• December 2012 Updates By Region
• November 2012 Agility Updates By Region
• October 2012 Agility Updates By Region

MEDIAware December 2012 Media Briefs

You can follow all of the latest media moves and news from PR Newswire's Audience Research Department on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/PRNmedia Also, check out the "Blog Notes" section after the Briefs in this section.

Oprah Winfrey (https://twitter.com/Oprah) and Arianna Huffington (https://twitter.com/ariannahuff) joined forces earlier this month with the launch of ‘HuffPost Own’ (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/own/). The Oprah Winfrey Network has its own section on HuffingtonPost.com where it provides expert advice on health for the mind and body, relationships and self-empowerment.

News Corporation (http://www.newscorp.com/), Rupert Murdoch's integrated media company, acquired a 49% stake in the YES Network. The Corporation already owns Fox News Channel, 20th Century Fox and 20 regional sports networks. The YES Network (http://web.yesnetwork.com/index.jsp) has been the most watched regional sports network in the country for the past decade.

The Audit Bureau of Circulations is now known as the "Alliance for Audited Media". The drop in true circulations has led to auditing of all media across all the platforms they are available in now (print, online, digital magazines, tablets, smart phones, emailed magazines, page counts, etc...) Here's the new website: http://www.auditedmedia.com

Los Angeles Newspaper Group (LANG) publisher of nine daily newspapers has made some additions to its sports staff. Mark Medina joins the Los Angeles Daily News from the Los Angeles Times covering the Los Angeles Lakers. Follow Mark on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MedinaLakersNBA. Jack Wang joins the Whittier Daily News covering UCLA sports. Follow Jack on Twitter at https://twitter.com/thejackwang and Fred Robledo was promoted to Sports Editor of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Follow Fred on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SGVNSports.

Cox Media Group is launching a state wire service. Dubbed Georgia News Service, it is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2013. The service will be housed out of the WSB-AM/FM studios in Atlanta. Heading up the new operation will be Scott Smith. He is currently the General Manager/Vice President of Cox Radio Athens, specifically WNGC-FM. There is currently no website.

The Arizona Daily Star produced a record setting edition of its daily paper on Thanksgiving morning. A  5-pound, 2 ½ -ounce edition was printed, with 1,020 pages of news and advertising, including 103 advertising inserts, in its largest zone. That insert total, an all-time high for the paper, represented 876 pages of ads alone.  The Daily Star supported the record Thanksgiving edition with an extensive in-paper, online, radio and point-of-sales campaign. Three local TV outlets filmed cutaways in the Daily Star press room for their Thanksgiving eve newscasts.

At the age of 24, Sara Ganim has become one of the youngest journalists inducted into the elite Pulitzer Prize winners circle. A Fort Lauderdale native and Penn State alumnae, she is most distinguished for breaking the Penn State sex abuse scandal involving retired football coach Jerry Sandusky.  While covering the story Ganim focused on aspects of the investigation which had gone unanswered by the media. Ganim described her investigative technique as “Move it Forward,” one that not only garnered her prestigious awards such as the Pulitzer Prize, but also a Correspondent position at the CNN Atlanta Bureau. 

South Jersey Media Group has launched its first edition of South Jersey Times (http://www.nj.com/southjerseytimes).  South Jersey Times is a merger of three regional newspapers; News of Cumberland County, Gloucester County Times and Today’s Sunbeam. All employees of these papers will continue their roles and contribute to the South Jersey Times as well as their associated website NJ.com (http://www.nj.com/).  The paper is projected to cover the entire south region. South Jersey Times can be followed on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSJTimes and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthJerseyTimes.

The new Executive Editor of The Washington Times, David S. Jackson, is planning to cut 30% of the newsroom staff in his attempt to turn around the newspaper in a more National and International focus with an emphasis on politics too.

After more than 50 years in the broadcast industry, General Manager Barry Barth is retiring. Barth announced his retirement from Fox affiliate, WFXG-TV in Georgia, saying it would take place at year's end. He has been with WFXG since 2003 and started in the industry at 15, when he was a switchboard operator/runner at WNDU in South Bend, IN. Barth is a Fighting Irish alum of Notre Dame and upon graduation found work as a teacher before switching to the industry he would remain with his entire working life. Barth says he plans to stay active with the Georgia Association of Broadcasters.

In a recently released article New York Daily News Editor-in-Chief Colin Myler described the efforts of his staff as "extraordinarily unselfish, loyal, and committed." After braving the relentless havoc wreaked by Superstorm Sandy such accolades were well deserved by a staff that worked through power outages, flooding, and four different working quarters, but never missed an edition. The camaraderie displayed by competitors and dedication displayed by staffers is something the 93-year-old paper is unlikely to ever forget. Best wishes to The Daily News staff on their road to recovery. 

President of Crain Communications Inc. and Founder/Editor-in-Chief of Crain's Chicago Business, Rance Crain has been named an inductee to the American Advertising Federation's 2013 Advertising Hall of Fame. During the course of his career at Ad Age, where he was Editor-in-Chief and Columnist, he has been a devoted supporter of advertising self-regulation and advertising ethics.

Wisconsin Trails magazine is set to cease publication following the Nov/Dec 2012 issue. The magazine was geared towards residents and visitors of Wisconsin. It focused on outdoor activities, state-wide festivals, nature, the environment, resident profiles, historical facts and tips on dining and shopping. For additional information go to https://twitter.com/wisconsintrails.

Past Daypart Manager at WMAQ-TV (NBC5Chicago) Kathryn Janicek has started her own production company, Kathryn Janicek Productions.

New England Sports Network (http://nesn.com) has three new additions; Adam Pellerin (https://twitter.com/adampellerin) and Jamie Erdahl (https://twitter.com/JamieErdahl) will be the On-Air Anchor/Reporters and Leah Hextall (https://twitter.com/leahhextall) as an Anchor/Reporter.  All three are filling a few empty spots that were left behind by Randy Scott, Dara McIntosh and Joel Feld. 

Madrid recently hosted some of the most influential fashion publishers, writers and icons at the Marie Claire Prix de la Mode Awards. The night celebrated several accomplished individuals including prestigious designer Karl Lagerfeld. Although many had reason to celebrate, perhaps the most special part of the evening was Marie Claire receiving their award of acknowledgement for the 25th anniversary of the Spanish edition of the magazine. 

WXIA-TV Morning Anchor Ted Hall had his 15 seconds of movie fame last month. Hall (thall@11alive.com) can be seen in a scene of Denzel Washington's new movie, "Flight." Washington's character is flipping television stations when Hall appears on the screen. The movie was filmed in Atlanta.

An arbitrator recently awarded the Los Angeles Times $266,000 to cover the costs of defending itself against a lawsuit brought on by a freelance photographer. http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2012/11/la_times_wins_266000_from.php

The December2012 issue of Playstation: The Official Magazine will be its last.

DAME Magazine is a new online lifestyle magazine for women. Jennifer Reitman (jreitman@damemagazine.com) is Founder and Publisher. Follow the publication on Twitter at https://twitter.com/damemagazine.

Popular PBS California's Gold Host Huell Howser has announced plans to retire at the end of the year. The show has been in production and airing on PBS for 20 years.

Beginning in January 2013, Arizona State University will no longer have a daily newspaper.  The State Press (http://www.statepress.com), the student-run newspaper is cutting back on print to one edition per week, while offering a greater focus on its website and news delivered by smartphone and tablet apps.

KING-TV in Seattle, WA has announced the cancellation of “Up Front with Robert Mak,” the station’s weekly political affairs program. KING Executive News Director Mark Ginther said that a slowdown in advertising revenue has forced the station to make cuts throughout the newsroom. Seven newsroom positions were eliminated last month “through layoffs and the elimination of several already vacant positions,” the station says. Mark will stay with the station, and the show’s Producer, Mike Cate, will continue to produce politics.

Fisher Broadcasting has agreed to purchase the Eugene, OR, NBC affiliate, KMTR-TV, from Newport Television for $8.5 million. The deal will make Fisher the owner of both the NBC affiliate (KMTR-TV) and the CBS affiliate (KVAL-TV) in the Eugene market and also includes a shared services agreement with Roberts Media. The deal is pending FCC approval.

Philadelphia morning show legend John DeBella celebrates 30 years in radio this month. From WLIR-FM in Long Island to an outstanding career in Philadelphia at WMMR-FM and still running the morning show at WMGK-FM.

World Media Enterprises announced it will be closing Northern Virginia's newspaper "The News & Messenger" and website InsideNOVA on December 30th.

For the first time, Rolling Stone has added a special Latino section to its magazine, even adding extra spots for advertising.

Peggy Carranza will be running MundoFox's new New York Bureau.

Soft drink giant Coca-Cola has launched an online magazine to tell its story. The name comes from a hard copy magazine the company published up until 1997. Coca-Cola Journey will include articles on the environment, health, sports and entertainment as well as a photo gallery, blogs and audio clips. Mr. Ashley Brown will head up the project. Check it out at http://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/

The magazine industry is more competitive than ever these days. During the month of November two magazines debuted new designs to help attract more viewers. First, People magazine debuted its new website design (http://www.people.com/people/). Secondly, Good Housekeeping Magazine debutted its new logo which will begin appearing on its cover in January (http://tinyurl.com/ac2v3r8).
 

BLOG NOTES:

This Just in is a blog that focuses on the latest breaking news stories and events. Coverage for the news is provided by reporters and sources from around the world. Rachel Clarke (rachel.clarke@cnn.com) serves as the writer. Follow This Just In on Twitter at: at:http://twitter.com/cnnbrk and on the web at http://news.blogs.cnn.com/

Belief Blog covers a wide range of news and events from politics to lifestyles and entertainment. It also discusses how readers view religion and beliefs in their lives. It is edited by Dan Gilgoff (dan.gilgoff@cnn.com) and Eric Marrapodi . You can visit Belief blog on the web at: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/author/emarrapodi/. Follow Gilgoff on twitter at: https://twitter.com/dangilgoffCNN

The Balance Sheet is a blog hosted on The Denver Post's website. It focuses on news and information regarding various businesses in Colorado such as real estate, tourism, gambling and technology. Kristi Arellano (karellano@denverpost.com) is the Editor. Follow the Balance Sheet on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/TheBalanceSheet/followers. You can find it on the web at: http://blogs.denverpost.com/thebalancesheet/.

Popdust Style by Marquita Harris (marquita@marquitaharris.com) covers news and information about artist interviews, reviews on the latest styles, fashion trends and pop-culture. Popdust Style is on the web at http://popdust.com/category/style/ and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/popduststyle.

The Accelerators focuses on business news and information aimed toward small business; entrepreneurs; venture capitalists, technology and business tutors. Vanessa O'Connell (vanessa.oconnell@wsj.com) serves as the Editor. You can find it on the web at:http://blogs.wsj.com. Follow it on Twitter at https://twitter.com/VanessaOConnell.

The Tree of Life is blogged by Jonathan Eisen (jonathan.eisen@gmail.com) and discusses science, biotechnology and genetics. You can find The Tree of Life on the web at http://phylogenomics.blogspot.com/. Follow the Tree of Life on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ph.

iOS Music and You offers tips and reviews on apple iphones, ipads and Ipods. Chip Boaz (chip@iosmusicandyou.com) serves as the author. You can find iOS Music and You on the web at: http://ipod.about.com/. Follow it on Twitter at https://twitter.com/iosmusicandyou.

Recovering Leader is penned by David Peck (blg@leadershipunleashed.com) and provides suggestions and advice toward corporate leadership and inspires career advancement. You can find Recovering Leader on the web at http://recoveringleader.com.

Science in Mind focuses on biology and scientific discoveries in the metro Boston area. The blog is edited by Carolyn Johnson (cjohnson@globe.com). Visit Science in Mind on the web at http://www.boston.com/news/science/blogs/science-in-mind. Follow Johnson on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/Carolynyjohnson.

SharingCounts is a blog edited by Ed Loessi (ed.loessi@sharingcounts.com). It provides a forum for online support and fundraising and connects caregivers, individuals with financial and health challenges, families and non-profit organizations. SharingCounts can be found on the web at https://www.sharingcounts.com/.

The Denver Dish offer tips and reviews on dining in Denver restaurants. Mike Ross (info@thedenverdish.com) serves as the Editor and Author. You can find “The Denver Dish” on the web at http://www.thedenverdish.com/. You can follow it on Twitter at https://twitter.com/TheDenverDish.

Ruth Tobias covers news and information about restaurants, dining, cooking, wine and mixology. It is authored by Ruth Tobias (ruth@ruthtobias). You can find it on the web at: http://www.ruthtobias.com/.

The Wonkblog is a blog produced by the Washington Post. It is edited by Ezra Klein (kleine@washpost.com) and focuses on political and economic issues. The blog also discusses issues such as healthcare, education and government policies/. Folllow Wonkblog on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ezraklein. You can also find it on the web at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/.

The Fifth Down is a sports blog edited by Judy Battista (spt-in@nytimes.com) that provides coverage on the Giants and the Jets football games. You can find it on the web at http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/. Follow the Fifth Down on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/nytimes5thdown.

City Room covers local breaking news, current affairs and other related topics and events such as public safety, economy, transportation, education. The blog is edited by David Dunlap (dunlap@nytimes.com). Follow City Room on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nytmetro. You can find it on the web at http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/.

Blane Bachelor is a blog written by Dr. Ruth (blanebachelor@aol.com) and covers a wide range of topics such as sports, fishing, lifestyle, health and fitness. You can find it on the web at http://www.blanebachelor.com/.

Airfarewatchdog (http://www.airfarewatchdog.com) offers airfare tips and media coverage on consumer travel issues. The blog is authored by George Hobica (georgehobica@aol.com). Follow airfarewatchdog on Twitter at https://twitter.com/airfarewatchdog.

Skift blog is written by Dennis Schaal (ds@skift.com) and provides news and travel information and tips regarding the traveling industry for business and individuals. News and information offered includes: airlines, cruises and hotels. Follow Skift on Twitter at https://twitter.com/skiftnews. You can find it on the web at http://skift.com/about/. 

MEDIAware November 2012 Media Briefs

You can follow all of the latest media moves and news from PR Newswire's Audience Research Department on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/PRNmedia Also, check out the "Blog Notes" section after the Briefs in this section.

Newsweek announced it will cease printing with its last issue on Dec. 31st. Newsweek will be an online publication only in 2013. Newsweek estimates that its been losing $40 million annually on the print edition. Layoffs are expected in the transition. The new online product will be called "Newsweek Global". Some Newsweek articles will continue to be available on The Daily Beast free website run by the same company. Newsweek began in 1933 and competed and battled with Time magazine to provide readers with the top weekly news stories in the newsweekly magazine business. The magazine peaked in 1991 with 3.3 million readers and was down to 1.5 million at the midway point this year. The lack of advertising dollars for a national weekly losing readers played a part in the demise as well.

It's stormy weather for employees of The Weather Channel lately as approximately seven percent were laid off last month. The Atlanta-based company, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, had to lay off employees as part of a restructuring. The restructuring affected about 75-80 people. The last such layoff was in 2008 after NBCUniversal acquired a controlling share of the company. Meteorologists Jeff Morrow and Adam Berg were among those out.

The Seattle Times reported on its own employees protest against the company, following the company's controversial decision to purchase a full-page ad supporting the Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna. More than 100 Seattle Times news staffers – including reporters, photographers, columnists, artists, editors and online news producers – signed a letter protesting the Times Co’s decision to sponsor newspaper ads supporting Republican gubernatorial candidate McKenna and a statewide referendum for legalized gay marriage. The employees cited threats to the paper’s credibility and neutrality as reasons for the protest.

Anderson Live (http://www.andersoncooper.com/), Anderson Cooper's daytime talk show, will not return for a third season. The program will run until Summer of 2013 completing its second season. You can still see Anderson Cooper on his CNN program "Anderson Cooper 360" (http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/).

After Newsweek announced its move to digital earlier this month, popular Senior Correspondent Peter J. Boyer makes a major move. The former New Yorker and Vanity Fair Staff Writer has been named the new Editor-at-Large of Fox News. The new hire was named by Fox News CEO Roger Ailes in a statement to his staff, describing Boyer as a "talented and insightful journalist."

Former "CBS This Morning" Co-host Erica Hill has joined NBC's "Weekend Today" as its new Co-host. Hill will host on Saturdays and Sundays beside Lester Holt. In addition to her new Co-hosting duties she will be a national correspondent for NBC News reporting on "Today" and "NBC Nightly News".

Comedian Adam Carolla has joined Fox News Channel (http://www.foxnews.com/) as a Contributor mainly on "The O'Reilly Factor" program (http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/oreilly/index.html). Carolla is set to appear each Monday on the show to comment on political and social issues. In addition to appearing on "The O'Reilly Factor" he will make appearances on other Fox News Shows. You can also see Carolla on his daily podcast show "The Adam Carolla Show" (http://adamcarolla.com/).

As countless publications continue to take major hits due to the economic recession Condé Nast Corporation announces several cutbacks. Eight editorial staffers and three business staffers were laid off at Self Magazine as part of Condé Nast’s 2013 budget cuts. According to New York Post, reports state that each title under the major publishing house must cutback by an estimated 5%. Although the cutbacks are said to continue within the coming months, large brands such as Vanity Fair and The New Yorker may escape staff reductions this time around. However, other powerful names were not so lucky, such as Susan Portnoy (Vice President Media Relations for Digital and Corporate Communications), most commonly known for her involvement in New York’s annual Fashion’s Night Out. 

Chicago Magazine will convert Chicago Home + Garden into a mini-magazine supplement bound into the parent magazine as part of a cost-cutting strategy. The change will occur next year and the publication will continue as a quarterly.

The Daytona Beach News-Journal (http://www.news-journalonline.com/) will begin publishing subject matter and topics from the local chamber of commerce in a four page pull-out section of the paper. Content will include business articles, upcoming and past events, and member profiles.

LANG which include the Los Angeles Daily News, the Torrance Daily Breeze and seven other papers has taken the obvious next step into becoming a regional news operation with an emphasis more on digital and less on geographical. Carolina Garcia will take over as Managing Editor of digital news for all LANG papers.

The Chicago Sun-Times has announced the hiring of Actress and Author Jenny McCarthy as Columnist. Ask Jenny will appear in the newspaper’s Splash section, and her blog will run Monday through Friday at splash.suntimes.com. The column will focus on and answer questions about love, sex, parenting, friendship, fitness and duties of a single mother.

Long-time WUNC-TV Host William Friday has passed away. Friday was the only Host of "North Carolina People" which originally aired in the 1950s. Over the decades Friday became synonymous with the show and interviewed thousands of guests. But for North Carolinians Friday was more than just a public television program host. He was also President of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the country's oldest public university. He also graduated from its law school in 1948 after returning from four years in the U.S. Navy. During the course of his career Friday earned more than 20 honorary degrees. He was 92 at his passing.

WATE-TV Reporter Mona Nair was amongst this year's class of new United States citizens. Nair was born in India but raised in the United Arab Emirates. She emigrated to the U.S. to attend Temple University in Philadelphia. The Knoxville resident took the Oath of Allegiance to the U.S. with about 100 other immigrants.

KSL-TV, the NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City, has unveiled a new set for their broadcasts. The set is surrounded by large LED screens allowing the station to change the background much more quickly than before.

Wired is bringing advertisers and the blogging community together by running ad-sponsored blogs. http://www.adweek.com/news/press/wired-bringing-advertisers-and-its-blogs-closer-together-136211

The LA Times circulation figures are showing an increase due to paid digital subscriptions. http://www.laobserved.com/biz/2012/10/digital_helps_lat_ga.php.

Meteorologists Dick Albert of WCVB-TV in Needham, MA and Steve Cascione of WLNE-TV in Providence, RI are teaming up to create a weather-focused online forum called SkyWatchers which is set to launch by the end of this year. SkyWatchers will be a platform for weather lovers to connect with and share information about all things weather.

Ed Piette has retired as President and General Manager of Boston’s stations, WBZ-TV and WSBK-TV and will be replaced by Mark Lund. Previously, Lund held several sales positions at WSBK. 

The Press of Atlantic City powered on through Hurricane Sandy and printed 24-page editions on Tuesday Oct. 30 &  Wednesday Oct.31st.

Colter Nuanez (https://twitter.com/Bobcat_Beat) a Sports Reporter at The Bozeman Daily Chronicle in Montana was relieved of his duties. Colter is blaming his tweet work on "Bobcat Nation" (https://twitter.com/TheBobcatNation) which covers Montana Sports, but Publisher Stephanie Pressly is saying he violated company policy.

It's official! Entertainment trade paper Variety has been purchased by Penske Media for $25 million. Penske Media is also the parent company of the online entertainment site Deadline.com.

The creative beach community of Laguna Beach, CA has launched its first ever FM radio station. KXRN-FM can be heard on KX93.5 or online at http://www.kx935.com. The non-commercial, member-supported station will air alternative music, local performances and public affairs programming. Follow the station on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/KX935.

Congratulations to Freelance Journalist Jamie Reno on winning 12 San Diego Press Club awards recently. http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlla/2012-san-diego-press-club-awards-jamie-reno-patch_b74250. Follow Jamie on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JamieReno.

BLOG POSTS:

Huffington Post (internet) has named Corey Polis (corey.polis@huffingtonpost.com) as Food Editor. Pollis has been with the Huffington Post since March 2011. He previously held the position of Deputy Editor. Contact Polis via email at corey.polis@huffingtonpost.com. You can follow Polis on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/careypolis. And Natasha Burton, Staff Writer and Editor, has stepped down from her position. Her duties included covering weddings and divorce.Visit Huffington Post on the web at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com

The Quivering Pen (Internet) is a blog that focuses on books and literature and some challenges that authors experience when publishing the books. It is founded and edited by David Abrams (thequiveringpen@gmail.com). You can follow Abams on twitter at https://twitter.com/ImDavidAbrams. Visit The Quivering Pen on the web at: http://davidabramsbooks.blogspot.com/

West Seattle Blog (internet) provides breaking news and local events that happen in and around West Seattle. Topics covered include: Crime, public safety and transportation just to name a few. The blog is edited by Tracy Record (editor@westseattleblog.com). Follow West Seattle on Twitter at:  http://twitter.com/westseattlenews. You can also find it on the web at: http://westseattleblog.com.

PEA Soup (internet) offers a forum for global discussions that help connect philosophers from around the world. Some related topics include: philosophy, ethics and academia. The blog is authored by Douglas W. Portmore (dwportmore@gmail.com). You can follow Portmore on Twitter at dwportmore@gmail.com. You can also find PEA Soup on the web at http://peasoup.typepad.com.

Well (internet) is produced by Nytimes.com, edited by Tara Parker-Pope (tpp@nytimes.com). The blog provides information and tips on how to make better decisions and create a healthier lifestyle for daily living. Follow Well on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/nytimeswell . It is also on the web at: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com.

The Crafting Chicks (internet) founded by Becky (craftingchicks@gmail.com) offers a place to share information, tips and ideas about crafting, decorating and creativity. Follow The Crafting Chicks on Twitter: http://twitter.com/craftingchicks. Visit them on the web at: http://thecraftingchicks.com   

Grandparents.com (Internet) Edited by Deborah Long (contribute@grandparents.com) provides information and advice that helps create a bond between families. It also offers information on how to get discounts for traveling, dining, retail and recreation and financial services. You can find Grandparents.com on the web at: http://www.grandparents.com.

Elle & Blair (Internet) is a blog edited by Alex Crotin (crotin@42west.net). It focuses on fashion tips and recommendations and suggestions on style and beauty products. Visit Elle & Blair on the web at: http://elleandblair.com/.

Another Fashion Book (internet) This blog is authored by Elmira Bayrasli (anotherfashionbook@gmail.com). It focuses on the latest fashions, trends and pop culture as well as other related fashion tips.