Facebook Face on Disney's Board (Bloomberg)
Walt Disney has nominated Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg as an independent director, adding a top executive from the world's biggest online social network to the largest media company. Sandberg will join the board after an election at the company's annual meeting in March.

Hearst Newspapers President: 'Our Efforts at Transformation Have Just Begun' (Poynter)
Hearst Newspapers president Steve Swartz tells employees in a year end memo that in 2010 the company "will launch a paid version of our daily news and information product that will live inside the free Web site and contain exclusives and higher levels of customization."

MSNBC Cancels Dr. Nancy (TVNewser)
MSNBC has canceled Dr. Nancy, the health/medical show hosted by Dr. Nancy Snynderman. The cancellation of Dr. Nancy is yet another daytime programming move by MSNBC, which has fallen to fourth and, on some days, fifth place in the daytime ratings.

Completing Final Issue, E&P Still Hoping to Find a Way to Continue (E&P)
Editor & Publisher is completing what may be its final issue, after 125 years, the January 2010 edition. But there's still a chance that the magazine will survive. A number of outside companies and individuals have expressed interest in possibly keeping E&P going.

For Ad Industry, 2010 Promises Scant Relief (WSJ)
For Madison Avenue, the decade came in with a dot-com bang, as an influx of business from Silicon Valley start-ups drove advertising to new heights financially and creatively. It is going out on one of the industry's most sobering notes since the Great Depression, and the year ahead looks less than welcoming.

Remembering A Decade Of Bill O'Reilly Hip-Hop Feuds (Mediaite)
Robert Quigley: For someone opposed to the immorality and hedonism that he sees embraced in rap lyrics, Bill O'Reilly knows how to start a hip-hop-style feud with some of the big names in the industry, including Ludacris, Nas, and Cam'ron. Here are eight notable beefs between O'Reilly and rappers.

2009 Lists: Biggest Launches Of The Year (FishbowlNY)
Launching a magazine or Web site in the midst of a recession is never an easy task. But we think there are a few new pubs on the block that will be around for awhile. As the year closes out, here's a look at some of the biggest launches in print and online.

Hulu, Warner Music Group Ink Deal (Mediaweek)
Warner Music Group has become the second major label to strike a content licensing deal with online video hub Hulu. The deal brings music videos, concert performances, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage to artist-branded pages within the Hulu site.

Food Shows Whipping TV Networks Into a Frenzy (USAT)
Viewers are gorging on food television shows. Fox has made a cottage industry out of curmudgeonly Gordon Ramsay. Networks not known as foodie havens have found solid ratings: Bravo's Top Chef and TLC's Cake Boss are their networks' top series, while others, from IFC to Planet Green, are launching new food shows.

Newspapers to Stage Comeback in 2010? (Forbes)
Dirk Smillie: After relentless cuts in staffs and expenses, coupled with better interactive ad strategies, newspapers, many of whom remain monopolies, will stage a comeback. Some will emerge with new private equity owners. Others will be resurrected post-bankruptcy and re-energized by new management.

Liz Smith on When Gossip Columns Ruled (NPR)
Liz Smith, "The Grand Dame of Dish," shares how she got started in the late '50s ghost-writing a column about the end of "Cafe Society" in New York City. Smith also dishes on her run-ins with Donald Trump and Frank Sinatra.

Need Magazine to Close in January (Folio:)
Need, the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based "humanitarian" quarterly, is set to close at the end of January unless its founders manage to get a cash infusion -- fast. "We have not been able to pay anyone for the last three weeks," writes founder and executive director Kelly Kinnunen in an email.