PR Man and Mediaite overlord Dan Abrams is taking a page from Gawker Media's weird website naming book, launching three new sites: Styleite, Geekosystem, and Sportsgrid, covering (guess!). Abrams tells us: "Mediaite will be connected to the other three sites in that they will share content and staff. Abrams Research is, and will remain, a distinct and separate business (much the same way so many other media companies have content arms separate from other parts of their businesses.)" We welcome new competition from Dan Abrams, because it gives us an undeserved feeling of virtue by comparison!


Uh oh: A new CPJ report finds that "At least 68 bloggers, Web-based reporters, and online editors are imprisoned, constituting half of all journalists now in jail." God damn bloggers already stole the hard work and the jobs from real journalists. Now they steal the imprisonment glory, too?


Some PR people were canned in the latest round of Conde Nast layoffs, but now the company has a job listing on Mediabistro for a PR director for the Fairchild Fashion Group and its CEO. Semi-related: We've heard from some recently laid-off Conde people that a contract clause says that if they're offered an "equivalent" job at the company and they refuse, they're out of their severance pay. So you could be enjoying a job at a great Conde mag one day, then be more or less ordered to go work on a different mag there that you hate. Not that they would ever do that! Anyhow, send us Conde Nast gossip, come on.


The New York Times Co. today said that they "currently project print advertising revenues to decrease approximately 25 percent in the fourth quarter," and that online ad revenue is projected to rise 10%, and severance costs to tally $50 million in the quarter. Also, the company is going to hang onto its paper in Worcester, MA, probably because nobody wanted to pay a decent price for it.

Today's initiative has been variously billed as "iTunes for Magazines" (correct philosophically, but wildly overstated) and "Hulu for Magazines" (incorrect, since Hulu is free). Basically you can now go to this digital storefront and buy all your favorite Conde Nast, Meredith, Hearst, Time Inc., and News Corp publications, to read on your "portable digital device" of choice. Your crappy mobile phone, or iPhone, or upcoming Apple tablet, or, hey, Time Inc. is making its very own tablet, & ad infinitum.

And, of course, this is not the only "digital storefront" thing—Hearst, a partner in this venture, is also going forward with its own personal digital storefront called Skiff , and there are similar services already operating, although, hey, there's not dominant iTunes-type player yet, so you never know.

This could be a successful venture. Then again, it could fade into irrelevance in months. Somebody will make the dominant digital storefront for content like this, just like someone will make the dominant digital reader. Magazine publishing companies, one would think, are likely to get smoked by someone like Apple in this particular sector. But they think it's worth the gamble, after watching what happened to the music industry.

But it'll take a few years. How much would you pay to read Sports Illustrated on your E-reader right now? You don't have an E-reader. And you can read Deadspin for free. So, you'd pay nothing. Changing that dynamic is what media companies need to worry about.

And here's Time Inc's announcement to employees, just because we have it:

December 8, 2009
To: Time Inc. Employees
From: Ann Moore
Re: New Digital Venture

Today, five leading publishers including Time Inc., Conde Nast, Meredith, Hearst and News Corporation announced the formation of a new venture to develop a digital storefront and a common reading application that will allow consumers to enjoy their favorite magazine and newspaper content on any platform they choose.

We already know that the next generation of mobile devices will be loaded with color touchscreens, flexible displays, video capabilities and other features that will make them ideal for consuming rich content and an appealing environment for advertisers. These devices will allow us to combine the best of what consumers love about magazines – quality, curated journalism, engaging content and beautiful photography – with the speed, convenience and portability of the latest technology.

While Time Inc. is pursuing a number of initiatives that will help us expand our current digital businesses and develop new products and revenue streams, our participation in this venture is an important part of our efforts. You'll be hearing more about it in the coming weeks and months.

In the meantime, for a look at some of the work Time Inc. is doing around portable devices, check out the demo Sports Illustrated developed, which will give you an idea of how our digital content might be enjoyed in the near future.

www.si.com/tablet

A.M.

The Apple Tablet has been something of a holy grail for gadget fiends. Now print publishers are enlisting in the cause with just as much fervor. Condé Nast's plan, as described by company execs to Peter Kafka of All Things D: Port Wired to Apple's tablet by mid-2010, followed later by all 17 other titles. By using a special digital format now under development by Adobe — which makes the publishing software that Condé and most other magazine publishers use — Condé also hopes to gain compatibility with tablet and other touch-screen devices made by Hewlett Packard and others.

Jobs should be flattered that such a high-profile publisher is chomping at the bit to get onto his new gizmo. Condé joins New York Times editor Bill Keller in talking up Apple's device; News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch is another recent print-media convert to the tablet religion.

Condé, clearly eager, should keep its enthusiasm in check. The company has closed six magazines and slashed budgets 25 percent at its remaining titles this year, setting off a wave of layoffs. It's doubtful that even Steve Jobs can come up with a silver bullet to rescue businesses that have spent many years squandering past digital opportunities. Especially if the company rushes too quickly and turns out a slapdash tablet product that burns its readers on the format forever.

(Photo illustration by Photo Giddy on Flickr)

Canceled last year in light of budget cuts, this year's soiree will be at posh Sixth Avenue restaurant Aureole, where a foie gras torchon appetizer will set you back $23 and the lobster tails are served with a side of pork belly. But don't take my word for it. Just ask the culinary institution Condé Nast shuttered this year, Gourmet, which reviewed Aureole in June:

At the bar, where big windows look out to 42nd Street, people crowd in to air-kiss and clink glasses after work as they snack on pastrami pork belly sliders and fluke sashimi.... Crisp, tiny fried oysters come with a puddle of kimchi gelée and a fluff of lemon powder. Ravioli hide a rich purée of artichokes; it is hard to have any restraint. Entrées tend to be hunks of gorgeous protein like Copper River salmon, aged rib-eye steaks, lamb snuggled up to accompaniments like quinoa, preserved lemons, black garlic, and pickled ramps.... At $84 per person, it's my bet that the real money here will be made on the more casual lunch menu... [Emphasis added]

It may not be the Four Seasons (the venue of choice for the old Condé's holiday shindigs) but the free drinks should get them just as drunk, especially since there are fewer people to share with, now.

Despite Dismal Year, Condé Nast Revives Holiday Hurrah [NYO]
Restaurants Now: Aureole, Browntrout, Burma Superstar [Gourmet]

What's this? Keith Kelly says that Hearst is sitting on a $1 billion "war chest," and that the company "is said to have revenues over $7 billion and to be profitable — as well as debt-free." Hey Hearst, Conde Nast is calling—they want to know what your secret is! For making money! Haha! Man. Somebody should definitely have the Hearst CEO repeat that one to Si Newhouse at some point. At a party or something. Just slide right over and lay it on him. That would be so funny.


Current TV is laying off 80 staffers, about a fifth of its work force. Interesting quote from them! "This re-organization was not the result of a need to cut costs. Current Media will have its most profitable year." That's a new sort of explanation, for this type of thing. Our condolences to the departed.


Conde Nast is doing something related to the internet! Says here Conde is "embracing magazine Web sites more as enhanced platforms for the titles' editorial missions rather than simply as companions to the print product." Does that mean they will have good magazine websites instead of not so good ones? Time will tell!


The Ombudsman of PBS is now forced to write columns on the topic of whether Sesame Street characters are biased against Fox News. People are stupid.

The NYO's full masthead listing, with every name and title, is here. An awesome piece of work. Keep in mind that Si Newhouse, keeper of a crumbling empire, is still so in love with The New Yorker he wants to marry it and will cut every other magazine to pieces before he makes David Remnick fire anyone.

Total Number of "Critics": 11
Total Number of Staff Writers: 66(!)
Total Number of "Editors" of One Sort or Another: 31
Total Copy Staff, Fact Checkers, and Editorial Assistants: 40
Total Art, Photo, Layout, and Cartoon Staffers: 43
Total Number of Staffers with "Makeup" in Their Titles: 6

That does not even cover all the miscellaneous positions! It makes the New York Times Book Review look positively anorexic. Ah well. The best magazine in America can hire whoever it wants, *HINT*.

[John Koblin's full NYer masthead]

The funniest thing so far today is the fact that Page Six reported this item with the "Won't Somebody Please Think of the Noble Press?" angle instead of the "Look at these whining, babied reporters" angle.

It was business as usual — all messed up — for six journalists from such upscale magazines as Forbes Life, Manhattan, and Prestige who were invited to experience the new luxury seats designed exclusively for first-class travel on Swissair. The junketeering journos found themselves booked into less luxurious business class both to and from Switzerland last week. Maybe the airline felt so many people are flying first-class these days, it didn't really need the press

I guess it's up to us, then? Hey everyone, look at these whining, babied reporters.


The Week is guaranteeing advertisers that their ads will test highly in consumer recall, or the magazine will keep running the ads for free until they do test well enough. This means, I think, The Week has plenty of extra ad space just lying around.


If you were waiting impatiently for the arrival of Esquire's latest bleepy technology doo-dad thingy, in the magazine, good news: It's here. Go look at it if you want, or not.


Conde Nast is planning to launch more of its titles in China, where the print magazine business is not such a god damn train wreck. We cannot mock them for this sound strategic move.

According to Keith Kelly, Lucky publisher Gina Sanders—married to Steven Newhouse, of the formerly declasse newspaper Newhouses—convinced Si of the necessity of hiring Michael Sheehan, who's coached presidents and aided AIG and JP Morgan. Who knows what Sheehan will do, besides pull in a hefty salary.

You know who is probably sadder about the end of the Conde Christmas Lunch than any of the Conde editors? Keith Kelly. No one's ever enjoyed analyzing a seating chart more than Kelly.

This is the second year in a row of no Xmas Lunch. Instead, Si will host a cocktail party, at night, which sounds more fun, to us, but we are not Graydon Carter, so what do we know?

The WSJ reports:

The evening's top price went to Alberto Giacometti's 1950 bronze of a toppling man, "L'Homme Qui Chavire," which an Eastern European collector bidding over the telephone got for $19.3 million, well over its $12 million high estimate.

Macroeconomic win! Bring back Gourmet!

CityFile reports that Newhouse paid $20 million for this fancy spindly-looking sculpture, "L'Homme Qui Chavire" by Alberto Giacometti, and now he's selling it at Sotheby's, where it's estimated to go for about half that. This, after he tried and failed to sell it at $20 million and $16 million.

Regular Americans know this move as "Desperately taking shit to the pawn shop, to pay the bills."

Conde Nast! Glamor!
[Cityfile]

Quantcast (Reddit is the lower line; news ranking competitor Digg the upper):

ComScore, via TechCrunch (Reddit is the lower, red line):

The departures of Ohanian and Huffman were anticipated. The co-founders are believed to have completed the "earn out" provisions of their acquisition deal with Condé Nast; the end of October marks the three-year anniversary of the acquisition. What's troubling is that Wired, socked by layoffs and ad declines, seems determined to do to promising Wired.com what it did to Reddit: hinder some real potential.

No matter, for Reddit's co-founders: Alexis Ohanian (top pic, left) is off to a fellowship in Armenia, while co-founder Steve Huffman (top pic, right) will "flee back to Virginia to spend time with my lovely new wife." Sounds like a plan. They'll say goodbye at a Reddit Halloween party in San Francisco. Free drinks are involved — per Reddit tradition — so.... see you there!

(Top pics: Irina Slutsky and saikofish on Flickr)

"DC Journos Talk Halloween Costumes." Fantastic. George Stephanopoulos says his daughters "are pushing for me to be a pizza deliveryman!" They weren't talking about Halloween, dude.


John Koblin says that Conde Nast has no plans to reduce the frequency of any of its monthly magazines. Good news for magazines still publishing, and the staffers still employed at those magazines.


France! Look what they're doing there: Giving free yearlong newspaper subscriptions to 18-24 year olds. Maybe French papers will learn from the USA by hiring a bunch of consultants to come in and retool their papers until they appear indistinguishable from US Weekly in order to appeal to these valuable younger readers. It worked for us!


A tipster has sent us the menu for tonight's "GQ dinner." (What dinner? We're not sure. Let us know). Here it is:

WHEN:
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
7:00 PM - 11:00 PM

WHERE:
The Edison Ballroom
228 West 47th Street, New York City

Flowers:
OVANDO, New York City

Chef:
Mina Newman

Menu:
FIRST COURSE
Arugula, Endive and Radicchio Salad with Shaved Parmesan
SECOND COURSE
Miso glazed Bronzino with Parmesan Risotto Cake
Grilled Filet Mignon with Grilled Asparagus and Scallop Potatoes
Recommended pairing: Stella Artois
DESSERT
Passed at Ketel One vodka After Party
A mix of mini cannolis, petit fours, fruit tarts

Another Conde Nast mag lines up for its 25% budget cuts: A tipster tells us that Teen Vogue had about six layoffs today in the sales and marketing departments, including, they say, a pregnant woman. We also hear rumors of editorial layoffs at Details today, although we have no...details. Know more? Email us.


Elsewhere in magazine layoffs: The long-awaited Forbes layoffs are coming down this week. Keith Kelly says 30 to 40 layoffs there this week. And WWD says that Time Inc. is "expected to make staff reductions across the board next week." That follows the 600 layoffs there one year ago. Damn.


What horrible things are going on at the San Francisco Chronicle? The paper lost more than 25% of its circulation in the latest report. Which is great news, according to the publisher! "Frank Vega, publisher of The Chronicle, said the newspaper's loss in circulation was an expected result of moving away from a business model that depends mainly on advertising and instead relies on readers for a greater share of revenue." Ah yes: Now that your model relies on readers for revenue, you'd expect readers to flee from your paper in record numbers. Naturally. Also: "Starting next month, the paper will become the first in the country to use glossy, magazine-style paper in its daily editions, although not for every page." Um, just what the public's been waiting for? Even Romenesko is totally making fun of you, SF Chronicle.


Looks like Wonkette will be resuming its boycott of Politico, after discovering Politico is still way dumb.


There's a little war of words going on between "xenophobic" xenophobe Lou Dobbs and "self-important ass" Fox Biz mustache-haver John Stossel. Hopefully this will end with both men tearing each other limb from limb.

Peter Kafka pulls out the actual sale price of BusinessWeek: $9.3 million, before taxes. That's more than earlier reports of $2-5 million, but less than what McGraw-Hill would have liked to get for the magazine ($999 million).


The entire newspaper industry did terribly in the latest circulation report, but who did the worst? Well, the SF Chronicle's circulation dropped 26%; the Miami Herald dropped 23%; and the Newark Star-Ledger dropped 22%. Coincidentally, those are the same three papers that lead the "Papers that are toast" list. [Oh and look at this!]


Gene Weingarten cracks jokes about his newspaper's stupid pundit contest. Most of you probably think you're "too cool" to admit that old Gene Weingarten, plain old newspaper "humor columnist," is a funny writer, don't you? Well you're not. Just admit it.


Conde Nast has hired Julie Raimondi as the new editor in chief of Brides.com, one of the few jobs that still exists over there, at Conde Nast.

Rather than take advantage of the free car service offered by her employer, Conde Nast, Danziger voluntarily and without coercion climbs aboard a bicycle outside her home at 91st St. and Park Ave. and—powered only by her own cellular mitochondria—pedals the contraption through whizzing Manhattan traffic all the way to 43rd street, where her office is located. Every day, except "during snowstorms, or when she had important meetings," she forgoes the traditional town car in favor of a method of locomotion that rewards her only with fitness, freedom, and flair.

And an admiring article in the New York Times.

[Pic: Getty. Below, a map shows the treacherous territory Lucy Danziger navigates on her velocimobile.]

From a tipster's report, we hear: one employee at the West Coast bureau in LA got axed, as well as one in the Georgia bureau, and one in the Miami bureau. Furthermore, two got axed in New York, but the good word also has it that the mothership in New York is desperately trying to protect their own in the face of cuts across the board (naturally).

So: five from Women's Wear Daily, coming at the end of a shitty, shitty week that started with 16 layoffs from Wired, Lucky, and Glamour, which was before market research and Bon Appetit both got nailed, too.

And you think you had a bad week. Here's hoping it's the end of this, for now.

[Pic: Rafael Chamorro]

We're hearing from multiple sources that a major round of layoffs will be hitting Forbes next week. So if you work at Forbes...um, just be nervous, I guess. And if you know more details, email us.


Danyel Smith was the editor of Vibe. Then Vibe folded. Then she got a job as editor of TheRoot.com. Now, after just six weeks on the job, she's quitting "because of issues related to her commute." Huh. Well I was coming home late one dark afternoon/ A reporter stopped me for an interview/ She said she heard stories and she heard fables/ That I'm vicious on the mic, and the turntable/ This young reporter I did adore/ So I rocked a vicious rhyme like I never did before/ She said 'Damn fly guy I'm in love with you'/ And the Casanova legend must have been true/ I said: TELECOMMUTE.
Hip hop has a message.


Details from a tipster regarding this week's cutbacks at Conde Nast Traveler: "A majority of the full-time research staff was 'severed.' Although, purportedly, there will be an arrangement in the coming weeks for those let go to remain as freelancers—a mitigating demotion, ostensibly. But the axe also fell on some editorial and copy edit staff, and several other senior editors, while not fully terminated, will see their work weeks shortened to two or three days only." That's marginally better than being laid off!


An 80 year-old man who retired as Baltimore's AP bureau chief in 1991 killed himself last weekend after being charged with molesting two young boys.