|
|
|
As if Charlie Rose's PBS talkshow weren't highbrow enough, the host is now joining forces with the New Yorker and its editor, David Remnick, to produce a weekly segment. "This Week in the New Yorker" will feature Rose, Remnick and various New Yorker contributors gabbing about how the magazine comes together. "It's going to be a kind of behind-the-scenes look at the magazine and the making of its stories," Rose told the Daily News. It's a feather in the cap of publisher David Carey, who's been striving to grow the brand. However, the original suggestion for the segment came from Conde Nast owner Si Newhouse, who Rose calls "a neighbor of mine in Bellport."
Communism, Microsoft slammed in poll
Don’t ask the question if you don’t
want to hear the answer. MSNBC polled 31,000 people to find out what they considered the
worst ideas of the millennium. To its chagrin, two of the most popular responses were the
cable news channel itself and parent company Microsoft. MSNBC was unavailable for comment.
The absolute worst idea of the last 1,000 years, voted respondents, was Coca-Cola’s
decision in the mid-80s to replace its old formula with "New Coke." Runners-up
included communism, war, and the Holocaust.
'Millionaire' capitalizes on Super Bowl
TV’s hottest shows have Super Bowl fever.
ABC’s "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" will run a special football-themed
edition of the game show to air Jan. 29, on the eve of the big game. What’s more,
beginning today through Jan. 16, the contestant phone line for the show will ask
football-related questions. Hopeful contestants can enter by calling 1-800-433-8321.
Producer David E. Kelly is also pumped up for the Super Bowl and for good reason: his show
"The Practice" has won the coveted after-game slot. Kelley has reportedly
written a special episode for the occasion, as the post-Super Bowl slot generally receives
sky-high ratings.
Rogers talks up changes at Primedia
Chairman and CEO Tom Rogers has been very busy since he became chief of Primedia only a
month ago. Rogers announced that the company will take a 1999 fourth quarter charge of
between $225-$275 million to write-down certain assets. The step is part of an on-going
review of Primedia’s assets, and coincides with the newly elected CEO’s charter
to speed growth at Primedia. Rogers also announced several new structural and management
changes. A new unit, Primedia Enthusiast Group, will merge Primedia’s McMullen Argus
Publishing with the company’s Special Interest Publications unit. The new group will
consist of 84 magazines, 64 web sites, eight multimedia properties, and various other
projects--reaching over 45 million people. Daniel R. McCarthy has been named president of
the new division. Timothy M. Andrews, president and CEO of Dow Jones Reuters Business
Interactive (recently renamed Factiva) has been named president and CEO of IndustryClick,
a business-to-business internet company that includes such sites as MediaCentral.com,
MarketingClick.com and Digibid.com. Andrews’ focus will be to accelerate growth for
IndustryClick’s telecommunications, media, marketing, entertainment technology,
utilities, agriculture, automotive and construction.