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Florio, you'll be missed Saluting the media notables who died in 2007 Jan 2, 2008
After chairman Si Newhouse, Steve Florio is rightly most credited with building Condé Nast from a small publishing house to among the largest, with some 16 titles, from the New Yorker, where he was the longtime publisher, to Vogue and Lucky and the new Portfolio. If in his bluster Florio exaggerated his own achievements, his legacy at Condé Nast cannot be exaggerated. During that period of rapid growth, he made it all seem possible, inspiring others with his energy and his will to build the company into the premier publisher of high-end, high-fashion, big-glam magazines. He was quick to spot talent, and he was a nurturer of that talent. To say the least, Florio was a contentious character, volatile, quick to move, quicker to fire, over a career dispatching dozens of executives who failed to meet his expectations, including his own brother, Tom, whom he once canned from his post as publisher of the New Yorker. He squabbled famously, sometimes with Newhouse, often with reporters, and most often with the facts. Some--many--accused Florio of making it all up as he went along. Others called him a barefaced liar. But none could fault Florio for his passion for selling Condé Nast magazines to the advertising community. He was a gifted salesman. It all came at a huge price. Over the long holiday break, Florio died following a heart attack he suffered in late November. He was just 58. He had stepped down as Condé Nast CEO three years ago, citing the long hours and the desire to ease back from a pace that had put a strain on his heart. In January 2006, he relinquished his position as vice chairman. He had taken up a more leisurely life as co-owner of an Italian restaurant and a lecturer at NYU. Raised in Queens, Florio graduated from New York University in 1971 and began his career at Esquire, where he rose quickly. He went on to join GQ, where he was publisher, and then the New Yorker, where he was publisher when in 1988 it was bought by Newhouse's Advance Publications, parent of Condé Nast. He was named Condé Nast president six years later, in 1994, and CEO two years later. But the Florio imprint on Condé Nast remains, as much as the company has changed in the three years since he left. His two children now work for Condé Nast, and brother Tom is publisher of Vogue. Three years ago, Florio floated around a book proposal that promised to dish on all those with whom he had clashed, with the end of settling scores, while touting his achievements as a leader in the grandest of terms (“the Godfather, the Samurai, the leader, the warrior.”) The media world was instantly abuzz. Florio then dropped the idea, thinking better of it. Here’s a look at some of the other media notables who died last year.
Art Buchwald Even in death, Buchwald was looking for laughs. He became the subject of The New York Times’ first-ever video obituary, an interview taped before his death and posted on NYTimes.com hours after he passed away. “Hi, I’m Art Buchwald and I just died,” the video began. Buchwald wrote more than 30 books, and his syndicated column ran in some 500 newspapers at its peak.
Molly Ivins Her nationally syndicated column, an equal mix of humor, pathos and snippiness, appeared in more than 400 newspapers. Just days before her death, she continued to agitate. One of her final columns urged readers to protest Bush’s troop surge in Iraq.
Anna Nicole Smith A months-long fight dragged out over the infant’s paternity, followed closely by CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC and a hoard of tabloids. That Smith’s death came just months after the surprise passing of her son, who also overdosed on prescription drugs, only added to the tragedy that became, tellingly, one of the year’s defining stories.
Merv Griffin He is best known for creating “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy,” still syndication’s top two game shows more than 30 years after they debuted. But he also hosted his own talk show with guests including everyone from Rose Kennedy to Martin Luther King Jr. Griffin was truly a man of many talents. He even wrote the theme songs to his two most famous shows, and his shows paid him back many times over. When he died, his net worth was estimated at some $1.6 billion.
Roger King King helped launch “The Oprah Winfrey Show” nationally, as well as “Dr. Phil,” “Jeopardy” and others, and he sold his outfit to CBS eight years ago for $2.5 billion. King served as chief executive of CBS Television Distribution, which oversees King World Prods., until his death. Also dying in 2007: Chris Benoit, WWE wrestler, 40
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