Variety's Preeminent Journalist Mike Fleming to Edit Deadline|New York

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Deadline.com is going bicoastal. Mail.com Media Corporation (MMC)'s Jay Penske and Deadline.com's Nikki Finke today announced the hiring of Mike Fleming, the 20-year Variety superstar who has been praised as the "top media dog" covering Hollywood because of his wide and deep network of entertainment business sources. Effective immediately, he becomes the Editor of the new Deadline|NewYork which will go live later this month at Deadline.com. Besides covering film and television dealmaking and production and casting, Fleming intends to expand his turf by breaking news and offering analysis about books, media, TV news, theater, and other Gotham-based infotainment arenas.

With the hiring of top journalism talents--Mike Fleming to run Deadline|New York, and Tim Adler to run Deadline|London, Deadline.com now enters its next phase of editorial and geographic expansion. Finke will remain Deadline.com's general manager and editor in chief, and editor and founder of Deadline|Hollywood. But Fleming's ability to consistently deliver high-profile scoops and provide on-the-spot analysis, will help make Deadline.com a "must-read" for influencers and leaders in the global business of entertainment and media.

Variety's preeminent reporter also fits perfectly with the Deadline.com tradition of shattering the mold of traditional reporting and creating a new paradigm for delivering news, analysis, and opinion with New Media immediacy. Hiring Variety's "crown jewel" of original content demonstrates MMC's commitment to rapid growth as one of the most dynamic companies to watch in the digital media arena.

"Deadline.com remains one of our top priorities at MMC, and we think Mike is exactly the right person to take this property to the next level," commented MMC Founder and CEO, Jay Penske. "He's done so much in his career, and in the trades no one has been more prolific at breaking news -- with Mike leading Deadline|NewYork, our business holds almost limitless potential."

Said Finke: "I am thrilled and honored that a big brand like Mike Fleming with a huge following is joining Deadline.com. Few people know that Mike and I, while fierce competitors, also have been friends for close to 20 years. I was a devoted reader of his old 'Buzz' column for Weekly Variety, and then addicted to his former 'Dish' column for Daily Variety. I know that Deadline|NewYork will become a great showcase for Mike's expert knowledge of the entertainment business, and even more so for his warm and witty personality. People will now get to experience the real Mike!"

Said Fleming: "I treasure my 20 years with Variety and my mentor Peter Bart. It changed my life. But the time has come for this new challenge. I thank my Variety readers for staying with me all this time, and I hope they follow me to Deadline|NewYork."

This month marks Mike Fleming's 20th year as a Variety reporter and writer. A native of New York City and now resident of Long Island, he started in journalism as editor of the well-known Media Industry Newsletter (MIN), then joined New York Newsday as a columnist and reviewer and entertainment writer in 1986. He joined Weekly Variety in 2000 to write the "Buzz" column about all things infotainment. Later, he took over Weekly Variety's "Dish" column where he regularly broke news and provided analysis about all things Hollywood. After the column was discontinued, Fleming became even more recognized as the trade's No. 1 film reporter whose major talents include working sources and writing with flair and accuracy. That's why his original content receives international attention and acclaim. In Summer 2009, he began the "BFD" blog with his longtime mentor Peter Bart.

Fleming also is an author. In 1999, Doubleday published his non-fiction book about The Three Stooges, From Amalgamated Morons to American Icons, which ABC turned into a telepic executive produced by Mel Gibson (who wrote a forward to the book) and Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. Fleming also has freelanced for many national magazines, including Playboy, Details, TV Guide, and Esquire. He turns 50 this April.

SOURCE Mail.com Media Corporation