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Daly: NBC Gave Ultimatum to Return to TV (AP) "An ultimatum was put in front of me," Daly told the Los Angeles Times of his decision to return to host NBC's Last Call With Carson Daly during a continuing writers' strike. "It was, 'Put a new show on Dec. 3 or 75 people are fired. LAT: Late-night-free zone about to end for pols. AP: Letterman, TV writers fail to strike deal.

Emap's B2B Division Sold (WWD)
The beleaguered British media group has effectively dissolved itself by selling the B2B arm for 1 billion pounds, or $1.97 billion at current exchange, to Eden Bidco Ltd., a new company created for the takeover by Apax Partners and Guardian Media Group.

A Freer Hand for Private Tribune (LAT)
The gamble by Chicago businessman Sam Zell, who took the Tribune Co. private Thursday, is that entrepreneurship — his stock in trade — will prevail over the transaction's financial risks to provide a richer future for the company and its approximately 20,000 employees. E&P: Sam Zell said they'll be plenty of change, even if he offered few specifics, writes Mark Fitzgerald.

News Corp. Unloads Eight Stations to Oak Hill (B&C)
News Corp. is selling eight of its owned-and-operated Fox stations to private-equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners for $1.1 billion in cash. The deal, stealthily announced Saturday, will leave News Corp. with 27 O&O stations and solidifies the broadcast presence of Oak Hill.

FCC Chief Defends Media Ownership Rules (AP)
FCC chairman Kevin Martin said the commission action was a "relatively minor loosening" of a single rule. Democratic commissioner Michael Copps described the commission's decision approving the measure as "one that would make George Orwell proud." B&C: North Dakota senator has media-ownership bill in his sights.

Mary Berner Gives Staff $5 Each (NYP)
Keith Kelly: Reader's Digest Association sent each of its 3,000 employees in the U.S. a $5 bill and encouraged them to do something worthwhile to help others. Indeed, with the new slogan of the redesigned Reader's Digest being "Life Well Shared," the giving back initiative was meant to encourage people to start sharing just as the new issue hits newsstands.

Romenesko Pours Starbucks Gossip on the Side (Seattle Times)
When Jim Romenesko isn't running the premier Web page about journalism-industry news, he is monitoring two other subjects: unusual news stories at ObscureStore.com and the world's largest coffee-shop chain at StarbucksGossip.com.

The Sportswriter Bidding War (NYT)
ESPN and Yahoo Sports are on a furious hiring binge, offering reporters and columnists more than they ever imagined they could make in journalism. "It's the exact same model as what happened to athletes," said Leigh Steinberg, a top sports agent. "We're seeing free agency for sports journalists." Slate: Jack Shafer compares sportswriters' and jocks' salaries.

Film's Big Year Could Have Been Even Bigger (USAT)
Despite a fall movie season that had audiences and studios about ready to throw in the towel, ticket sales will top last year's pace, analysts predict. Ticket sales should eclipse $9.35 billion, up about 4.5 percent from last year, but hardly fulfilling the promise of summer, which raked in a record $4 billion.

Baltimore Sun Gives Control of Editorials to Newsroom (NYT)
The Baltimore Sun has dismissed its editorial page editor, Dianne Donovan, who has headed the newspaper's editorial board for almost six years. Rather than have an editorial page editor chosen by the publisher, the paper plans to have an opinion editor selected by Tim Franklin, editor of The Sun.

Naomi Campbell, Political Reporter? (Page Six)
Naomi Campbell is said to be in Cuba interviewing Fidel Castro for British GQ. The supermodel, who calls herself the adopted granddaughter of Nelson Mandela, is said also to be lining up an interview with Castro's protégé in Venezuela, Hugo Chavez.

Sylvan Fox, 79, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist, Dies (NYT)
Sylvan Fox, the first "rewrite man" to be singled out for a Pulitzer Prize, died on Saturday at New York University Medical Center. Mr. Fox, who also worked as a reporter and editor for The New York Times, won his award in the now-obsolete category of "local story, edition time."

Free News Online Will Cost Journalism Dearly (LAT)
David Lazarus: Hollywood scribes want to be compensated fairly when their work is accessed on the Internet, which is increasingly becoming a venue to watch movies and TV shows. So why should newspapers be any different?

Welcome to the Hit Web Sites of 2008 (Guardian)
Bobbie Johnson: The success of Facebook has increased optimism about the Internet industry. After all, if Microsoft is prepared to buy a 1.6 percent share for $240m, there is evidence that good ideas can be worth a lot of money. It is no surprise then that investors are looking for the next big thing — and these are some of the favorites.

The Year in Technology (Machinist/Salon)
Farhad Manjoo: Every conversation about tech in 2007 spirals into a conversation about the iPhone. For some people constant access to the Internet is a pleasant dream, while for others it's a dreaded nightmare. This year, for all of us, it became a reality, the unavoidable future.