Mort Zuckerman and one private equity firm have dropped out of the bidding for Businessweek, leaving only Bloomberg and ZelnickMedia as the contenders. Bloomberg will probably win it. It's a dubious prize. But he can afford it.


What media company went bankrupt today? CanWest, the Canadian media conglomerate that owns The National Post. Tune in tomorrow for another edition of "What media company went bankrupt today?"


Look, recently departed Page Sixer Paula Froelich is now blogging for HuffPo. This one's about the funemployed life of the "professional novelist." It sounds a lot like being a "professional blogger" except with disposable income.

Time Inc., Hearst, Conde Nast, and other big publishers are totally serious about owning the digital space and all that. They're reportedly "just weeks" away from launching their own sort of E-reader, that will E-read magazines, but in a super special magazine way. I don't know why this really needs to exist but I do hope it succeeds, cause the mags could really use the money.

The Post declined to comment to us. But an insider tells us that P6 boss Richard Johnson has already made the offer to Smith, who served as TV editor, and then US editor of The Sun until leaving to become "East Coast news director" at Life & Style early this summer. All that's left, we hear, is "crossing the I's and dotting the T's" on her paperwork to make it all official.

Update Emily confirms the move in a statement passed on by Life & Style: "Going to Page Six is my dream job. I'm sad to leave Life & Style, but I'm proud to have been part of the transformation of the magazine." Her now ex-boss Dan Wakeford says: "Emily is an amazing journalist and I understand why she is such a hot commodity."

Email us and say hey, Emily.
[Pic via]

We already heard that club queen Suzanne Bartsch turned down the gig. That would have been an awesome addition indeed, but we have some other fantasy candidates that would really make the sparks fly over on Bravo.

Ruth Madoff: Well, if they don't send her to jail. Not only does everyone already love to hate her, but poor Alex McCord won't have the worst husband on the show for a change. And just wait for her first public event. The cameraman is going to need a bodyguard. [Photo: AP]
Paula Froelich: Well, it's not like the former Page Sixer has a job right now and she does have a book to promote, so what better way that by talking some shit about New York faux-cialites. She's been doing that for years! And Paula is witty, sassy, and just a bit crass. She'll either be Jill Zarin's new best friend, or eat her alive.
Fabiola Beracasa: An honest to God socialite, Beracasa won't need Bravo's help to get invited to fashion shows. We'd love to see how this little spitfire would square off against former model Kelly Bensimon. It would make Bethenny vs. Kelly look like a game of patty cake. She might be nuts enough to do it. She did wear this dress in public.
Ali Wise: She is a young, pretty professional. Just the type that casting directors should look for. She's also nutso enough to allegedly break into someone's voicemail. Just think about what Ramona Singer will do when she finds out someone has been reading her email.
Michael Lucas: Four versions of the Housewives franchise and not a gay housewife yet? You'd think that straight people watched Bravo. This self-promoting gay porn mogul doesn't take crap from anyone, and loves to argue. And, if he's willing to let Perez Hilton take his shirt off in public, imagine what Countess Luann De Lesseps will say about his etiquette.

Post managing editor Jesse Angelo, who hosted the East Village shindig with publicist Steven Rubenstein, sang Paula's praises and apologized for Post editor Col Allan's absence. Page Six editor Richard Johnson gave Froelich his own toast. And then Paula read aloud her Post mock up about how she's really leaving her gig to go find a man. It was a very enjoyable time.

Froelich has given a fairly reasonable explanation for her departure: after nearly a decade of grinding items for a daily gossip column, she's ready to do something else. And with her first novel Mercury in Retrograde just published, she leaves the Post with a deal in her pocket to write a youth series called Grits that MTV has already optioned for television.

If there's any bad blood between her and her soon-to-be-former-boss Richard Johnson neither of them are letting it show. On the day Froelich announced her departure, she convened an after-work drinking session in the West Village with Johnson sitting by her side literally making kissy faces. (Pictured above, from left to right: Corynne Steindler, Johnson, Froelich).

It's no surprise that two veteran hands would know how to keep things out of the gossip mill. She emails: "Richard is truly family to me." So, if you know what we're supposed to be digging for, do tell.

Anyone who might conceivably write "I will break your back over my knee in the press... you little tiny fairy... I break aging trust fund pussies like you as a matter of course" in an email need not apply.

For historical reasons, we simply cannot consider any candidates in a fedora at this time. Likewise, if you think it is in any way appropriate for someone to "sponsor" a cocktail party for a gossip writer, please stop reading right now.

If you have the right name, we might be able to write your contributions for you, provided you promise to never subsequently turn around and act outraged that we write your contributions for you.

Job might include occasional grooming of supervisor's beard. Please send resumé by FAX; a functional knowledge of the internet is discouraged.

Froelich joined the gossip column after a brief stint writing financial news for Dow Jones wires, and rose up to deputy editor of the page under Richard Johnson. She wouldn't talk when we called, and passed us on to Post flack Steven Rubenstein. We'll update when we hear back. In the meantime, feel free to any gossip you have.

Update: We got this not-very-revealing quote from Post editor Col Allan: "Paula's an excellent reporter. We enjoyed having her here and we wish her the best."

Cindi Leive, Glamour editor-in-chief, denied she could be one of the book's funhouse mirrored versions of Manhattan media fixtures. It was Leive who playing host at Da Silvano's wine bar to a mix of unnervingly relaxed gossips, writers, and flacks, which meant she invited guests to pet her fur purse — "No, I don't even know what kind of animal it is, but you don't really want to know, do you?"

Froelich, in fishnets, advised that really, "If you can eat it, wear it." She had her own arm-candy: a bouquet of tiny violet roses, compliments of (former?) gossip and one-time Gawker editor, Alex Balk.

Also in the gallery, shot by the unstoppable Nikola Tamindzic: Erica Jong, George Gurley, Sloane Crosley, David Carr, Rachel Sklar, Elizabeth Spiers, Kate Lee, and Neel Shah's hat.

Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me), Page Six's gossip columnist and Mercury in Retrograde author Paula Froelich

Cindi Leive (editor-in-chief, Glamour), author Erica Jong

Elliot Furman, former Defamer writer Molly Friedman

Glamour's Cindi Leive, Rachel Sklar of Abrams Research

Neel Shah (gossip writer for Page Six, and former Radar), Chris Wilson ("the Neel Shah of the late 90's" he explains), Steve Garbarino (the survivorman of the magazine world, now working with Playboy)

Classing it up, old-school publicist Bobby Zarem

The next generation: omg omg omg

Sloane Crosley (book publicist, author of I Was Told There'd Be Cake), Cindy Eagan (head of teen lit imprint Poppy) Caroline Waxler (writer)

Mediaite Rachel Sklar with Ron Perelman's spokeswoman Christine Taylor

Neel Shah shortly before hatting Sloane Crosley

Alex Balk (The Awl, former Radar executive editor) shows his face with Paula Froelich

A barely debauched George Gurley (New York Observer, Vanity Fair)

La Froelich's fishnets

Paula Froelich, with snappy flack Marvette Brito

Morgan Spurlock

ICM agent Kate Lee with client and Gawker founding editor Elizabeth Spiers

David Carr (star Twitterer and media columnist, New York Times)

Sara Bernstein, of HBO's documentary operation, and Jesse Angelo, New York Post managing editor, who claims to have only ever drunk-bought one domain: yourwifeisonmyblog.com

Sloane Crosley, Neel Shah's hat

Paula Froelich just wants you to go home now

All as a means of promoting the book, Mercury in Retrograde, of course. The full list of items is on the Huffington Post (you can win an invitation to her book party!!!!!), but these are our favorites.

Who is...

Kandace Karllsen, a "real, expressive" newswoman "with heart" who talks with her hands because it "drives the point home" and is fixated on "proper a-NUN-see-ay-SHUN!" She likes to call gossip columnists and give them items about herself. In fake voices, of course. In order to make herself seem "bookschooled" Kandace also uses long smart-sounding "words" like "Irreducibly", "irregardlessly," etc.

Laura Lopez, a nakedly ambitious blonde 30 something entertainment reporter from a Wasp background (she changed her name as "by 2011, Hispanics will be the largest demographic in the US and they will want to watch one of their own!") lists her idols as Geraldo Rivera, Natalie Morales and Charo. Likes to describe individual celebs as "down to earth," "a real gentleman" and "so funny - not depressing at all!" (with regards to a manic-depressive comedian who was in rehab for a bad meth problem and tried to commit suicide several years earlier).

Kitty Foil, a teen starlet who accuses one of the main characters of "box-blocking" her with a film director at the Met gala. A 17 year old actress who'd been raised in the Disney farm leagues, Kitty brags about losing her virginity to Mick on a tour bus, keeps running to the bathroom to "powder her nose," gets very drunk and ends up doing improbable yogic positions in rollerblades before wreaking havoc on the gala (yes, this really happened with someone, just not at the Met Gala).

That last one is Mlle. Cyrus, maybe?

Also, it bears mentioning that apparently Paula has created a character named Ashley Winksdale, which, ahem, I believe she should give Lily Allen some credit for.

The artist Marisa Marchetto drew likenesses of "Penelope" and "Lena" and they are on MySpace and Twitter feeds. But for "Lena," the author used a picture from her own 30th birthday party and added the hair of true-life glamour girl Cornelia Guest.

The original, rejected cover (below) was by Chip Kidd, one of the most famed and prolific book jacket designers eva.

According to an insider, Keith was really upset that NBC didn't buy him a first-class ticket to Washington DC for Russert's private service. He was screaming into his phone demanding a first-class train ticket. Then he didn't get to go to the ceremony and he had to travel by car.

AND an "aghast witness" says Keith "went apoplectic" when he realized that there weren't any ketchup packets at the Kennedy Center. This is one of the weirdest gossip item we've ever read!

Olbermann was heard saying outside the service, "this place is going to hell," because his Washington staff couldn't find ketchup packets for lunch at the Center. An NBC insider claimed, however, "Keith did not have lunch at the Kennedy Center and was not eating on the set because he was anchoring a broadcast."

Honestly... the "insider" claiming to see a celeb berating an underling on a cell phone stories are kind of the lamest thing Page Six does. Nine times out of ten they are just obvious strikes against targets deemed unfriendly to the column. The story, while exclusive, is not even as entertaining as the one where they said Keith has a GIRL DISEASE. So if this is the worst they could do (WHERE IS HIS GODDAMN KETCHUP?) then Keith can probably rest easy.

He won't, though! He'll declare someone else tangentially involved the Worst Person In the World again and the cycle will begin anew.

Update: So Olbermann did mention this item on yesterday's show, by calling Page Six staffer Corynne Steindler the third-worst person in the world. Once again, further down the totem pole! A couple months from now he'll be accusing copy editors of smearing him. (Also there was a bit of an implied insult aimed at Corynne's photo, something Keith often claims to be above. And something Page Six never claims to be above.)

The insider said, "They're cable. They're far too partisan. They have no gravitas. If gravitas is eight letters, they're about seven letters short."

Even more than the opinionated Matthews, Olbermann, with his long "special comments," has forced open a wedge at NBC News between the cable and broadcast side. (The division was explored, among other places, in this week's New Yorker profile of Olbermann.) It appears as though Meet The Press is the latest battlefield in this civil war, which in turn implies that, though Olbermann lashed out at longtime enemies Murdoch and Page Six over the Russert memorial gossip, the stories may very well have originated not with anyone from News Corp. but from a fellow denizen of 30 Rock, the NBC headquarters.

[Post, Previously]

Update: So the Post has posted the Page Six item Keith Olbermann was so worked up about yesterday, and it does indeed say Hardball host Chris Matthews "seemed" to be talking about a strategy for landing Tim Russert's job at a memorial event for the NBC personality, and that Olbermann is threatening to quit if he doesn't get Russert's Meet The Press job. (On Countdown, Olbermann denied issuing an ultimatum for Meet The Press and said Matthews shut down talk of him replacing Russert when an acquaintance brought it up.) But the gossip item also quotes a source, ostensibly from the traditional broadcast side of NBC News, who claims that Russert himself wanted NBC News political director Chuck Todd as his own replacement, and that the network will never install someone from MSNBC on the show. The insider said, "They're cable. They're far too partisan. They have no gravitas. If gravitas is eight letters, they're about seven letters short."

Even more than the opinionated Matthews, Olbermann, with his long "special comments," has forced open a wedge at NBC News between the cable and broadcast side. (The division was explored, among other places, in this week's New Yorker profile of Olbermann.) It appears as though Meet The Press is the latest battlefield in this civil war, which in turn implies that, though Olbermann lashed out at longtime enemies Murdoch and Page Six over the Russert memorial gossip, the stories may very well have originated not with anyone from News Corp. but from a fellow denizen of 30 Rock, the NBC headquarters.

Update: Paula Froelich of Page Six responds: "I am honored and chuffed that someone with such a severe case of malignant self-obsession as Keith Olbermann would say I am the Worst Person in the World for June 19, 2008. Apparently I, by writing a true story about his ambitions, trumped the atrocities committed by Robert Mugabe, Than Swe, Boris Boyarskov (he wasn't in the news yesterday but I generally think he's a pretty bad guy and assume he did something bad), Ratko Mladic, Hugo Chavez, and his own beloved Dick Cheney. (Notice I didn't say what these people do — Olbermann will have to expand his scope beyond his own being to figure it out. Heres a hint, darling: one is the vice-president of the United States of America). Perhaps Keith, who is as infantile as he is narcissistic, should preach to his viewers about things that actually matter to them, rather than himself. But then again, there are only 300,000 of them. The FLDS has more members."

When she invited everyone to "come get drunk on my drink!," Froelich tells us, she assumed that the event would have a cash bar. But she found out that it actually had an open bar—which would have amounted to her selling her name in exchange for free booze for her friends. So the Post told her she couldn't go. The liquor-guzzling paper somehow managed to make the right call, and a scandal was averted. Luckily none of this prevented the Voice's Michael Musto from getting his drink on.

An IZZE FROLIC:

Vodka
Sparkling Grapefruit Juice
Lychee and Lemon Juices

Mix. Don't forget to pay.

[UPDATE: Portfolio media reporter Jeff Bercovici notes that he emailed the Post's PR firm on Monday asking about the ethics of the planned party—the same day Musto reports that the paper told Froelich she couldn't attend. Reporters working together to keep each other in line, huzzah!]

We came close once. Richard was on vacation and Wilson typed up what we thought was surely a family-friendly way of explaining the Santorum gag to unplugged newspaper readers. At about 7:00 p.m., we were all set to leave, when Post executive editor Steve Cuozzo—the Old Timiest of the Old Timey newsmen—came tearing out of his office, yowling, "Frothy discharge? Frothy discharge!?" Long story short: item killed.

What else do I miss about the Post? This lady right here. ::Sigh::