MEDIAware

MEDIAware January 2013 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.

Sporting News Editor Garry Howard (https://twitter.com/SN_GarryD) announced this Charlotte-based publication would go to a digital only format on January 1st and no longer print the publication. Their content will be available online, tablets,smartphones and via apps. The last issue printed by the venerable pub was a college football bowl guide. Sporting News is online at: http://www.sportingnews.com and on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/sportingnews

Clear Channel has cut several employees in substantial layoffs that affect many of its clusters including Chicago and Detroit. Layoffs in Detroit include Frankie Darcell, the Afternoon Host at Urban Adult WMXD-FM; Morning Show Producer Jenna Cork; Afternoon Host Kristin Burns; and Weekend Host Danielle Car at Hot Adult Contemporary WNIC-FM; Website Program Director; and Afternoon Host Eric Chase at Sports station WDFN-AM. Layoffs in Chicago include at least four on-air positions and elimination of an unspecified number of positions in other areas.

WWJ-TV, a CBS-owned station in Detroit, is cutting its First Forecast Mornings newscast. The two-hour program primarily featured weather and headlines from the Detroit Free Press.

A childhood memory for many Boston viewers, Dr. Timothy Johnson is retiring from the airwaves at year's end. Johnson has been with WCVB-TV since its inception in 1972. He is currently Medical Editor at the ABC affiliate as well as Senior Medical Contributor to ABC News. He also provides on-air commentary for ABC programs, such as “World News,” “Nightline,” “20/20" and “Good Morning America.” Johnson has received many awards during his distinguished career.

A new architecture magazine is launching. Residential Building Products & Technology, a digital magazine, is scheduled to publish in mid-January 2013. Nigel Maynard (http://www.twitter.com/products_hound) has been named its editor. He was previously Senior Editor at Residential Architect and Builder. Maynard can be emailed at nmaynard@lf.com.

Caribbean Travel + Life has ended publication. However, some of the articles it covered will be found in Bonnier Corporation's sister publication, Islands Magazine. Islands (http://www.islands.com/magazine) will increase its frequency to 10 times per year and produce two Caribbean-themed issues in May and November. It will also publish regional editorial in each issue.

WZTV-TV Reporter Erika Lathon was the victim of a robbery at a Nashville ATM earlier in the year. Lathon was shot in the left arm despite handing over her money to the two robbers. Lathon was able to drive herself to a nearby hospital to be checked out following the incident and did not need to be admitted. Police are still investigating the robbery, which occurred at a well-lit ATM. Lathon has been a Reporter with the Fox affiliate for a dozen years. Well-wishes can be sent to her at elathon@fox17.com. The ongoing investigation can be followed on the station's website at http://www.fox17.com and its Twitter account at http://www.twitter.com/wztv_fox17.

Anschutz Corporation buys The Gazette (http://www.gazette.com) in Colorado Springs, previously owned by 2100 Trust.

The Orange County Register (http://www.ocregister.com) recently introduced a new weekly automotive section called Wheels. Susan Carpenter joins the paper as the Auto Critic for the section. Follow Susan on Twitter at https://twitter.com/OCRcarpenter.

Hearst renegotiates its contract with San Francisco Chronicle (http://www.sfgate.com) printing company Transcontinental, saving Hearst about $30 million. The new contract will take effect January 1 2013 and will not expire until 2024.http://www.newsandtech.com/news/article_a43a7698-3fd0-11e2-87ef-001a4bcf887a.html.

Variety parent company Penske Media Corp. partners with interactive company Machinima. The partnership will increase coverage of the videogames business for Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118063274.

The National Journal (http://www.nationaljournal.com) annnounced a plan for their future and unfortunately that will include ten more layoffs. They are planning to streamline their newsroom into two groups: one working for members and the other working for digital. National Journal is on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/nationaljournal/

Freedom Communications purchased Churm Media, publisher of OC Metro and OC Family. Churm is based in Newport Beach Califiornia. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/owner-380370-register-acquires.html.

Dick Nourse, retired news anchor for Salt Lake City’s KSL, has recently been diagnosed with throat cancer. This is the third battle with cancer for the retired anchor who left the NBC affiliate in 2007. He overcame non-Hodgkins lymphoma in the early 1980s and later survived a bout with prostate cancer.

Conservative radio talk show host Laura Ingraham (http://www.lauraingraham.com and https://twitter.com/IngrahamAngle) is taking a break from her nationally syndicated talk show, The Laura Ingraham Show" on Talk Radio Network. She plans to return to the air at some point but not with Talk Radio Network.

Chris Roth (chris@winc.fm) tackles the Winchester, Virginia market where he will become the Program Director at Centennial Broadcasting's cluster of stations that includes news station WINC-AM, Adult Contemporary WINC-FM, country WZFC-FM, and rock station WXBN-FM.

Nexstar Broadcasting has laid off 15 staffers at its newly acquired Salt Lake City stations KTVX-TV and KUCW-TV, according to The Salt Lake City Tribune. The Tribune also reports the station’s accounting, research and traffic departments have been eliminated and will be handled by other Nexstar sites. The stations were part of a 10 station package Nexstar bought as part of a deal with previous owner Newport Television.

The TV news industry mourns the loss of engineer and pioneer John D. Silva, inventor of the news helicopter. Silva was 92. http://articles.latimes.com/2012/dec/07/local/la-me-john-silva-20121207

BLOG NOTES:

StyleBomb (internet) is authored by Jen Mendenhall (jen@stylebomb.net) and provides information and suggestions on fashion and accessories You can find StyleBomb on the web at http://www.stylebomb.net/category/home.

Flint City Beat (Internet) is a blog that covers breaking local and statewide news, events and current affairs happening in the city of Font MI. The blog is edited by Kristin Longley (klongley1@mlive.com). You can find Flint City MI on the web at http://blog.mlive.com/fli. You can also follow Longley on Twitter at https://twitter.com/kelongley.

The Daily Voice (Internet) is edited by Alfred Branch (abranch@dailyvoice.com) and it covers the latest breaking news stories, current events and is a voice for the community. The Daily Voice also covers local and regional areas in Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts. Follow The Daily Voice  on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyVoicePR. You can also find it on the web at http://dailyvoice.com/#home

Entrepreneur Daily Dose (Internet) is a blog hosted on Entrepreneur. It offers tips and suggestions for business owners. It also covers resources for social media, business start-ups and other related marketing tools to help enhance growth. The blog is edited by Kara Ohngren (kohngren@entrepreneur.com). You can find Daily Dose on the web at http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/index.html.

RedState (Internet) is edited by Erick Erickson (contact@redstate.com). The blog focus on political news and events from a conservative point of view. You can find RedState on the web at http://www.redstate.com/ . You can also follow it on Twitter at https://twitter.com/EWErickson.

Marc and Angel Hack Life (Internet) is a blog authored by Marc Schrempf (marc@marcandangel.com). The blog offers tips and suggestions that help enhance personal development. The articles also discusse topics such as: positive living, life hacks and living a productive lifestyle. You can find it on the web at http://www.marcandangel.com/. You can also follow it on Twitter at http://twitter.com/marcandangel/.

The Vault (internet) is history blog that is written by Rebecca Onion (rebeccaonion@gmail.com). It is hosted on Slate.com and features antiques and historic articles and events. You can find The Vault on the web at http://www.slate.com/content/slate/blogs/the_vault.html. You can also follow it on Twitter at https://twitter.com/rebeccaonion.

Pop & Hiss (Internet) is edited by Randall Roberts (randall.roberts@latimes.com). It is hosted on latimes.com. The blog covers news and articles related to the music industry. The topics discussed include: reviews on new music releases and artist interviews. You and follow Roberts on Twitter at https://twitter.com/LilEdit/. You can find Pop & Hiss on the web at http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/

Escape from Corporate America! (Internet) is hosted on entrepreneur.com. It focuses on women and equal opportunity in the corporate industries. It also offers tips on how women in corporate America can become entrepreneurs. The blog is edited by Laurel Delaney (ldelaney@laureldelaney.com). You can find Escape from Corporate America! On the web at http://escapefromcorporateamerica.blogspot.com. You Follow Escape from Corporate America! on Twitter at https://twitter.com/escapecorporate.

Post on Politics (Internet) is a blog that discusses political news and events that happen in the state of Florida. It also covers political views and issues related to topics such as political campaigns, elections local and state policies. The blog is edited by George Bennett (george_bennett@pbpost.com). Follow Bennett on Twitter at george_bennett@pbpost.com https://twitter.com/gbennettpost) you can also find Post on Politics on the web at http://www.postonpolitics.com./. 

HITSphere (Internet) is written by Shahid Shah (cshahid.shah@netspective.com) and covers news and information geared towards topics such as healthcare and technology. It offers information, tools and resources that cater to the healthcare technology audience. You can find HITSphere on the web at http://hitsphere.com/. Follow it on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HITSphere/following.

The Hispanic market continues to cross over to new territories. Bowl games (BCS), will be transmitted in Spanish over ESPN Deportes in 2013.  http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/  https://twitter.com/ESPNDeportes

Telemundo has launched an app for sports fans. Deportes Telemundo App 2.0 will provide sports news, stats, scores and latest updates. https://twitter.com/telemundosports

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/.