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Revolving Door Newsletter: 05.02.08

TV Guide's Bleak Tomorrow

May 2, 2008
Once the world's top-selling magazine on the newsstand, soon TV Guide may no longer be with us. This week brought word that the magazine's new owner, Macrovision, has "gutted" the magazine's staff (in the muscular words of Nikki Finke), including editor-in-chief Ian Birch, managing editors Lois Draegin and Steve Sonsky, and the marketing department. The magazine is allegedly losing millions of dollars a year, and its new owner didn't even mean to purchase the magazine -- it was a throw-in when Macrovision acquired Gemstar for its digital technology. The magazine may not exist a year from now (or possibly not even for another month, if the ad recession deepens)... Speaking of misguided acquisitions, Cablevision and the Dolan family have raised their bid for Newsday from $580 million to $650 million. As any fan of the New York Knicks could tell you, being bought by James Dolan is to be tossed from the frying pan to the fire...

There were a few rays of light this week for the formerly high-flying tech publisher Ziff Davis, however. What's left of the company (PC Magazine and a few assorted titles) exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy and hired Peter Weedfald as its new president... Meredith shook up its executive ranks as the once-staid Midwest publisher throws more weight behind its cross-platform sales group. Corporate sales chief Jack Bamberger is now "chief innovation officer," while Jeannine Shao Collins leaves the women's lifestyle group to assist him as VP of client solutions. Michael Brownstein leaves the Parenthood Group to run corporate sales, while Jan Studin slides over from Better Homes and Gardens to help him. The next row of dominoes includes Family Circle publisher Jim Carr, who will now oversee BHG as well, along with that magazine's associate publisher, Carey Witmer, who's been tapped as publisher of Family Circle. And Steve Levinson will add Traditional Home, Country Home, and Midwest Living to his already crowded plate....

Hyperion editorial director Will Balliett, who arrived less than a year ago from Da Capo Press, has been promoted to editor-in-chief and executive director to help fill the void left by Will Schwalbe's mysterious departure in January and president Bob Miller's defection to HarperCollins not long thereafter. The publisher has also added Mindy Stockfield from corporate cousin Disney-ABC Television. She's joining as the VP of marketing and digital media... Penguin Portfolio's Adrian Zackheim adds Sentinel to his fiefdom, while Will Weisser is now VP of both imprints... Trina Hunn leaves Hearst to become assistant general counsel at HarperCollins... Amber Qureshi is now a senior editor at Free Press... Agents Doug Grad and Zoe Pagnamenta are launching their own respective eponymous agencies...

The New York Times' city hall bureau chief Diana Cardwell is taking a year off from the paper after being awarded a John S. Knight Fellowship from Stanford. While she's in Palo Alto, business reporter Michael Barbaro will fill in for her (after reportedly talking to The Wall Street Journal first)... Ken Lovett, the New York Post's No. 2 political reporter, is defecting to the New York Daily News to compete directly with his former colleague... Susan Dentzer leaves the Newshour With Jim Lehrer to head up Health Affairs as editor-in-chief...

Harper's Bazaar UK managing editor Catherine Gundersen quits to become editorial director of 6, a forthcoming luxury (what else?) magazine... In a similar vein, NYmag.com managing editor T. Sahara Meer leaves to become executive editor of an unnamed lifestyle magazine launching in late 2009... Kelley Gott departs Time's stylish but unseen Time Style & Design to become associate publisher at Domino... Time Out New York publisher Marisa Farina has been elevated to group publisher of all of Time Out... Mike Hammer and Andy Ryan are now editor and art director of Min, respectively... Alan Cohen finally fills the vacant spot atop OMD's U.S. operation, the Omnicom-owned agency, after it had been left empty since last year. The company still has no worldwide chief executive, however... And there are more changes at Nielsen Business Media, The New York Times Co., O, The Oprah Magazine, Time Out Chicago, Katz 360 Sales, Christal Radio, Zezza Network, Churm Media, and MWG Media...

May 2, 2008: Meredith Bodgas has been named senior editor at Babytalk. (FBNY)
May 2, 2008: Christina Vercelletto has been named senior products editor at Parenting. (FBNY)
May 2, 2008: Dawn Roode has been named managing editor at Parenting. She had been managing editor at Babytalk. (FBNY)
May 2, 2008: Elizabeth Shaw has been named deputy editor at Parenting. (FBNY)
May 2, 2008: Nancy Smith has been named creative director at The Parenting Group. She had been at Babytalk. (FBNY)
May 2, 2008: Peter Weedfald has been named president at Ziff Davis Media. He had been CMO at Circuit City. (NYO)
May 1, 2008: Christine Potter has been named account manager at O, The Oprah Magazine. She had been account manger at O at Home. (release)
May 1, 2008: Matt Mansfield has been named art director at Time Out Chicago. He had been deputy managing editor at San Jose Mercury News. (Folio:)
May 1, 2008: Kelley Gott has been named associate publisher at Domino. She had been worldwide publishing director at Time Style & Design. (Folio:)
May 1, 2008: T Sahara Meer has been named executive editor at a new start-up lifestyle site (set to launch late 2009). She had been managing editor at nymag.com. (mb)
May 1, 2008: Zoe Pagnamenta will start Zoe Pagnamenta Agency. She had been at PFD New York. (Publishers Lunch)
May 1, 2008: Doug Grad has been named will start at Doug Grad Literary Agency. He had been at HarperCollins. (Publishers Lunch)
May 1, 2008: Will Weisser has been named vice president at Penguin Group's Portfolio and Sentinel imprints. He had been associate publisher and marketing director there. (Publishers Lunch)
May 1, 2008: Adrian Zackheim has been named president and publisher at Penguin Group's Portfolio and Sentinel imprints. (Publishers Lunch)
May 1, 2008: Catherine Gundersen has been named editorial director at 6, a new luxury magazine from McMurry, Inc.. She had been managing editor at Harper's Bazaar (UK).
May 1, 2008: Peter Kullman has been named senior director of corporate partnerships at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. He had been senior director for sponsorship development at World Wrestling Entertainment. (mb)
May 1, 2008: Steve Levinson will oversee Traditional Home and Country Home. He will continue to oversee Home Solutions Group at Meredith. (Mediaweek)
May 1, 2008: Carey Witmer has been named publisher at Family Circle. She had been associate publisher at Better Homes and Gardens. (Mediaweek)
May 1, 2008: Jim Carr has been named VP, group publisher at . He had been publisher at Family Circle. (Mediaweek)
May 1, 2008: Jan Studin has been named VP, corporate sales at Meredith Corporation. She had been VP at Better Homes and Gardens. (Mediaweek)
May 1, 2008: Michael Brownstein has been named senior VP of corporate sales at Meredith Corporation. He had been at Parenthood Group. (Mediaweek)
May 1, 2008: Jack Bamberger has been named chief innovation officer at Meredith. He had been corporate sales there. (Mediaweek)
April 30, 2008: Andy Ryan has been named art director at min. He had been freelance art director at AccessDirect TV. (release)
April 30, 2008: Mike Hammer has been named editor at min. (release)
April 30, 2008: Marisa Farina has been named group publisher at Time Out. She had been group publisher at Time Out New York. (release)
April 30, 2008: Emily McLintock has been named marketing director at People StyleWatch. She had been group marketing director at Niche Media. (mb)
April 30, 2008: Athena Ashburn has been named VP, production at MWG Media. She had been VP of digital media production at Fuel Design. (mb)
April 30, 2008: Diane Cardwell has been named John S. Knight Fellowship at Stanford University. She had been city hall bureau chief at The New York Times. (NYO)
April 30, 2008: Ken Lovett has been named political reporter at the New York Daily News. He had been political reporter at the New York Post. (NYO)
April 30, 2008: Trina Hunn has been named assistant general counsel at HarperCollins. She had been counsel at Hearst Corporation. (Publishers Lunch)
April 30, 2008: Amber Qureshi has been promoted to senior editor at Free Press. (Publishers Lunch)
April 30, 2008: Mindy Stockfield has been named VP of marketing & digital media at Hyperion. She had been VP, digital media at Disney-ABC Television Group. (Publishers Lunch)
April 30, 2008: Will Balliett has been named editor-in-chief and executive director at Hyperion. He had been editorial director there. (Publishers Lunch)
April 30, 2008: James Gold has been named SVP and chief marketing officer at The New York Times Company Regional Media Group. He had been vice president, marketing there. (mb)
April 29, 2008: Kimberly Porrazzo has been named chief content cfficer at Churm Media. She had been editor, OC METRO Business at Churm Media.
April 29, 2008: Susan Dentzer has been named editor-in-chief at Health Affairs. She had been head of the health unit at Newhour With Jim Lehrer. (FBDC)
April 29, 2008: Alan Cohen has been named chief executive of the US at OMD. He had been president of the Western region at Initiative. (AgencySpy)
April 29, 2008: Mike Street has been named director of social media at Zezza Network. He had been director of community development at Associated Content. (mb)
April 29, 2008: Christine Travaglini has been named president at Christal Radio. She had been senior vice president and general sales there. (mb)
April 29, 2008: Brian Benedik has been named president at Katz 360 Sales. He had been president at Christal Radio. (mb)
April 29, 2008: Mark Hosbein has been named senior vice president, marketing at Nielsen Business Media. He had been senior vice president, brand management and advertising at Discover Card. (FBNY)
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