Archives 2000

• Dialogue: Passive meter is dead but will it be mourned?
  A few researchers say promise was overblown
• Our humbled TV critic fesses up to some bungled picks
  But what's a few ringers in a near perfect year? 
• Primedia names Platzner as publisher of Seventeen
  Top teen title beefs up to hold lead in hot field
• ABC again ramps up 'Millionaire' in already game-heavy January
  Eight nights in row beginning next Sunday Eight nights in row beginning next Sunday Eight nights in row beginning next Sunday
• Brisk Christmas card traffic boosts Blue Mountain's numbers
  But holiday web usage predictably dipped But holiday web usage predictably dipped But holiday web usage predictably dipped
• Shorts
  Web Xmas sales boom but malls do well too
  ABC's New Year's coverage tops in viewers
  Globe scribe indicted in Ramsey case
  

Tuesday, January 4, 2000

• Campaign spending kicks in early in heated presidential race
  Slew of primary candidates with deep pockets
• Q&A: High- tech guru Esther Dyson on the future of web ads
  'It’s much more interactive and intimate'
• Whither Diller? Latest rumors have him talking a deal with ABC
  Big synergies seen under new duopoly rules
• Health titles are hale and hearty, pumped up by drug advertising
  Mini fitness boom as consumers take better care
• Gannett in fierce bidding war for chain of UK newspapers
  Real tussle is over control of local web content
• Shorts
  CNET in deal with AMFM for tech radio news
  'Ally' oops: Fox kills half-hour rehash of hit
  

Wednesday, January 5, 2000

• Cable's growth slows and larger networks decline
  Down to 8 percent from double digits
• Now the real season begins as networks revamp lineups
  New series debuts and artful rejiggerings
• Playboy appoints Gail Day as its first  woman publisher
  Comes over from Sports Illustrated for Kids
• Village Voice finds buyers with ambitions for a national chain
  Longtime publisher leads investor group
• E-Commerce sites see gains but web's real comer is CNET
  Jumps past ZDNet as top source of tech news Jumps past ZDNet as top source of tech news Jumps past ZDNet as top source of tech news
• Shorts
  'Early show' skids while 'GMA' soars
  Ted and Jane in trial separation

Thursday, January 6, 2000

• The portal shakeout is here and AOL and Yahoo will win
  Analyst: Also-rans face speedy demise
• NBC cuts a deal with NAACP to increase racial diversity
  Other big networks to follow, averting boycott
• "Winning Lines': Losing answer from CBS in quiz show face-off
  Shameless Brit ripoff in death-inducing slot
• Curse of Christmas: Nielsen's struggle to keep meters working
  Electronic gifts can throw a wrench in readings
• For Sports Afield, a journey back to its roots in hunting and fishing
  Out go the backpacks and other gentle boy toys Out go the backpacks and other gentle boy toys Out go the backpacks and other gentle boy toys
• Shorts
  P.O.V. folds, loser in battle of men's titles
  Idle rumor: latest Diller desire is Ovation
  Uncle Mel names a web chief for CBS
  

Friday, January 7, 2000

• Talk of an all-free web grows, with some powerful implications
  But will it happen? Gurus disagree furiously
• For Drew Massey, P.O.V.'s very success brought its demise
  Spawned imitators with far deeper pockets Spawned imitators with far deeper pockets Spawned imitators with far deeper pockets
• TV review: 'Malcolm in the Middle' Trite Fox fare with a first-rate time slot
  And this Simpson ripoff will need it to stay afloat
• French media giant Lagardere is expanding into pay television
  Bidding for a one-third stake in Canal Satellite Bidding for a one-third stake in Canal Satellite Bidding for a one-third stake in Canal Satellite
• Merged NBC web properties debut at No. 8 on top 10 list
  NBCi soars on strength of Snap and Xoom
• Shorts
  New Woman's Laura McEwan lands at YM
  ABC and NAACP to announce diversity pact
  Tina snags a features editor from Vogue

• AOL and Time Warner announce their merger
  All stock deal valued at $350 billion 
• Susan Dominus has Nerve and very soon a magazine too
  But can she edit a title advertisers will buy?
• High-tech media toys post strong year-end sales
  2000 to be year of the digital revolution
• TV Review: 'Twenty One': Worthy contender and crutch for 'Dateline'
  Giving overexposed newsmagazine a breather
• Car sites pick up speed as America trades in old for new 
  Jittery investors boost financial category
• Shorts
  More angst and backpeddling at L.A. Times
  S.F. Examiner: Paper a city won't let die
  Judge: Teen magazine hurt by porn web site

Tuesday, January 11, 2000

• First big media deal of the century promises to bring huge changes
  A check list of things to keep an eye on
• Media buyers' reaction: Good deal for players and industry
  Mainstreaming of web to everyone's benefit
• New media reaction: Bold revolutionary and whoopee
  2000 to be year of the digital revolution
• USA Weekend gets a new editor and a Sunday morning wakeup
  Jack Curry's marching orders: Crank up the copy
• Granada throws an oily wrench at pending Carlton-United merger 
  Bid to buy either puts deal before regulators
• Shorts
  New Yorker to get weekly PBS exposure
  Communism, Microsoft slammed in poll
  'Millionaire' capitalizes on Super Bowl
  Rogers talks up changes at Primedia
  New Yorker to get weekly PBS exposure
  Communism, Microsoft slammed in poll
  'Millionaire' capitalizes on Super Bowl
  Rogers talks up changes at Primedia
  

Wednesday, January 12, 2000

• AOL-Time Warner deal sees a rise of ifs and buts
  Morning-after reactions to a major merger
• Amid merger mania, a powerful dissenting voice: Horse feathers
  JWT's Pool: 'This is not the second coming'
• Highly pumped Oxygen in last-minute race for distribution
  Major markets not signed, including New York Major markets not signed, including New York
• Angels step forward to revive the troubled Chicago Defender
  Important voice in civil rights goes to auction
• '18 Wheels of Justice': Drama is key to TNN's country makeover
  Talking truck may do the trick in luring young
• Shorts
  Millionaires galore at Time Warner
  Kelley inks contract with Fox for $300 million
  Proposed postal hike has publishers fuming
  TheStreet.com drops fee for most sites
  

Thursday, January 13, 2000

• As merger euphoria subsides, can they hold this deal together?
  Deal-makers say yes, but investors are antsy
• Should the market tumble, expect a thinning of dot.com ads
  
  Bug-outs will leave behind hefty inventories
• Magazines had a great year, and now the numbers to prove it
  Biz, news and music categories lead the pack
• Record audiences tune in to glut of new game shows
  All do well but 'Millionaire' is way ahead All do well but 'Millionaire' is way ahead All do well but 'Millionaire' is way ahead
• Forget traffic, offline names matter most when wallets open
  Study: Folks spend most at brick-and-mortars
• Shorts
  Salon: Feds in tawdry drug ad deal with networks
  O for Oprah: Hearst has a title for new title

Friday, January 14, 2000

• When moneyed folk turn on the tube, they turn to NBC
  FCB study: Network tops in affluent viewers
• White house secretly injects anti-drug messages into primetime
  Salon: Networks gave feds crack a scripts
• Q&A: The real lowdown on what makes Americans click
  Bernadette Tracy on consumers and the web Bernadette Tracy on consumers and the web Bernadette Tracy on consumers and the web
• 'City of Angels' : Top-flight CBS  drama has hit written all over it
  Bochco's winning series about a black hospital Bochco's winning series about a black hospital Bochco's winning series about a black hospital
• In burst, UK's ONdigital doubles subscribers for pay-TV service
  But still behind Murdoch's BSkyB in box race
• With holidays passed, card sites are out and debt consolidation is in
  AmeriDebt and getSmart join top banner ranks AmeriDebt and getSmart join top banner ranks AmeriDebt and getSmart join top banner ranks
• Shorts
  AOL and TW recover as both spin the deal
  Redesigned Talk appears on Monday
  TRUSTe seal gains 1,000th site
  Women web-shoppers worry about security
  NBCi, thinking globally, inks Asia deal
  

• Mort shakes up top ranks at a troubled U.S. News
  Ellenthal shoved aside as lead salesman
• Tina's redesigned Talk is, well, more American--perhaps too
  Will the heartland buy or stick with People? Will the heartland buy or stick with People?
• Coming soon, movie rentals without schlepping to the store
  Blockbuster and TiVo  to offer video on demand
• 'Higher Ground' : So-so series won't revive Fox Family Channel
  Troubled teener no salve for falling ratings
• Women are different than men, and web advertisers are noticing
  Study: As more females surf, targeting catches on
• Shorts
  ABC: Dropped drug ad deal when feds got pushy
  Fox's 'Malcolm' is a mid-season hit
  Go2Net updates its MetaCrawler
  Flycast throws itself into email advertising

Wednesday, January 19, 2000

• A marriage on the rocks, a newsmagazine in trouble
  Prediction: Mort and Fred will soon part
• The forever-young WB thinks it's time to don some whiskers
  But can the network still keep its teen viewers?
• Listen up, Jim Murphy, here's how to fix CBS News 
  Three big ideas on how boost its ratings
• Report: Third-quarter spending on web ads shot up 30 percent
  Hit $1.2B; still more than half spent on banners Hit $1.2B; still more than half spent on banners Hit $1.2B; still more than half spent on banners
• Blair crony in row over media holdings as he rises to head BBC 
  Rupert's Times raises stink over foe's wealth Rupert's Times raises stink over foe's wealth Rupert's Times raises stink over foe's wealth
• Shorts
  Disney looks to sell Los Angeles magazine
  GQ ups rate base with P.O.V. subscriber list
  Oxygen Media and MSN in ad deal

Thursday, January 20, 2000

• Now, hard numbers to prove the web is powerful at branding
  Study: A third say internet changes perceptions
• Lifetime, ramping up for Oxygen,ponders what women really need
  Brooks: Better research leads to better shows
• White House anti-drug team backs off from reviewing scripts
  Fierce backpedaling in storm over TV ad deal
• An invigorated Court TV tries its hand at original shows
  Debuts bio series 'Mugshots' and 'Hollywood' 
• Web directory About.com joins ranks of most visited sites
  Big traffic boost amid December shopping spree
• Shorts
  Mort taps Rosenthal to scribble for Daily News
  Fox launches free Simpsons web service
  More than one billion (pages) served!
  'Millionaire' turns in more hot numbers
  Nod to Michael J. Fox on quitting 'Spin'
  FCC's Kennard hails open access pledge
  

Friday, January 21, 2000

• If dot.coms spend oodles on ads  they must work, right? Wrong!
  Traffic numbers are actually down for many
• ABC and New York Times link up to share some news operations
  Daily webcast to cover this year's electionsDaily webcast to cover this year's elections
• 'Interactive TV will have a longer learning curve than people think'
  Bernadette Tracy on expectations vs. reality
• Mort on Mort: The real story behind the story at U.S. News 
  No, it's not for sale and, no, Fred's not out
• Media people mull and puzzle over the goings on at U.S. News
  Reacting to new reports of management shuffles Reacting to new reports of management shuffles Reacting to new reports of management shuffles
• iWon pulls 'em in with cash prizes, boosting CBS on hot portals list 
  Climbs up on About.com and Looksmart.com
• Shorts
  Rumor: Eisner's about to pick his No. 2
  'Sopranos' sings like a jail bird
  A&E's Oprah bio draws record viewers
  Wicks closes on titles from Dow Jones
  

• A first hurrah for little radio and a challenge to the big boys
  FCC OKs licensing of low-power stations 
• Revolution anyone? New title for marketers in the digital age
  UK import discourses on tech as a biz tool
• 'Doubledare 2000': Nick debuts killer game show from the past 
  Afternoon tricks to fend off  growing rivals Afternoon tricks to fend off  growing rivals
• Report: Downloading of media to grow markedly in four years
  Music and software, followed by books, video
• Americans shopping the web prefer familiar boutique retailers
  Brick-and-mortars saw big December increases Brick-and-mortars saw big December increases Brick-and-mortars saw big December increases
• Rupert in secret pact with Blair to ax BBC competitor to BSkyB
  Tycoon drops opposition to digital license fee
• Shorts
  Time Warner to merge with UK's EMI  
  Big papers sue over Metro transit deal
  So where's randi Mandi anyway?
  Disney's Soapnet launches with little lather
  Toodles for '90210' and 'Party of Five'
  
  

Tuesday, January 25, 2000

• Yes, it's true: Eisner picks ABC's Iger as his right-hand man
  Still unanswered is if he'll rise to the top post
• With AOL-TW, interactive TV is about to go mass market 
  Major sign-up push from Web TV as well
• 'Ripley's': Believe it or not, this new TBS series kicks butt
  Breaks the record for a basic cable debut Breaks the record for a basic cable debut
• Essence has a new editor, a new look, and lots to worry about
  Now let's see, there's B. Smith and Oprah and... 
• 1999 was the year of the web and now the numbers to prove it
  Women are equals, and we all spend more time
• Shorts
  Bud leapfrogs Pepsi in Super Bowl spending
  AGs again whack Publishers Clearing House
  Emmis nabs L.A. Magazine from Disney
  Idle gossip: Monica's unfit for Jane
  Car-buyers swamp web dealer, crashing site

Wednesday, January 26, 2000

• A ticket you can print at home adds a twist to local portal wars
  A big leg up for Ticketmaster-City Search 
• Nielsen and Univision at odds over Hispanic household count
  Los Angeles survey halted over procedures
• Living simple: Rothenberg on the trend behind the new magazines
  'Oprah’s been on a simplification kick for years'
• Radio slowly begins to exploit its vast potential for e-commerce
  Irresistible synergies: loyal listeners, local ties Irresistible synergies: loyal listeners, local ties Irresistible synergies: loyal listeners, local ties
• Hearst sweetens Examiner deal: 'We'll even sell you the presses'
  Pressure from feds stalls close of SF paper Pressure from feds stalls close of SF paper Pressure from feds stalls close of SF paper
• Shorts
  Study: 75 million Americans suffer web-phobia
  Post's Dunleavy cools off in the can 
  Ask Jeeves beefs up with an acquisition
  Newspapers appeal judge's Metro ruling

Thursday, January 27, 2000

• Though despised, junk emails drive traffic to advertisers' sites
  Nearly as effective as banners and lots cheaper 
• Launched in a hush, WSJ Sunday spreads its reach to more papers
  Vying with glossy weeklies for financial ads 
• VH1's long flow of smart ideas at last may be slowing to a dribble
  Three new duds follow a string of successes
• If you want to reach pill-poppers,the internet beats all other media
  Far cheaper at driving prescription drug sales
• UK: High Court rules on  two Metros but fight over name has just begun 
  Swedish chain of free papers on global march
• Shorts
  Bryant Gumbel's off to divorce court
  Rooney: Money drives TV news operations
  Teen-pop culture fads top Lycos search list
  Gartner: B2B global web sales to rise 5000%
  WSJ in Super Bowl over online growth

Friday, January 27, 2000

• Disney trims Go Network;first loser in portal shakeout
  Red-inker will morph into entertainment site
• Expedia.com signs Ziff-Davis to publish a travel magazine
  'Seamless chain' for folks planning trips
• 'Millionaire' viewers are not your average couch potatoes
  FCB's Frydlewicz: Monied with a touch of class
• Bernadette: 'This is the year the web becomes a tool for branding' 
  Visionary advertisers begin to grasp its power
• As outside temperatures chill U.S. flocks to Weather Channel site
  Rises to No. 15 as storms sweep East Coast
• Shorts
  NAACP on verge of diversity pact with Fox
  Primedia's Rogers shows Grossman the door
  Some handy Super Bowl numbers to munch
  Clinton calls for universal content code
  
  

• DoubleClick's ability to identify users worries privacy advocates
  Californian sues to stop distribution of data
• Late summer Olympics promise to play havoc with fall TV season 
  Should others start earlier to cut NBC's edge?
• Going into launch, Oxygen looks to be gasping for air
  Real doubts whether Laybourne can do it again 
• The Onion's slow emergence as America's funniest newspaper
  Wisconsin wit wins Gen-X hearts and minds
• For the Groom: At last a magazine for the man about to walk the aisle
  Practical advice and titillation for the affianced
• Shorts
  CJR: Tina, you're still tops with us
  USA Today slimed in lefties prank
  Another Hollywood big to make web cartoons
  AP agrees to distribute CNET tech stories

Tuesday, February 1, 2000

• Surprise Super Bowl thriller beat most researchers' estimates
  Final numbers: Half of America saw game
• ABC may have won the game but television won the weekend
  Super Bowl as a holiday for the couch crowd
• In record numbers, football fans surfed as they watched the game
  Heavy ABC promotion drew 650,000 users
• MPA launches a big campaign to beat back a 15% postal hike
  'Inefficiencies and out-of-control cost structure'
• As Letterman recuperates wannabes rush forth to fill in
  Late-night host never had so many friends
• Shorts
  Oxygen asks viewers to bug Time Warner
  'Millionaire' aims its big guns at '21'
  DoubleClick's new unit reps smaller web sites
  Hollywood gives Prez Bronx cheer on ratings
  
  

Wednesday, February 2, 2000

• It's not whether your ad ran in Super Bowl but just when
  Risky fourth-quarter slots paid out big
• This Super Bowl dot.com story is almost better than the game
  Computer.com bet it all on one spot--and won
• At GQ, they seem not to notice the lad titles. Well, not much anyhow.
  Editor Cooper distains but pages say otherwise
• 'Brutally Normal' and 'Zoe' add to WB's Monday blues
  Bummers even  with '7th Heaven' leading-in
• London: With the hit 'Asterix,' French hope to become major exporter of films
   Tailoring homegrown movies for UK audiences
• Shorts
  Brill pairs with CBS to launch Contentville
  Maxim launches site on Valentine's Day
  Icon: Another men's title goes under
  BBC has big for-profit plans in the U.S.
  Kravitz takes over as editor of Parade
  

Thursday, February 3, 2000

• Football is a young man's sport but Bowl viewers skewed older
  Fewer under-35's saw this year's cliff-hanger
• You're wrong if you guessed 'Millionaire' is a big draw in Vegas
  Show's popularity varies widely from city to city
• Banner ad rates are ending their free fall as 2000 gets underway
  Four-quarter decline slowed to just 1 percent
• Elephant in a tutu: Understanding Microsoft's long-term media plans
  Quietly munching a bit of this and a bit of that Quietly munching a bit of this and a bit of that
• CBS and Fox to announce diversity pacts with the NAACP
  Report: More extensive than ABC and NBC deals
• Parade's new editor sees his job as preserving a Sunday ritual
  Confident title will survive threat of the web
• Shorts
  Publicis picks up Fallon in acquisition spree
  Gates: No big media mergers for us boys
  Letterman may return earlier than thought
  Interesting figures on what AOLers do online.
  More grief for DoubleClick over privacy
  

Friday, February 4, 2000

• Viacom makes a daring bid to buy UPN from Chris Craft
  Here's $5 million, now put up or shut up
• In satellite wars, bickering only increases with success
  EchoStar files suit, calling DirecTV a bully
• Young publisher says Icon done in by flight of capital to web
  Fewer dollars to fund independent magazines
• A jiggly power chart shows who really rules your world
  Valid Krebs' twitching girdle of media alliances
• Cable & Wireless shakes up UK market for digital services
  Threat to BSkyB and OnDigitial in broadband TV Threat to BSkyB and OnDigitial in broadband TV
• Though perhaps a corny idea, CBS's iWon picks up momentum 
  Play-for-prizes portal draws visitors and ads
• Shorts
  Facing heat, Brill names Kuhn his top editor
  Mort to Rupert: Let's make a deal
  Top CNN executive to land PBS prez spot
  

• Day of click-and-buy TV is nearer than you may think
  Programmers see early impact for broadband
• Tobacco wars may seem over, but the real fight is just beginning
  Cigarette foes take aim at retail display ads Cigarette foes take aim at retail display ads Cigarette foes take aim at retail display ads
• In the heat of fire, David Kuhn defends Brill and Contentville
  New editor: No worry over conflicts of interest
• Prediction: It may be close but ABC will take the sweeps
  'Millionaire' lives to kill, notably on Sundays
• Sweeps strategy: ABC will rely on regular schedule to hold lead
  Little gimmickry and few specials planned
• Travel sites, now consolidating, seek anchors in the real world
  Major threat to traditional brick-and-mortars 
• Shorts
  Mort to NY Post: Liar, liar, pants on fire Letterman pals will host show until his return
  Report:Ted's fooling around and Jane's angry
  A Spanish edition of  the National Enquirer
• New Media Shorts
  Toys are out and books and flowers are hot
  NBA and USA in  spring e-commerce deal 
  Media Metrix's final Super Bowl ad scores 

Tuesday, February 8, 2000

• Ralph Lauren saddles up for a major media deal with NBC
  King of magazine fashion ads chases Martha
• Hot over Nielsen's rate hikes? You can lump it and like it, or not
  Efforts to challenge the increases fizzle out
• British invasion #3: BBC's plan to buy up American magazines
  $300M to spend but not just any titles, mind you 
• A bit late to the game, Discovery shapes an ambitious web strategy
  Maybe too ambitious. Aren't portals a bit passe?
• Sweeps strategy: NBC is relying on the power of its proven winners 
  Beefing up top shows with big-name guests 
• Lest we forget, here's LifeMinders, an email service that reminds us 
  Big player in booming ad-supported messages
• Shorts
  GM's Guarascio is home from surgery
  Yahoo! is down for 3 hours, slimed by hacks
  Way bad Charlie Sheen likely for 'Spin city'
  BET's black lifestyle site goes live

• People
  Michael Gross leaves New York magazine for George
  Eileen Murphy promoted at ABC News
  Pat Mitchell named new PBS CEO

Wednesday, February 9, 2000

• Buyers looking to spring see a pricey upfront taking shape
  Fear and loathing of double-digit increases
• Such a mouth: Gear's Bob G. trashes his competitors just awful 'Crap is crap, even if it's corporate crap
• As email ads get respectable, spending goes through the roof
  Study: 15% of internet dollars in three years
• Sweeps strategy: CBS turns to old tricks to boost viewing
  Spicy scandal flix and lots of guest appearances
• Though dissed, 'Mary & Rhoda' puts ABC first in sweeps race
  Eases ahead of NBC on power of reunion froth
• UK: Insider trading scandal roils already nasty tabloid slugfest
  Murdoch's Sun tags Mirrror's editor 'an idiot'
• Shorts
  Following Yahoo, hackers cripple more sites
  'Malcolm' picked up by Fox for rest of season
  What's a net appliance? We'll soon find out.
• People
  Judy Coyne moves to Women.com
  Richard Becker leaves OnMoney
  David Verklin named to board of Aegis Group

Thursday, February 10, 2000

• As hackers close more sites, Feds respond: 'We're clueless'
  Little reason to believe attacks will end
• Fall dot.com spending was way up for almost all media
  Big gainers: Local TV and  national spot radio
• With teens so hot, YM puts on a new face for the competition
  McEwen: New entries invigorate the entire field
• Sweeps strategy: Fox cages its beasties in favor of sex sex sex
  Serious recidivism for the ratings-challenged
• 'The Others': This solid sci-fi-er faces an impossible challenge
  It's Saturday, the black hole of programming
• Shorts
  Gossip: Time's Isaacson as top AOL editor?
  Troubled Oxygen spoofed by Onion  
  AltaVista revs up with Women.com content
  Chris Craft to Viacom: See ya in court
• People
  Gary Ryan to general manager of People Online
  Ann Aciero to general manager at InStyle.com
  Allison Douglass to senior producer at realsimple.com
  

Friday, February 11, 2000

 

• Buyers predict cable upfront may approach last year's stiff hikes
  Strong economy and lots of dot.com dollars
• Bernadette: 'Media sites offer a halo effect from their credibility'
  Far more visitors say they click through to ads
• Forget the cold outside, January was a cozy month for magazines
  Large houses saw biggest revenue gains
• Expect fierce grappling for rights to Vince's wrestling and football
  CBS-Viacom and USA head for a smackdown
• New Media: Love me do, or at least send  a card on cyber-Valentine's Day
  Traffic up early as well for tax prep web sites
• Shorts
  Millionaire' backer wants dumber contestants
  No more hack attacks but few answers
  For Steve Forbes, it's back to the writer's life

• People
  John Mack Carter honored by ASME
  Marcus Baram, Mark Malkin and Tish Hamilton leave the Daily News for Us magazine
  

Monday, February 14, 2000

• CBS again proves TV is a medium for everybody
  Study: Network draws most blacks and whites
• Maria Rodale: We've got our act together, thank you
  Shakeups reflect plan to return to their roots
• American males rush online for Valentine's gifts
  Major portals see boost in sweetheart ads
• Investigators eye German hacker in web attacks
  Clinton to hold summit over cyber-vandalism
• Pressures build to divest BBC of its special status 
  Privatization appears likely under Tony Blair

• Another nasty exit from the house of Brill

• Norville: My so grim life in the slammer

• Rex Reed pinched for shoplifting CDs

• Appeals court sides with Winfrey in cow suit

• Cyber-swallower CMGI gobbles two more

• Financial Times debuts redesigned site

 Tuesday, February 15, 2000

• Nielsen response rates reach alarming new lows
  New doubts about integrity of viewership sample results

• Under attack, DoubleClick announces privacy policy
  Allows surfers to opt out of  data collection

• Now here's FHM but wait, it looks like...ah ...Maxim
  How could this be? Easy if you bet your all on the lads trend

• How agencies miss out on the power of the internet
  Click-throughs over chance to communicate with customers

• ABC and NBC ahead on power of regular programs 
  Lead sweeps race in households and prime demo

• Canned Korn? Top CNNer exits amid ratings slide 
  Insiders: Lou Dobbs aftermath bungled badly 

• Shorts
  Hancock rejoins Olympics as a sponsor
  Abe's back and roaring at the Daily News
  Spare change? Last day to bid on Examiner
  'Millionaire' hits new high on Sunday night

 Wednesday, February 16, 2000

• Cable bigs to start women's soccer league
  Debuts next spring for an 80-game season
•  Kids upfront looks weak, unlike broadcast and cable
  Glut of programming and toy business plagued by problems
• For this Cosmo Girl, it's about talking to your readers
  Editor Atoosa Rubenstein: They look to us as role models
•  U.S. lads craze is just beginning for FHM's editor
  Brit import Ed Needham: We'll rely on influx of new readers
• Online entertainment expected to blossom shortly
  Study predicts rise to $1.8B from $1.1B in 1999
• Top searches: Love, black history & young nakeds
  Lycos survey: 'Glimpse of the public brain-pan week to week'
• Rupert's ambitious plan to put BSkyB on the web
  Reformed Luddite commits $400M to catch-up scheme
• Shorts

Lonesome tonight? Join the crowd
Two biggest health web sites to merge
Dave is back to late-nights come Monday
NBC loses SF's KRON but gains KNTV 

• People

Miriam Arond to editor in chief of Child magazine
Margaret Springer to Direct Reults Group
Kelly Keenan joins Latingirl

Thursday, February 17, 2000

• Saturday is the favorite day for surfing the web
  And, says a study, Wednesday is the least around the world
•  Wedding bells for Fox's 'Marry a Multi-Millionaire'
  Sure, it's a little tacky--a lot tacky, really--but millions tuned in
•  Say good-bye, Dick, as CBS tubes 'Winning Lines'
  Return unlikely for Clark's me-too half-hearted game show 
• CBS's play to older viewers paying off in ad dollars
  Revenues rise15% and CPMs are going up as boomers age 
• Forget Regis, keep your fantasy, give me reality TV
  Next big trend: Life as a soap opera with real cameras, a la MTV
• Bob Johnson's big bet that blacks will flock to web
  But BET cable network founder now faces established players
• Looking for masses, Access tucks into Sunday paper
  Weekly web magazine with national circulation of 8 million 

• Big changes rumored at Western Initiative
  Buyers step forth for San Francisco Examiner
  Cable big Paul Allen buys Sporting News

• People
  Geoffrey Wells to ABC's VP of information technology 
  Andrea Alexander to associate publisher of Travel & Leisure Golf 

Friday, February 18, 2000

• Television ad spending returning to good old days
  Study: 1999 broadcast and cable more robust than first thought
• Bernadette on 'converting consumers into customers'
  Most companies are in a holding pattern in their web strategy
•  Big ruckus in Philly over a tiny paper called Metro
  Swedish publisher with ambitious plans for U.S.'s urban readers
• Probe widens into DoubleClick and privacy violations
  New York and Michigan follow FTC with own investigations
• Bluemountain gives Excite sweet Valentine's gift
  A 20 percent kickup in traffic makes it No. 4 on web property list
• Scott Crystal on Expedia and changes in publishing
  Revolutionary web-to-magazine model will be widely adopted

• Shorts     
  Gear's Bob G. sued over photo spread
  Starbucks' Joe closes after three issues
  Arledge looking for another writer for memoirs
  Heins quits G&J to join internet company     

• People 
  Larry Glick promoted at Travel & Leisure Golf
  Kerry smith moves up at ABC News
               

Tuesday, February 22, 2000

• Oops, Fox's dreamboat groom is a scalawag
  Cancels tonight's rehash as yet more dirt comes out
• Tumbling stock prices put AOL-TW merger at risk
  Might investors vote no on deal of  the century? Could be.
• In sweeps, it's still nose to nose for ABC and NBC
  Early signs that the power of  'Millionaire' may be flagging
• Most web advertisers are still Johnnie-one-notes
  Eschew variety for running same messages over and over
• 'Floor, please, and now a message from a sponsor'
    Big race to put video messages in America's elevators
• Western's name change, fresh start under Schultz
  New CEO restructures huge buying shop, splitting U.S. in two
• Britain's top free web service to offer broadband 
  High-speed audio and video by phone without the  toll charges
• Shorts

Just call me Lucky, from Conde Nast
EBay halts kidney auction as a no-no
Playboy picks up a webmaster from Disney
Sheen officially assumes Fox's 'Spin' role

 

Wednesday, February 23, 2000

• Media buyers see a hot upfront for syndication 
  No longer a refuge just for low-rent advertisers
• Rodale finds a new leader in Disney's Murphy
  Search ends for COO to replace Teufel as heirs assume control
• New Economy biz magazines up sharply in readers
  Red Herring and Fast Company report biggest circulation gains
• Dow Jones gets all Excite-d. Will it Work.com?
  Merger is horizontal play in an increasingly vertical web world
• Major talents take up cameras for new TV season
  Spielberg, Scorsese, Cameron, Bruckheimer, Spike Lee...
• Dave dusts Jay but expect ratings to settle back
  Households triple for perpetual No. 2 late-nighter on his return
• Shorts

Yo, yet another Brill biggie bugs out
UPN and WB to share programs in six markets
Fox wedding fiasco draws the curious to Lycos
Mistress battles for share of Kuralt estate  

• People
  Sallie Schoneboom to VP of ABC daytime media and talent relations
  Amy Dockser Marcus to Money from WSJ
• Features
  'Floor, please, and now a message from a sponsor'
  Most web advertisers are still Johnnie- one-notes

Thursday, February 24, 2000

• Forget the network blues. Big 3 cleaned up in 4th
  Sports and dot.com $s spurred 16% increase over 1998
• PC Computing's new face, name and mission
  From hawking gizmos to providing business solutions 
• Fox's wedding fiasco leads to a nasty honeymoon
   TV bride and groom don't kiss but tell all on talk circuit
• Christmas past, surfers turn to web for information
  Portals see traffic surge; 4 of every 10 minutes spent on AOL
• I said what? Analyst yanks TW downgrade
  New Merrill report sees roses; others see armtwisting
• Brits begin weaning BBC from public largess 
  New plan rewards public TV system for cost-cutting

• Shorts
  Supermarkets cover randy women's titles
  Microsoft: Hackers whacked oursite
  Bob G defends Gear in Spelling suit
  Cable claims more ad dollars 
  

• People
  Eric Garland moves from Money  to Dads title
  Peter Gardiner adds managing partner to Bozell title
  
• Features
  'Floor, please, and a message from a sponsor'
  Most web advertisers are still Johnnie- one-notes
  Major talents take up cameras for new TV season  

Friday, February 25, 2000

• Online cards heading for the dead letter file
  Analyst drops $800M revenue estimate to damn near zip
• Media dons ponder FHM and future of lads titles
  Boys will be boys but will they read all this stuff? Maybe.
• What? Broadcast and cable both claim growth
  Both are right, dicing the right numbers on each other's audience
• 'Grapevine': All the elements click save one, CBS
  Singles in Miami sitcom is too hip for older-skewing network
• Bernadette on the four Ps of web strategy 
  Prioritize, plan, project and  personalize for results

Monday, February 28, 2000

• Skunked Fox swears off reality shows. Honest.
  Edgy network bloodied by wedding fiasco and ratings slide
• Face behind the new black media powerhouse
  Will Keith Clinkscales add Vibe/Spin to his stable of magazines?
• 'Web has more garbage and a greater share of it' 
  About.com's Scott Kurnit on the failings of search technology
• ABC has edge over NBC, provided 'Millionaire' pulls
  But that's our guess: sweeps race is too close to call for sure
• Dangerous Dave's last opus on Super Bowl winners 
  Plus his homemade chart of how many viewers saw what ad when
• Deutsche Telecom begins selling its cable network
  Lush booty indeed as richest media market in all of Europe
• Shorts

• Mega-deal between Yahoo and News Corp?
  NBCi launches portal for high-speed users
  Time's Isaacson: I'm staying right here
  

People

James A. Belzer joins Civilization as ad director
Anne Alexander to editorial director at Rodale' Healthy Living Group

Tuesday, February 29, 2000

• Meet the Dirty Dozen, 12 shows media buyers avoid
  Yup, Howard Stern leads the list, but Oprah's on it too
• Nielsen delays Boston people meter test
  Rating service says software snags delay project half year
• Perlis booted at Ziff as Dunning assumes control
  First big move in turnaround of ailing high-tech publisher
• Moving beyond geeks, web radio draws top listeners
  Audience ranks high in income, education and online buying
• ABC nears sweeps lockup as NBC stumbles 
  'Millionaire" network set to take total viewers and adults18-49
• Shorts

Lycos, following others, offers free web access
Babs to HB's Betts: I'm out of here
Lawyer looking for work? Site for Wal-mart suits
Son of 'Millionaire' is in the works in UK
New lease on life for Latin cable news network

• People

Christopher Willcox out as Reader's Digest editor
Todd Tarpley heads A&E's new Interactive unit

Wednesday, March 1, 2000

Ad spending varies widely in top 10 markets
Vehicles are ranked No. 1 in newspapers and spot television

Business Week's Ferm jumps to Primedia
Heads B2B; Kupper moves up as president of McGraw-Hill unit

Vince's smackdown between Uncle Mel and Barry
CBS's Karmazin and USA's Diller grapple for lush sports rights 

Even young shoppers prefer brick-and-mortar sites 
Rather shop at e-retailers with strong offline presence

Kathie quits morning chitchat: Tabs drive me buggy
New partner likely for Regis Philbin on top-rated show

Cash-hungry BBC selling stake in for-profit units
First step in eventual privatization of public media conglomerate

Shorts

Fox bride also loose with background facts
Lopez’s Grammy dress scores big in searches
More startling dot.com spending numbers
Anti-smoking ads may work on younger kids

• People

John Jay to president of Access Internet Magazine
Linda Thomas Brooks to EVP and managing director at General Motors Mediaworks and General Motors Cyberworks

 

Thursday, March 2, 2000

• Ad clutter rises to nearly 17 minutes in primetime
  ABC leads Big 4 in broadcast; Fox Family tops in cable
• David Ferm on the new competition in business titles
  Departing BW chief: Magazines as multi-media franchises
• Simplicity's more complex than it sounds
   New title is less about paring down than living it up
• 'Cover Me': USA's lighter knockoff of 'Sopranos' 
  May be hit Diller needs with fate of WWF wrestling in the air
• P&G's web tsarina on FAST's efforts to tame the net
  Bechtold: Goal is to advance the medium as a marketing tool
• At times it pays to have enemies. Ask Dr. Laura. 
  Gays are busy protesting over her upcoming TV talk show
• Shorts

Bush bungles late-night appearance with Dave
AltaVista adopts opt-in in new privacy stance
TiVo cuts a deal in the UK with BskyB
Study: Web porn draws a rising army of addicts

• People

Steven L. DeLuca to associate publisher of In Style
Mindy Herman to president of E! Entertainment 
Andre Nel to executive creative director at Donino White 

Friday, March 3, 2000

• DoubleClick:  We blew it on the privacy controversy
  Chairman: Won't link internet users with personal data 
• Among media, boob tube grabs the most hours
  TVB study concludes that the internet is no rival to television
• ABC wins sweeps; NBC and CBS tie for second
  UPN and ABC only networks to record gains in viewers
• All the vogue, reality shows spell disaster in the sand
  European versions stir protests for violating 'human dignity'
• 'Secret Agent': Faux cool series drips flop sweat
  'Men in Black' knockoff won't save UPN's ailing Tuesdays
• Bernadette: 'Privacy is a major concern of surfers'
  Big worry among internet users: Theft of a person's identification
• SI's swimsuit issue drives up CNN traffic 75 percent
  Excite@Home slumps as Bluemountain sputters
• Shorts

Returning Letterman beats Leno in viewers
GMA set records of its own with TV bride
Washington sniffs at AOL-TW's access vows
Government: Online sales hit $5.3B in 4thQ

• Guest Column

Real Media's Dave Morgan:
Targeting without violating privacy

Monday, March 6, 2000

• The new sisters
  There were seven once but now more and more magazines are targeting the American homemaker. As different as they are, they enjoy many sisterly qualities 
• Tough new law will create havoc for kids sites
  Abrupt end to willy-nilly data collection from children under 13
• Viewers who like shows pay more attention to ads
  Study also finds that creativity matters more than placement
• 'Millionaire' nets ABC a raft of new households
  Quiz show and Super Bowl raise ratings 10% over last year
• Candidates dropping big bucks on Super Tuesday
  Media spending heaviest for critical NY and California races
• Ok! so bring on the girls--and the investment bankers
  Top UK girlie publisher with worldly ambitions plans an offering
• Shorts

Major cat fight between two media gossips
In the works, Sally Quinn series on G'town
Katie Couric goes under the scope
George W. ducks out of '60 Minutes'
Fairchild's Berner launches new fashion title

• Guest Column

Real Media's Dave Morgan:
Targeting without violating privacy

Tuesday, March 7, 2000

• Buyers say errors in cable billings widespread
  Critics charge that at least some are result of outright fraud

• New laws before Congress likely to kill cigarette ads 
  Nearly half of display space would be devoted to health warnings

• AOL's 5.0 upgrade spurs a rash of nasty lawsuits
  Allege nation's largest ISP alters files to freeze out other ISPs

• Vogue of hip hop titles reflects major social trend
  Going mainstream among America's kids as the new rock 'n roll 

• La radio hispana es el último grito
  Translation: Spanish-language radio is hot hot hot

• Growing line of bidders for San Francisco Examiner
  One rumored player: Tony Ridder of Knight Ridder chain

• Shorts

Dr. Laura goes ballistic, attacking 'f.........'
Cosby says he's angry enough to sue Enquirer
Another top WSJ editor says toodles
Boston Globe offer subscribers online perks 
Infospace drops the dot.com from its name

• People

Staff upset at Upside magazine 
Myers Group recruits Ted Valand to head custom research

• Guest Column

Real Media's Dave Morgan:
Targeting without violating privacy

Wednesday, March 8, 2000

• Networks rolling out mid-season hopefuls
  Who knows? Maybe there's a hit or two among the stinkers.

• UPN searches for its niche as net for young males
  Grappling and grit win out over glamour and girls

• On the web, vertical sites rise as portals flatten
  Study: Users prefer specialized destinations when searching

• Lalli's George: Politics and a lot less celebrity glitz
  Magazine's new editor, facing two choices, makes the right one

• Sprung from jail, editor rips judge for contempt 
  Refuses to reveal sources on stolen gun story 

• Shorts

DoubleClick hires top consumer advocates
Primedia sues Rodale: New title rips off 17
New Yorker weighs in with Kathie Lee spoof
Forgive us our dreadful headline Spanish
FCC to Clear Channel: Dumps 72 stations
E-consumers still spooky from hack attacks
Seattle now has two morning newspapers

• People

Alan Suhonen to GM of new Network News Service
Laura Begley to style director at Travel and Leisure

Thursday, March 9, 2000

• Top cable execs concede errors in ad placement
  Networks say they are upgrading systems to reduce mistakes

• ABC revamps news operations, naming 3 chieftains
  Westin tags Friedman, McGrady and Murphy to replace Coffey

• Business magazines hold early lead in ad sales 
  Then come men's titles, pushed largely by Maxim

• 'God, the Devil and Bob' headed for an early burial 
  NBC animated series slotted against ABC's 'Millionaire'

• TV stations sign with iBlast to deliver data to PCs
  New competitor to telcos and cable for delivering web services

• ABC re-ups Regis for 'Millionaire' and 'Live'
  Question: Who will co-host morning show with Kathie Lee gone?

• Shorts

Oscar board to WSJ: Quit your snooping
ABC cans Esiason from Monday night football
TV bride Darva files to end marriage
History in the making: First web primary voter
 Online-only book from Stephen King
'Seinfeld's Mrs. Costanza goes online

Friday, March 9, 2000

• A&E and Discovery rank tops in delivery of ads
  Best back office operations of cable networks, say media buyers 

•  Brand's the thing, even if the thing is cyber-babes
  Penthouse.com takes on the no-name porn web sites

• 'Son of the Beach': Winning spoof of 'Baywatch' 
  From FX, bimbos, sand and the subtle wit of Howard Stern

• Bernadette: 'Web is information, not entertainment'
  Broadband will simply enrich the experience of searching

• About.com and AskJeeves rise among top portals
  But, alas, Time Warner sees a big dropoff in web visitors

• Shorts

CNET founder Halsey Minor quits as CEO
Ronnie McD signs up to invest in Food.com
Vatican turns to web to spread the word
Martha picks up a new flop in Westchester
Trading online sees big boost in ’99
Tumbleweed, get your tumbleweed 
Fired Boomer to ABC: Boom-boom this

Monday, March 13, 2000

• Media directors bemoan salaries for young talent
  Dot.coms jack up entry-level  jobs by 10% to 20%

•  As P&G staggers, hands wring along Madison Ave.
  Question: Will ad spending see the axe as company reins costs?

• Tribune to buy Times Mirror, creating huge empire
  Will own newspapers and TV stations in major U.S. markets

•  More gains on Mirabella as it increases frequency
  Meredith and Hachette duke it out for the over-50 woman reader

• When it comes to credibility, print is tops for biz news
  Study: Consumers rank the web behind even television

• Huge battle looms over the games people play
  Microsoft pits its X-Box against Sony's PlayStation

Coppers turn up no leads yet in web attacks
AT&T: We'll dump assets to win merger OK
Mickey faces the hoosegow over Go logo
Point-pounding pundit plummets in popularity
Janet Maslin returns to Times to review books
Fifties switchblades find a new life on the web

Tuesday, March 14, 2000

• Viewer loyalty is a big deal, or is it? Perhaps not.
  Study finds that long series score surprisingly low. 

• In Tribune deal, Mark Willes was very last to know
  Times Mirror head was bypassed by Chandler family

• By the way, US debuts as a weekly on Friday
  Fitful step up to the plate against People and EW

• Enough of this talk: Celebrity gabbers gasp for air
  Syndicators looking for the latest new thing to revive a genre

• Governor's grand web plan greeted by protests
  Oops, state portal for Pennsylvania trimmed back as we speak

• Merger off between CDNow and Columbia House
  Deal killed by time lag and shifting priorities on both sides

• In gossip wars, Walls wails: I've been Matt-slammed
  MSNBC scribe punished over book outing Drudge

Japanese cartoon among most searched terms
E-Trade: Often a bridesmaid, never a bride
Heineken plants its web ads on error pages
Dr. Laura apologizes for anti-gay remarks
Yahoo sets launch for financial news show
NY Daily News' Hispanic baseball insert
At last! The OED goes online today

Emap's Jeff Branch jumps to Primedia Enthusiast Group
WashPost president Alan Spoon quits to join VC firm

Features  

Wednesday, March 15, 2000

• Debate: TV will soon die as a mass medium
  Two experts opine on the debate over television's future

• Anxious investors may rein in dot.com ad spending
  Whether it's the right move is a big question for media people

• Macho golf magazine for the young Maxim crowd
  Beer and Bogeys: Caruso's lifestyle title targets under-40 duffers

• Vince breaks USA lease, ending WWF deal early
  But McMahon has yet to say he'll go with CBS for sure

• Ex-George editor in a pickle over Kennedy book
  Critics: Hey, Richard Blow axed people for discussing JFK Jr.

• Yahoo! and eBay  ponder a 'deep partnership'
  Two powerful brands talk togetherness but not outright merger

TV Guide folds its new Spanish edition
Demand for King’s online book swamps sites
ABC’s ‘Millionaire" site draws millions of users
Nielsen spins off Competitive Media Reporting

Web Shorts
Study: Most users find web shopping a bore
Patron saint for the internet may be appointed
Feds warn internet industry: Get hip on privacy

People
Jeannette Chang moves into senior VP position at Hearst Magazines International
Cynthia Lewis promoted to VP and publisher of Harper's Bazaar



Thursday, March 16, 2000

• FCC eases stand on ads on public television
  Rulings shift acceptability of messages to local stations

• ABC plans to change how circulation is counted
  Distinguish between papers sold to individuals vs. groups

• 'Titus': Dysfunctional family sitcom pushes the edge
  Original Fox fare in the spirit of 'Malcolm'  in ideal time slot

• Hachette denies rumors that Mirabella will close
  Kliger plans to restaff ailing title aimed at older women 

•  New Yorker wins  a record 11 ASME nominations
  Esquire is put up for  five national magazine awards

• Cable boom spanning Europe spreads to Hungary
  Operators of crazy-quilt of systems suddenly become rich

Oodles of O: Oprah one-shot from Nat. Enquirer
Offspring sprung from the ribs of Smart Money
Darva says she’ll consider posing nude
Fuhrman axed as ‘GMA’ crime expert after protests
Dr. Laura tempers her apology to gays
Yahoo!-eBay deal appears to be off

Web Shorts
Women.com shutters e-commerce unit
Brazilian hackers swoop down on NASA lab
Surfing for the perfect single-malt Scotch
Spy-in-the-sky shots of your favorite nuke site

Nathan Lump to senior editor at Travel & Leisure
Larry K. Sanders exits USA Today for  accessmagazine.com.


Friday, March 17, 2000

• Top programming strategist out at NBC
  Preston Beckman gets early walking papers

• Judge rebuffs Chris Craft in suit over UPN sale
  Ruling: Must either buy network or sell to Viacom

• Schultz on Initiative and changing face of media
  New CEO: 'We’re going to lead and let others follow'

• Stance: Lifestyle title about culture of skateboarding 
  A bit of Bikini and FHM for teenage boys who like to pop ollies

•  'Magazines have powerful ties to online readers'
  Bernadette: But there's confusion over how to tap into that trust

• Men still lead women in hours spent on the internet
  Nielsen: Males also surf the web more while at the office

Ex-George editor lands publisher for Kennedy book
Bidders: Line up for a shot at Inc. magazine
Fresh from UK, Norwood hires for Mademoiselle
Oxygen strikes a distribution deal with Cox
New BBC boss: 1,000 people must go

Web Shorts
Go.com gets a redesign and a new logo
Chess champ Kasparov hangs out an e-shingle
King deluge knocks out Amazon site

Monday, March 20, 2000

• Here's Us, and maybe not a dumb idea after all
  Magazine review : Wenner's weekly may well find its niche